Freedom of internet must not be curbed

Internet is the only platform where the people can express themselves freely and very easily. The advent of internet has strengthened the democracy, democratic views and the promotion of democracy worldwide. This is the only platform which is accessible to every corner of the world. The social sites have played a very important role in presenting the people's views on any issue before the nation. But at the same time, the freedom that internet has provided people must not be misused. Social sites must not be used to create communal disturbance in the society by allowing the user to upload hate message against any community or promote, encourage and spread false rumours to create animosity and fear psychosis among the people of different communities. The websites and social sites which promote anarchism, violence, hate and animosity among the people to disintegrate India must be blocked immediately at all costs. The Government of India has rightly blocked some of the websites and social site account holders who have opened their accounts under fake address. The such rumour as spread about N-E people who live in Banglore, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai and other cities of the nation may be attacked in view of ethnic violence in the largest north-eastern state of Assam must not allowed to float. No social sites or websites should be allowed to post objectionable and inflammatory contents. At the same time, the freedom of internet must not be curbed in any way and the Government must always remain watchful about the content being loaded on the social sites. Parliament last year passed a law that obliges Internet companies to remove a range of objectionable content when requested to do so, a move criticized at the time by rights groups and social media companies. When laws were there to be followed by social site companies, why it failed to notice the hate messages, morphed pictures and videos being uploaded from Pakistan could not block them immediately. If they had been prompt, there would have been no panic and fear among N-E people that led to their exodus from different parts of the nation for their home state of Assam and other north-eastern states. The Government of India too failed to implement the law promptly and sincerely. Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has rightly said that only those social media accounts which have posted objectionable and inflammatory content are being blocked and there is no need for others to be concerned. Govt. also must not level unnecessary charges on others be it social sites or SMS. Though there is anger in some sections of the people against the govt. because advertently or inadvertently it has been alleged that it has blocked accounts of even some journalists, it is against the essence of democracy. Government must not indulge in censorship exercise in the garb of blocking the websites and the social site account holder who have been found accused of uploading objectionable and inflammatory contents.