CENSORING MEDIA on the basis of publishing offensive content is not a new thing. This happens all over the world at various ages and time. But the recent plan to bulldoze Facebook and Google in the Chinese style goes against all ethics.

All societies and countries have their own restraints on materials in public mind up to an acceptable limit. Too much of repression is authoritarian. In this age of electronic media, it is highly difficult for any service providers to restraint millions of users, especially while they send or post messages and pictures.

The Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal has of late asked the Indian offices of Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Facebook to pre-screen user generated materials to remove ‘disparaging, inflammatory or defamatory content before publishing it online. The protest came from the Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in his Twitter account who described himself as a frequent victim of ‘disparaging, inflammatory or defamatory content’ on social media. It is heartening to note that Mr. Tharoor is not in favour of the draconian censor.

In the so called democracy that India is, there seems to have been always an attempt by the central and state governments to impose all draconian measures on the grounds of communal tensions. Writers and artists all over the world face such ban because they irk the rulers with their unconventional views. It does not require any justification that we are all opposed to content which may hurt the diverse and large religious communities in our country. We will always oppose the content that may ignite communal tensions.

In this regard Facebook has already agreed to remove the offensive content. But the basic problem is targeting the wrong location. Facebook or Google are the service providers like the Vodafone or Airtel .They are like the peon or the courier boys who carry letters for you. One should not blame the peon why he brought the offensive news as in earlier times the King used to blame the messenger for bringing bad news or reward him for the good news.  The target should be the people who post the news. There should be some responsibility on the part of the person who post comments and ideas on the Google or Facebook or send sms or mms from the Nokia or Samsung mobile. We cannot blame Nokia or Samsung because the users have sent the offensive message from the cells made by those companies. Targeting of Facebook or Google or Microsoft is similarly illogical and ridiculous.

It is not unexpected that the level of reaction is very high. The Telecom Minister had to convene a media conference to clarify the government stand on the issue. A mechanism is to be evolved to curb ‘offensive’ content on the web, particularly in social media networks. But this should not send a wrong message. Today Facebook and other online sites have roused people from the stupor. Every moment million of people participate in collective thinking. They enrich each other and the word global friendship has truly gathered some meaning through constant interactions. Freedom of action should be there, yes, to a certain limit.

Tharoor pertinently said: ‘If someone is holding a match stick to destroy a petrol pump, my concern is to save the pump and not to defend the freedom of action of the vandal lighting the match’. But Mr. Tharoor should not forget how people were made aware of the issues of Anna Hazare’s Lokpal Bill Movement or Mayawati’s statues and other such issues of contemporary relevance through these online sites.

It is true that people spit venom against the government in some posts. But at the same time it cannot be denied that these service providers serve as safety valves to emit the excess heat of the public mind. Healthy arguments are necessary. Today the way people are depoliticized and showing their self-centredness, it is very hard to make people speak on social issues. Facebook has brought faces to speak and interact and this is true of other online sites.

The domination of printing media has collapsed and many people who never got any chance to vent their opinion have at last got this opportunity to speak their heart out. This should not be curbed on the plea of religious violence. India has attained enough maturity to withstand one stray comment and will not burst into violent agitation or riots. Today the world talks through Facebook and Google, and other online sites. It is not wise to throttle the free voice of the people and their newly gained online freedom. Public order and communal harmony were higher priorities for the nation. But freedom of speech is no less.

Diogenes, the great Greek philosopher told Alexander who deprived him of sunlight by standing in front of him: “Don’t deprive me of what you cannot give”. Government should not deprive people of freedom if it cannot give it other ways. What Kapil Sibal or Tharoor said, debate may go on endlessly on that. But one should not forget that Facebook or Google are the platforms for public participation, interaction and friendship. In this technological age, these online sites are double- edged weapons. One may use them as a blessing and also as a curse. Anyway they should not be looked down upon only as a curse. They give a voice to the globe. India is a democracy unlike China. It is not imperative that we impose emergency on the Facebook or Google or other online sites.