Arrest of young girls over Facebook comment & like! Is Shivsena a political outfit or gang of hoodlums!?
BEWARE NETIZEN'S!
IT'S TIME YOU THINK THRICE OR AT LEAST TWICE before hitting 'like' on social networks leave alone the status update or tweet!!
Yes! Fresh case of misusing IT act of 2008 is from the state of Maharashtra where two young girls from Palghar have been arrested over a comment and subsequent 'like' on Facebook over 'Mumbai Shutdown.' Leave alone the free speech or freedom of expression of which 'constitution of India' boasts every now and then! Here's an example where even a comment or 'liking' of it could leave you tugged behind bars in the economical capital of this nation.
Forget free speech. A simple comment on Facebook and what they got was a slap in the face -Read Hindustan Times.
Meanwhile, it's the same India which world refers to as beholder of 'largest democracy.' Then, has the largest democracy lost its cool over not-so-common criticism in setups like this that it takes it no time to arrest two young girls over 'expressing their views' on social network albeit against the law of land which disallows arrest of women after sunset.
Shaheen Dhada for posting a comment and Renu Srinivasan for 'liking' the same have been arrested and freed although on bail of Rs. 15000 each after the furious reactions that followed in media (both news and social media). The tainted arrest has yet again fuelled the merry old debate all over again on freedom of speech and expression in India and had kept media houses busy in spiceing the news for me and you! But the question it has raised are of grave concern. Has India lost its humourist side or has it become impatient, intolerant & over sensitive in handling such things?? Only time will tell how far have we come and how still far could we ever go!
It was in fact on Sunday after the peaceful funeral procession of Bal Thackeray and subsequent 'Shutdown Of Mumbai' that this one girl posted a comment on FB and the other girl 'Liked' the same which landed them in the eye of storm from Shivsena cadre which allegedly forced police to take action against both as soon as possible. After which police arrested them and charged them with dubious sections of IPC which in no way are concerned with their 'comment' and subsequent 'like'. What was in fact more interesting to look was the pace in which they were arrested and the speed with which sections of IPC were changed overnight after media's intervention into the same.
Shivsena -a party known very well in almost every household for its hooliganistic approach of dealing anything against itself has allegedly been behind of all this ruckus but has indecisively dithered of being apolegetic. In fact as reported earlier, police officials have acted and showed such streak pace only after some members of shivsena pressurised them in doing so. And more evident surfaced when a member of Shivsena was found saying, 'Balasaheb is god for, nothing against him would ever be tolerated.' Even hoodlums dared to ransack and vandalize the clinic of Shaheen Dhada's uncle who posted the comment. All this were instigated over one comment which read -People like Thackesay are born and die daily and one should not observe a 'bandh' [shutdown] for that. The girl in question was certainly stressing upon, Thackeray -the pupil not Balasaheb Thackeray -the god to Shiv Sainiks! On the other hand, the police which showed gargantuan pace while arresting girls switched to 'snails-pace' while catching nine (upto this time) hoodlums who ransacked and vandalized clinic of the relative of one of the girls. The arrested whose names though not disclosed till now, have been identified as members of Shivsena. Celebrated Thackeray might be god for many but you can't thrust your choice and opinions onto everyone atleast not in democracy! And we live in democracy not facist dictatorial rule to behave as your wishes and interests like puppets. Don't forget -It's the same celebrated piece of stone that acts as god for its believers and sheer stone for the rest whom you call atheists. Shivsena cadre blatantly downplayed the hospital vandalization as chanting it mere as an accident to which Gaurav Kapur, TV presenter posted on FB, "Palghar sena chief calls it an accident. Ah i see, the hospital must've been driving on the wrong side and 200 people probably collided into it." Sena, known much for its ransacking image was at the helm of praise when it successfully organised funeral procession of Balasaheb in much respected peaceful and calm atmosphere. Even the greats like Amitabh Bachchan congratulated it and team for the same. But hours after it forgot everything and showed no time in displaying its true colours! The man who brought whole state of Maharashtra to halt with his one command was no more but his baffled followers were in no mood to let go off the fear which achieved this chimerical wonder.
IT'S TIME YOU THINK THRICE OR AT LEAST TWICE before hitting 'like' on social networks leave alone the status update or tweet!!
Yes! Fresh case of misusing IT act of 2008 is from the state of Maharashtra where two young girls from Palghar have been arrested over a comment and subsequent 'like' on Facebook over 'Mumbai Shutdown.' Leave alone the free speech or freedom of expression of which 'constitution of India' boasts every now and then! Here's an example where even a comment or 'liking' of it could leave you tugged behind bars in the economical capital of this nation.
Forget free speech. A simple comment on Facebook and what they got was a slap in the face -Read Hindustan Times.
Meanwhile, it's the same India which world refers to as beholder of 'largest democracy.' Then, has the largest democracy lost its cool over not-so-common criticism in setups like this that it takes it no time to arrest two young girls over 'expressing their views' on social network albeit against the law of land which disallows arrest of women after sunset.
Shaheen Dhada for posting a comment and Renu Srinivasan for 'liking' the same have been arrested and freed although on bail of Rs. 15000 each after the furious reactions that followed in media (both news and social media). The tainted arrest has yet again fuelled the merry old debate all over again on freedom of speech and expression in India and had kept media houses busy in spiceing the news for me and you! But the question it has raised are of grave concern. Has India lost its humourist side or has it become impatient, intolerant & over sensitive in handling such things?? Only time will tell how far have we come and how still far could we ever go!
It was in fact on Sunday after the peaceful funeral procession of Bal Thackeray and subsequent 'Shutdown Of Mumbai' that this one girl posted a comment on FB and the other girl 'Liked' the same which landed them in the eye of storm from Shivsena cadre which allegedly forced police to take action against both as soon as possible. After which police arrested them and charged them with dubious sections of IPC which in no way are concerned with their 'comment' and subsequent 'like'. What was in fact more interesting to look was the pace in which they were arrested and the speed with which sections of IPC were changed overnight after media's intervention into the same.
Shivsena -a party known very well in almost every household for its hooliganistic approach of dealing anything against itself has allegedly been behind of all this ruckus but has indecisively dithered of being apolegetic. In fact as reported earlier, police officials have acted and showed such streak pace only after some members of shivsena pressurised them in doing so. And more evident surfaced when a member of Shivsena was found saying, 'Balasaheb is god for, nothing against him would ever be tolerated.' Even hoodlums dared to ransack and vandalize the clinic of Shaheen Dhada's uncle who posted the comment. All this were instigated over one comment which read -People like Thackesay are born and die daily and one should not observe a 'bandh' [shutdown] for that. The girl in question was certainly stressing upon, Thackeray -the pupil not Balasaheb Thackeray -the god to Shiv Sainiks! On the other hand, the police which showed gargantuan pace while arresting girls switched to 'snails-pace' while catching nine (upto this time) hoodlums who ransacked and vandalized clinic of the relative of one of the girls. The arrested whose names though not disclosed till now, have been identified as members of Shivsena. Celebrated Thackeray might be god for many but you can't thrust your choice and opinions onto everyone atleast not in democracy! And we live in democracy not facist dictatorial rule to behave as your wishes and interests like puppets. Don't forget -It's the same celebrated piece of stone that acts as god for its believers and sheer stone for the rest whom you call atheists. Shivsena cadre blatantly downplayed the hospital vandalization as chanting it mere as an accident to which Gaurav Kapur, TV presenter posted on FB, "Palghar sena chief calls it an accident. Ah i see, the hospital must've been driving on the wrong side and 200 people probably collided into it." Sena, known much for its ransacking image was at the helm of praise when it successfully organised funeral procession of Balasaheb in much respected peaceful and calm atmosphere. Even the greats like Amitabh Bachchan congratulated it and team for the same. But hours after it forgot everything and showed no time in displaying its true colours! The man who brought whole state of Maharashtra to halt with his one command was no more but his baffled followers were in no mood to let go off the fear which achieved this chimerical wonder.
The over sensitive and impatient party cadre must smell some
coffee and turn the pages of history (or any news papers of Sunday or recent
magazine!) and re-read how the legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray was built. Bal
Keshav Thackeray started his journey with brush, then cartooning politicos and
likes. He even didn't spared to toon First Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and
even Indira Gandhi. With the hard strokes of his brush he had took 'head-on'
almost every stalwarts of his time but much to the dismay of present times,
nobody bothered to file defamations suit or behave in the way his followers
have behaved up now vehemently. The leaders then presumably knew the cost of
living in a democratic setup. Heater, hell wherever he be. Might just be
drawing his another toon which might read -THE MAN WHO BUILT HIS EMPIRE OUT OF
RIDICULING AND CARTOONING STALWARTS COULDN'T TEACH HIS FOLLOWERS HOW TO RECEIVE
IT THEMSELVES! Isn't it sad? May be for us. But for beleaguered sena it's
nothing new. As they vehemently believe Maharashtra runs & stops out of
their commands and not even law of land could retrieve it. Or at least it seems
so after several acts it has envisaged successfully without actually ever being
convicted of any crime and punished under law book! Then, is ShivSena -party
beyond criticism? Only Maharashtra govt/police could answer the same...
In all, acts like this aren't any new to hear in India. In October, a small scale industrialist in Puducherry, Ravi Srinivasan, was arrested for posting "offensive" messages against Union finance minister P Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram. The person has tweeted that Karti has amassed wealth more than that of Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of congress president Sonia Gandhi. Similarly cartoonist Aseem Trivedi was arrested in September by Cyber crime branch of Mumbai Police for sedition, as his cartoons poked fun of corrupt politicians and parliament. Way before, in West Bengal too same sort of incident occured with a professor lamenting Mamata Banergy. All these have raised grave questions on whether the Information Technology Act, 2008, should well be amended or not. "Section 66(a) of IT act, which was introduced in 2008 after the Mumbai terron attacks, is in direct conflict with Article 19 of the constitution which talks about freedom of speech and expression," said Pavan Duggal, a cyber law expert & advocate with Supreme Court.
The course of procedures to amend all this will take too much of time. The girl who sparked all this debate afresh has already deactivated her Facebook account out of incidences that have unfolded before her over her one post. The debate and government/police proceedings will continue as always and will soon settle down like the mud after storm but the trauma both girls have undergone will haunt them for whole of their life. Blame? Whom will you blame? The people who hold Maharashtra in their pockets and swirl it as their wishes......?
In all, acts like this aren't any new to hear in India. In October, a small scale industrialist in Puducherry, Ravi Srinivasan, was arrested for posting "offensive" messages against Union finance minister P Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram. The person has tweeted that Karti has amassed wealth more than that of Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of congress president Sonia Gandhi. Similarly cartoonist Aseem Trivedi was arrested in September by Cyber crime branch of Mumbai Police for sedition, as his cartoons poked fun of corrupt politicians and parliament. Way before, in West Bengal too same sort of incident occured with a professor lamenting Mamata Banergy. All these have raised grave questions on whether the Information Technology Act, 2008, should well be amended or not. "Section 66(a) of IT act, which was introduced in 2008 after the Mumbai terron attacks, is in direct conflict with Article 19 of the constitution which talks about freedom of speech and expression," said Pavan Duggal, a cyber law expert & advocate with Supreme Court.
The course of procedures to amend all this will take too much of time. The girl who sparked all this debate afresh has already deactivated her Facebook account out of incidences that have unfolded before her over her one post. The debate and government/police proceedings will continue as always and will soon settle down like the mud after storm but the trauma both girls have undergone will haunt them for whole of their life. Blame? Whom will you blame? The people who hold Maharashtra in their pockets and swirl it as their wishes......?
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