Ramesh Pandita
Revolution, which Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has bought into the dwelling and handling of day-to-day affairs of a common man is not clandestine to anybody, indeed a blessing that has overcome the constraints of space and time and has immensely helped in bringing order out of disorder. ICT in its every form has proved that how perhaps the recourse of life would have suffered had technology not been there to cruise alongside life and the need and importance thereof of timely dissemination of information. Apart from many services we enjoy and the responsibilities which ICT has shouldered in many spheres, technology has empowered public at large to leaps and bounds and people do have realized the powerful aspect of technology and have equally started making good use of it. Of the late social networking sites, commonly known as social media has emerged as a platform where technological emancipation gets reflected. Social networking sites if on one hand have shouldered the responsibility of maintaining social networks of people; on the other hand it has reflected its prowess by becoming the voice of public silence as well. Publishing uncensored and un-scrutinized content on sites like facebook or twitter in the form of micro-blogging is a common practice prevalent among most of the netizens, but over the period of time mishandling and misuse of technology has transformed this blessing more into a curse as people have started making use of social media more for antisocial activities. Indeed a new face deserves aptly to be booked for being a multi-headed hydra aimed more to spill venom.
Use of social networking sites as platforms to voice the emotions and sentiments, sometimes logical, others illogical and mostly being provocative in the name of religion, region, culture, creed, language, caste etc without any scrutiny or censorship has become equally worrisome. The consequences of warfare raised with pen are always far reaching and more calamitous than the one defended in battle field. Authenticity of information and authority of person, which despite being always interrogative goes unchecked and unquestioned on social media and people still show full faith in digital relations which otherwise everybody knows is laced with fake accounts and profiles for obvious reasons. Though a good number of netizens upon reading or seeing the derogatory content may not react to it but all this gives an impression to even civilized ones that how morality has actually reached to its low ebb
Prior to talking about transgression of technology into the domain of censorship or social editorial work, where censorship is almost completely lost especially when we talk of electronic publishing in the form of micro-blogging, under the prevailing circumstances how far the censorship on print is effective or the govt controlled electronic media. Technology has let loose the gallows of censorship around the content which otherwise previously used to held by it under tight noose. The question arises are we able to serve the purpose for which the concept of censorship came into being or else the same has got eroded in technological deluge, over which govt and its agencies are showing far less interest and control. Needless to talk that censorship all through its ages aimed to help maintain calm over social sentiments which otherwise are the soft targets of vested interests to create social insecurity among people of different faiths.
In past, a good number of books, movies, chat shows, or even news papers were banned in many countries only for the fact that content communicated by them was not in good taste, mostly for it either being sacrilegious, communal, derogatory, or provocative in one or the other form and which could easily stimulate social unrest, violence and ultimately disastrous consequences. If we go on counting the banned books or other similar material across the globe, the list may go endless, but the only reason behind banning all such material was to protect the larger interest, which no country or region could afford to sacrifice for a trivial issue. Censoring content suffering from aforesaid maladies and preventing it from reaching to its desired end I believe is equally the foremost duty of any administrative setup at all levels and for that matter we can see how countries or regions across globe have suffered in past and how perhaps censorship proved a handy tool in maintaining peace and harmony among different faiths. Upholding public sentiments by banning any such content which otherwise can be the cause of grave social unrest by no means should be taken as violation or curb on freedom of expression.
Technology enabled social media as on date can be seen contrary to those values and morals over which the basics of censorship were established. One can see how norms of censorship are being flouted and violated openly. Abusing, accusing and using derogatory remarks for each other’s religion, region, country etc is what people hang to internet for. Print and electronic media controlled by govt may still find it difficult to air news, views, or pictures involving public sentiments but social media on the other hand finds itself free from all such bindings of censorship as such posts and publishes freely and fearlessly any content of lowest degree deliberately, involving hatred, anger and violence. Most of the banned books get easily passed on from one place to another, form one reader to another and many more which otherwise in the social setup stands rejected on moral grounds.
Origin of censorship can be traced back to the time of Adam and Eve, when they were prohibited of eating the forbidden fruit, violation from which ultimately resulted into their riddance from Eden Garden. Thereafter if we go through recorded instances of human evolution we can see in every era people were forbidden and prohibited from using or getting indulged in into any such practices which were deemed inappropriate, as same may harm the larger interest one or the other way. Realizing the need and importance of censorship Romans were believed to be first who worked on it in 440 B.C followed by China in 300 A.D. Censorship on reading, writing or even oral communication is something with which we all are well versed; people are endemic and more susceptible to get victimized by provocative and obscene remarks mostly passed on deliberately with clear intentions to hurt the sentiments of others. The recent hate speech cases by hate mongers like Akburddin Owasi and Parveen Togdiay went uncensored on social media, people easily shared and distributed such content on social networks corroborates the fact about the presence of such elements in society and the need and importance of censorship on social media, hence questions the indemnity of censorship.
Censorship is tried and tested tool which had been instrumental in keeping at bay the provocative content from getting blown out of proportion, thereby eliminating the danger of any social unrest, contrary to this fact irrepressible censorship of social media has put one and all in the same boat with an invited danger of getting eroded cheaply and easily which otherwise we all so far saved with great difficulty.
(The author is Assistant Librarian, BGSB University, Rajouri, J & K)
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