Indians arrested for Facebook post on Mumbai shutdown

[Zabaniyah]

Déjà vu...
shadow: Be careful commented on facebook

 

[janon]

Janon, you are irrevocably divorced from the reality of India.

The reality is that we are a passionate people.

The reality is that our law enforcement sucks.

The reality is that before law takes control, the mob holds sway.

The reality is that the mob cares two farts for your freedom of speech.

The reality is that when the mob takes over people can and do die.

The reality is that those people who die and those they leave behind have rights to.

The right to live.

The right not to die because a twit wants to act badass.

The right not to die because such twits get encouraged by other twits who spout legal gibberish from Ivory Towers.

I repeat - you are divorced from the reality of India.

You are divorced from the reality of this particular case. There was no mob trying to assault her, and this arrest was not done to prevent that. This arrest was made because of a stupid case filed by a stupid man who is now being disowned by his own party. The authorities who ordered the arrezsgt as well as the ones who implemented it are finding themselves in a tough spot, as they should. You are making strawmen arguments here by talking about mobs where there are no mobs.

A girl was arrested for no reason, another for simply clicking a "like" button. This is not about civil rights, this is about civil liberties. This was a government arm abusing its authority, not a public mob. It is pathetic to see people justifying an unjustified arrest simply because the victim happened to type something you don't like.

I repeat - you are divorced from the reality of this case.

 

[vsdoc]

You are divorced from the reality of this particular case. There was no mob trying to assault her, and this arrest was not done to prevent that. This arrest was made because of a stupid case filed by a stupid man who is now being disowned by his own party. The authorities who ordered the arrezsgt as well as the ones who implemented it are finding themselves in a tough spot, as they should. You are making strawmen arguments here by talking about mobs where there are no mobs.

A girl was arrested for no reason, another for simply clicking a "like" button. This is not about civil rights, this is about civil liberties. This was a government arm abusing its authority, not a public mob. It is pathetic to see people justifying an unjustified arrest simply because the victim happened to type something you don't like.

I repeat - you are divorced from the reality of this case.

Let me start by saying that you are truly divorced from the reality.

Ask any Maharashtrian here how we were keeping our fingers crossed these past few days.

Guys living here.

Guys who will bear the brunt if things go wrong.

In such times, there is no Hindu or Muslim or Parsi.

Do not tell me about what the reality is in my state.

I live here. There are things we know and live and see and hear that do not get reported in the papers or the TV.

 

[hassana]

MUMBAI: Indian police said Monday they had arrested a woman for criticising on Facebook the total shutdown of Mumbai after the death of politician Bal Thackeray, as well as a friend who “liked” the comment.

The pair were due to appear in court later in the day charged under the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act, said Police Inspector Shrikant Pingle in the town of Palghar north of Mumbai.

“The two women will be produced in a local court later this afternoon. They are being charged for hurting religious sentiments,” he told AFP.

They were arrested on Sunday, when a huge funeral procession attended by hundreds of thousands of supporters was held in Mumbai for Thackeray, the divisive founder of the rightwing Shiv Sena party.

News of his death on Saturday afternoon brought the city to a virtual standstill for the weekend, with businesses shutting and taxis going off the roads, amid fears of violence by Thackeray’s supporters.

While his followers mourned, others were angered at the hold Shiv Sena exerted over India’s financial capital. The 21-year-old arrested for her Facebook post was among many who aired opinions on social networking sites.

“Her comment said people like Thackeray are born and die daily and one should not observe a ‘bandh’ (city shutdown) for that,” Police Inspector Uttam Sonawane told the Mumbai Mirror.

Despite widespread concerns, there were no reports of unrest in Mumbai itself on the day of the funeral of Thackeray, one of India’s most polarising party leaders who was widely accused of stoking ethnic and religious violence.

India in recent months has shown sensitivity to criticism of its politicians, sparking criticism in turn from freedom of speech campaigners.

In September campaigners were outraged by the arrest in Mumbai on charges of sedition of a cartoonist for his anti-corruption drawings.

The charges were later dropped.

Indians arrested for Facebook post on Mumbai shutdown | DAWN.COM

What happened to freedom of speech and expression in the world,s biggest democracy ?

 

[Jackdaws]

Nope. I did not come here one fine morning on a 'without' sitting on the steps of the Karmabhoomi express with nothing. I came here after the due process of migration going through the required tests, visa checks and background interview. If tomorrow the US says I ought to go home, I go home. No questions asked, no whinings entertained.

So talk something sensible and relevant.




Im sorry but are you plagiarizing Katju's article. Do you even understand the Aryan Invasion Theory insinuated by the eccentric Katju has been scientifically, genetically and historically discredited ?

Well, that is because you are traveling internationally. Does a guy from Iowa need to go through immigration to go to LA? And if the Californian branch of the KKK asks the Iowa fellows to move back to Iowa - is that legal?

What happened to freedom of speech and expression in the world,s biggest democracy ?

It died. Soon it will be buried and forgotten.

 

[janon]

Let me start by saying that you are truly divorced from the reality.

Ask any Maharashtrian here how we were keeping our fingers crossed these past few days.

Guys living here.

Guys who will bear the brunt if things go wrong.

In such times, there is no Hindu or Muslim or Parsi.

Do not tell me about what the reality is in my state.

I live here. There are things we know and live and see and hear that do not get reported in the papers or the TV.

If you live in such fear and intimidation, you should arrest the people responsible for putting you in such a situation. The people who imply threats of violence. Not random 20 something year olds who click a like button. As if that arrest suddenly made Mumbai safer. The idiots who threaten to go on a rampage are the ones who should be arrested. And by the way have you even read her comment, the one that got her arrested? Almost every comment in this thread has been more inflammatory than that.

The only reason you are making these feeble excuses for a completely unjust act by the police, is because of your ideological preconceptions. The reality in your state, or any other state in India is that policemen who abuse authority and arrest people on ludicrous charges will find themselves in trouble. These policemen will too, in a few days. You can find out for yourself who knows more, you or I, by following this story. There is no point sitting here and childishly saying "I know more, I know more."

You can already see from the public reaction and the fact that the DGP himself has initiated an investigation, and that everybody in the legal as well as law enforcement community have condemned this and asked for charges to be pressed against the people responsible, that this kind of thing cannot happen in India.

What happened to freedom of speech and expression in the world,s biggest democracy ?

It was suppressed for a few hours in one part of one city. It is being rectified. Freedom of speech is alive and well, and the people who tried to suppress it will soon find themselves out of a job.

 

[vsdoc]

If you live in such fear and intimidation, you should arrest the people responsible for putting you in such a situation. The people who imply threats of violence. Not random 20 something year olds who click a like button. As if that arrest suddenly made Mumbai safer. The idiots who threaten to go on a rampage are the ones who should be arrested. And by the way have you even read her comment, the one that got her arrested? Almost every comment in this thread has been more inflammatory than that.

The only reason you are making these feeble excuses for a completely unjust act by the police, is because of your ideological preconceptions. The reality in your state, or any other state in India is that policemen who abuse authority and arrest people on ludicrous charges will find themselves in trouble. These policemen will too, in a few days. You can find out for yourself who knows more, you or I, by following this story. There is no point sitting here and childishly saying "I know more, I know more."

You can already see from the public reaction and the fact that the DGP himself has initiated an investigation, and that everybody in the legal as well as law enforcement community have condemned this and asked for charges to be pressed against the people responsible, that this kind of thing cannot happen in India.

It was suppressed for a few hours in one part of one city. It is being rectified. Freedom of speech is alive and well.

See now you are in the pontificating "you" mode.

Therefore .....

Times Square.

Cry your heart out.

Cheers, Doc

 

[Jackdaws]

If you live in such fear and intimidation, you should arrest the people responsible for putting you in such a situation. The people who imply threats of violence. Not random 20 something year olds who click a like button. As if that arrest suddenly made Mumbai safer. The idiots who threaten to go on a rampage are the ones who should be arrested. And by the way have you even read her comment, the one that got her arrested? Almost every comment in this thread has been more inflammatory than that.

The only reason you are making these feeble excuses for a completely unjust act by the police, is because of your ideological preconceptions. The reality in your state, or any other state in India is that policemen who abuse authority and arrest people on ludicrous charges will find themselves in trouble. These policemen will too, in a few days. You can find out for yourself who knows more, you or I, by following this story. There is no point sitting here and childishly saying "I know more, I know more."

You can already see from the public reaction and the fact that the DGP himself has initiated an investigation, and that everybody in the legal as well as law enforcement community have condemned this and asked for charges to be pressed against the people responsible, that this kind of thing cannot happen in India.



It was suppressed for a few hours in one part of one city. It is being rectified. Freedom of speech is alive and well, and the people who tried to suppress it will soon find themselves out of a job.

Sadly, they will not lose their jobs. They will get a rap on the knuckles - perhaps a transfer and in worse case scenario for them - a minor suspension.

Freedom of speech and expression has been repeatedly trampled upon in India. They banned Rushdie's books in the 80s and even in 2011 didn't let him participate in the Jaipur Lit Fest. Remember the protests for Deepa Mehta's Fire? Or Mamta jailing some professor and one India Against Corruption actually being arrested for sedition.

I always was taught that we kicked out the Brits because they denied us our fundamental rights. Funny how those fundamental rights are routinely trampled upon by political parties across the spectrum.

 

[janon]

See now you are in the pontificating "you" mode.

Therefore .....

Times Square.

Cry your heart out.

Cheers, Doc

Nope. Not pontificating - it was you who did that by making personal attacks like how I have lived out of India for too long etc. (I have made clear on this very thread that I'm typing this from India.)

Im not crying, I'm happy to see how things have unraveled, happy to see that the a-holes who made a false arrest are being grilled, happy that the entire nation is on the side of the girls. I'm not sure what pontification I did. All I did was to point out that no amount of pathetic excuses and strawmen arguments like imaginary mobs can take away the reality that thyis was an unjustified arrest.

You are the one who is not happy with the outcome. Your noble policemen who arrested her will be behind bars, or out of the khaki uniform soon.

CHeers!

 

[Spring Onion]

See now you are in the pontificating "you" mode.

Therefore .....

Times Square.

Cry your heart out.

Cheers, Doc

doc your pontification should get you into cremation.

 

[janon]

Sadly, they will not lose their jobs. They will get a rap on the knuckles - perhaps a transfer and in worse case scenario for them - a minor suspension.

Freedom of speech and expression has been repeatedly trampled upon in India. They banned Rushdie's books in the 80s and even in 2011 didn't let him participate in the Jaipur Lit Fest. Remember the protests for Deepa Mehta's Fire? Or Mamta jailing some professor and one India Against Corruption actually being arrested for sedition.

I always was taught that we kicked out the Brits because they denied us our fundamental rights. Funny how those fundamental rights are routinely trampled upon by political parties across the spectrum.

Yes of course I know that freedom of speech and expression have been repeatedly violated in India. But this particular instance is different. The comment by the girl was a thought that occurred to most people, about why a thriving, bustling city should be shutdown through fear like this. I made that same comment in a personal conversation the previous day. Another girl liked that comment and clicked "like", which is akin to a nod in the real world. If that can lead to a case of "promoting enimity between classes", then the governments can arrest anyone for anything. Suddenly all of India finds it to be almost a personal issue. That poor girl could have been you or me or anyone else. Suddenly the ugliness of a false arrest is hitting too close to home for young India, and hence the outrage everywhere.

 

[vsdoc]

Jack, we did not "kick" the Brits out. Nor as Jay romanticizes, did we "win" our Freedom.

The Brits left because we were too much of a nuisance at a time they had other things on their plate closer home.

That is the unvarnished truth.

Secondly, both our Constitution and our Supreme Court are very clear on the Freedom of Speech.

It is not absolute.

And comes with caveats.

We are an evolving democracy and we will do what needs to be done.

Everything else is Ivory Tower jhola-wadi debate best done with a cutting chai in hand under a banyan tree along with other temporarily unemployed cynics and rebels.

Who need to get a life.

 

[Jackdaws]

Yes of course I know that freedom of speech and expression have been repeatedly violated in India. But this particular instance is different. The comment by the girl was a thought that occurred to most people, about why a thriving, bustling city should be shutdown through fear like this. I made that same comment in a personal conversation the previous day. Another girl liked that comment and clicked "like", which is akin to a nod in the real world. If that can lead to a case of "promoting enimity between classes", then the governments can arrest anyone for anything. Suddenly all of India finds it to be almost a personal issue. That poor girl could have been you or me or anyone else. Suddenly the ugliness of a false arrest is hitting too close to home for young India, and hence the outrage everywhere.

Dude - the outrage is in the English-speaking, twittering world of India. Less than 2 percent of the population. Some Shiv Sainik leader has defended the arrest.
Anti-Thackeray FB post: Shiv Sena leader says girls' arrest was justified- Maharashtra- IBNLive

And the poor girl has had to apologize - and has also deactivated her FB account. So much for free speech.

 

[Windpasser]

Jack, we did not "kick" the Brits out. Nor as Jay romanticizes, did we "win" our Freedom.

The Brits left because we were too much of a nuisance at a time they had other things on their plate closer home.

That is the unvarnished truth.

Secondly, both our Constitution and our Supreme Court are very clear on the Freedom of Speech.

It is not absolute.

And comes with caveats.

We are an evolving democracy and we will do what needs to be done.

Everything else is Ivory Tower jhola-wadi debate best done with a cutting chai in hand under a banyan tree along with other temporarily unemployed cynics and rebels.

Who need to get a life.

Cutting chais and banyan trees are the pressing hallmark of a degenerating civilization!! The British left because of Jinnah's brave fight agianst imperialism! Do not overdo yourselves!!

 

[janon]

Cutting chais and banyan trees are the pressing hallmark of a degenerating civilization!! The British left because of Jinnah's brave fight agianst imperialism! Do not overdo yourselves!!

For the love of Jinnah, please don't start off on that issue. And that too with your first post on this website (with this new id). Post reported for off topic trolling.