Censorship! Strangling Freedom or a necessary act!

G B Shaw once said, "Assassination is extreme form of censorship". Shaw lived in early half of twentieth century. His words quite clearly show censorship imposed by rulers of his time, which makes us understand that Censorship is nothing new to us. In general, Censorship involves suppression of speech or public communication, which raises issues of Freedom of Speech, otherwise constitutionally protected by Article 19-(1) of Indian Constitution. The same Article in next clause, however, has scope of imposing reasonable restrictions in the interests of sovereignty and integrity of India. The restriction may be extended to envisage objectionable contents which include anything that "threatens the unity. integrity, defence, security or sovereignty of India, friendly relations with foreign states or public order". Prior to implementation of Information Technology Rules 2011, in terms of Press Freedom Index India's ranking has dipped to 131 from 80 in just 11 years. This was surfaced by the analysts of Reports Without Borders  in their Press Freedom Ratings. In yet another report, Freedom in the World, by a US based NGO that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights, Freedom House, India has managed to score 3 on a scale of 1 (most free) to 7 (least free) earning designation of free.

Reporters Without Borders-2009 Press Freedom Rankings

While much has been talked about Censorship earlier as well, Internet Censorship is making much more news. Internet censorship in India really picked up from the point of time Kargil War in 1999 when a Pakistan based daily newspaper Dawn was blocked from access within India by Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited - VSNL, a government owned telecommunication company which had monopoly at that time in international internet gateways in India. During Kargil war and thereafter Internet censorship gained momentum. The parliament passed the IT Act in 2000, under which a body called Computer Emergency Response Team - CERT-In whose job is to safeguard India's cyber-security. CERT-In became operational in 2003 and its first stint with censorship came within two months. Acting on CERT-In recommendations government asked all ISP's to block Yahoo! Groups webpage linked to Kashi militant group called Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council. The difficulty led to all Yahoo! Groups to be banned for almost two weeks. While government sources termed the group to be illegal and separatist many sources clam that it was not even separatist outfit, only one wanting to turn Meghaliya into Kashi state, but had ties with Naga separatists. The censor ship episode was repeated in July 2006 when the Indian government ordered the blocking of 17 websites, including some hosted on the Geocities, Blogspot and Typepad domains. An RTI application revealed that this had been done by a Gazette notification which gave government powers to block sites. From 2007 onwards, several cases of India asking social-networking sites Orkut to take down the defamatory pages regarding various political figures. Meanwhile the blocking of websites by Indian government continued surreptitiously, as government doesn't publish its orders to block websites. In 2009, a very popular cartoon porn website SavitaBhabi.com was blocked, thus going beyond the matter concerned to national security giving a clear message to come hard on pornography as well, which is illegal in India.  With new IT Rules coming last year, and increasing volume of websites being blocked or filtered, it is quite apprehensive that censorship might many a times hide truth and subdue many voices which are already unheard to masses, as has been seen happened in other forms of media. People in recent past during the emergency rule have seen censorship of press being imposed. In 2003 Indian Censor Board banned the film 'Gulabi Aaina' a movie on transsexuals citing it 'vulgar and offensive' . The film-maker appealed twice unsuccessfully and film still remains banned in India. Ironically, Ashvin Kumar's film Inshallah Football which was deemed unfit for consumption last year by Censor Board has won National Award for Best film on Social Issues. Kumar has won Oscar nomination for his short film Little Terrorist. A similar brilliant work that faced the wrath of censorship was Eve Ensler's drama The Vagina Monologues, Many similar instances where brilliant work of various artists, film-makers, writers has been either banned or edited, which is really a matter of  grave concern. The line demarcating necessary censorship and distinguishing it from the unnecessary and avoidable is so blur that one is sometimes hardly able to conclude if anything wrong has happened. While in 1999 the censorship during Kargil War received criticism from various corners but it helped India achieving diplomatic gains, but banning films like Bandit Queen or Gulabi Aaina or Ensler's drama in the name of moral policing is quite unnecessary. Banning book like The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushide or Bhavsagar Granth  should not be compared with ban on The Polyester Prince biography of an Indian businessman Dhirubhai Ambani. While sometimes banning or censoring becomes necessary to maintain communal harmony and national security but it simply acts like even a double edged sword which kills truth as well. A solution to this problem is not much difficult just if those who issue orders of censoring or ban take decisions more pragmatically. The decision to ban cartoon porn website SavitaBhabi.com is naive when people have excess to real porn websites. Ban on magazines like Playboy becomes ineffective when its digital version is easily available. The ban on distribution and screening of X-rated films becomes irrelevant when such content is easily available in market and even to minors. In such cases where ban eventually becomes ineffective continuing ban becomes unnecessary. The only thing that we earn of such bans is a designation of being conservative nation and increase in crime rate. Piracy which in India is on high and is increasing is because of one of such bans. Hence more effective procedure to distinguish necessary and unnecessary censorship needs to be developed so that work of brilliant minds, voices of  suppressed and  public option is not getting subdued.

Dog Menace! Solution missing!

The increase in the population of dogs in Srinagar city has drawn attention of all walks of life. Not only Srinagar city but adjoining areas also have seen increase in the dog population. While govt. is doing its every bit in decreasing the growth rate of humans in India and J&K having scored lowest from rest of India's states, authorities are helpless in curbing the canine population. Looking at statistics of canine to human ratio the figures are alarming, 1 dog for every 6 individuals of Srinagar city. The increase in stray dog population is nothing new in history. In-fact in one of the posh cities of India, Bangalore was facing the same problem few years back and according to a study one to two persons were being bitten every hour there. In an internet based poll which was taken up in Silicon city by some activists 58% people voted for poisoning of dogs as a solution to the problem, 27% voted for Sterilization program to be taken up and only 13% were ready to adopt them.

From reports of stray dog menace in Srinagar city it is sad to observe that kids are the main victims. Dogs also pose threat road commuters especially, cyclists and two-wheelers, travelling at dusk. The result is obvious; someone is hurt and left to bleed by these ruthless packs. With their bites humans are at risk of contracting Rabies. Rabies is transmitted to humans with the bite of a rabid dog. Their saliva carries virus, which enters the human body through the wounds. The virus affects the Central Nervous System causing inflammation of the brain. In early stages the symptoms are malaise, fever and headache while in later stages huge pain, violent movements, uncontrolled excitements, depressions and inability of swallow water (hydrophobia) accompanies. Coma and eventually death due to respiratory insufficiency is certain, a death considered to be most painful death one can ever have.

While rabies vaccine is available almost everywhere, but its timely administration is highly advised. Even delay of hour can sometimes cost life. India is reported having world’s highest rate of human rabies because of stray dogs. With the increase in number of dog bites on daily bases and in demand for vaccine for it, the shortage is quite expected.

The failure of Municipality to tackle this problem is being wholly seen due to preventive actions of so called Animal Rights Organizations only, and SMC has been time and again has been showing its helplessness to get these dogs poisoned, or taking effective steps for stray dog menace.  The project for poisoning was taken in 2008 when it received criticism from various organizations. At that time it was given an altogether a different colour from dog menace to helpful scavengers. Suggestions of sterilization and other scientific and un-cruel ways to be adopted were talked about excessively, but four years passing by SMC could show any results by in reducing the dog population.

The only responsible in creating this menace are not Animal Rights Activists and SMC but we people as well. The unending increase of garbage around us in our localities is the main breeding ground of these dogs. To add to it dogs can be frequently seen near meat and chicken shops and shopkeeper throwing every wasteful matter to them as if it is his moral obligation to feed dogs. Had we to catch a dog from Srinagar city and compare its weight with one from any other city outside Kashmir be it Jammu or Delhi or any other, our dog would weigh as much as 2 to 3 times. It is obviously due to abundant and nutritious food that we feed to our dogs, that it has grown so healthy and rapidly. The absence of altar houses adds to their sources of food. In my neighbourhood one can see scores of dogs outside the house of one of the persons who owns a meat shop. He has a very old habit making lambs ready at his home and letting the blood flow outside into the drain. Dogs every morning can be seen tasting fresh blood and having small pieces of flesh in their breakfast. This scene can be seen in everywhere particularly in the outskirts of Srinagar city. To add to misery marriage season in Kashmir creates new nutritious sources of food for these dogs, as we have our age old custom to waste more food than that what we consume here on marriages. Also irresponsible municipality workers who have been assigned task to collect garbage show us their presence only when some festivals are arriving, for collection of money - Kharcha, or when some VIP is planned to pay a visit.

Human relation with dogs is prehistoric in nature. Dog seems to be the first animal to be domesticated by man, but still in these days it can be seen attacking humans as if they fed on us. Dogs by nature are territorial animals. They earmark and divide areas and territories among groups and don't show any reluctance in attacking anyone who enters into their territory. This man-animal conflict is seen almost in all wild animals. Earlier dogs being less in number used to have a feeling of fear for humans, but as they increased in number the fear gradually diminished and the wild traits in them started showing of their colour. Many a times now, we can see dogs roaming in groups together as if they are on some mission reminding me of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. This canine behaviour can be is bigger and much potent threat for humans as their aggressiveness increases and can be much more fatal in injuring a human being.

The solution to the problem seems to be nowhere near but we on our own can start taking measures that can be helpful in solving dog menace. We need to change our habit of throwing leftover eatables carelessly and preventing it from becoming canine fodder. Dogs are scavengers but they don't eat everything. The biggest source of food for stray dogs is human leftover. Also we must try to maintain a distance from dogs and by our actions incite fear in them. In case we come across a group of dogs in our way we should try to chase them away by throwing some stone or by showing stick to them, and try to avoid passing silently - remember we are always unwelcome in their territory. If they start baking we should prefer not to run away but try to keep firm feet and give them notion of being stronger than them. We should shout back at them in louder sound that their first bark - remember animals always attack whom they feel are weaker and afraid of them. And, in animal world the louder your first shout stronger you are. Also in a race between man and a dog, the dog is always a winner.

Hopefully by the blessing of God before Govt. comes up with any solution for dog menace we might be able to survive this way and as the saying goes, every dog has its day, the dogs of Srinagar too will have a day.