The Indian citizen is under attack. Today, the country is witnessing two very vocal segments of the population. Notwithstanding the quiet and faceless majority, the smaller two factions have decided to be either supportive of the government or be critiques. The attack seems to be a continuous process wherein not only was the cash saved by individuals and enterprises snatched away through the process of demonetization but also the incessant increase in fuel and cooking gas prices which are happening without any connect with international prices. The system has been made to work in a fashion whereby individual’s fundamental rights are being erased blatantly. It is not just Disha Ravi who matters but it is the style of functioning that has been let loose on the nation. One cannot fault any single individual in government for the misdeeds that have become rampant across this vast nation. While a particular political party or a couple of its leaders are being held responsible for all the breaches occurring in relation to civility and humanity in administration, the undeniable fact remains that it is the common citizen whose thinking process and attitude is getting reflected by those at the helm of the government.
The most recent event that showcases the situation prevailing in India is that of the Union government looking for volunteers to report unlawful anti-national activities that are taking place online. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) already has a programme titled Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) which was delegated the responsibility of keeping vigil on illegal online activities. The current powers that be, understandably, are now feeling the heat of social media turning their narratives upside down. While it is this same SocMed that they had used earlier to win their own elections, the present situation seems to be going out of hand for them. With international celebrities also jumping into the fray against the Indian government, those in power seem desperate to stem the domestic anti-tirade. With the ineptness of the Indian police being known to all, it is obvious the I4C is incapable of handling the onslaught.
State surveillance is a highly controversial issue globally. The Fundamental Rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution have the primary task of protecting the citizen from attacks by the government. Now, the government by announcing the creation of a new volunteer force which will report on unlawful and anti-national activities taking place online has taken a major step towards destruction of these very Rights. This idea has already been put into effect. Jammu & Kashmir and Tripura have been chosen by the MHA for pilot projects. According to reports, these volunteers will be prohibited from publicly announcing their association with MHA. This implies you will never know if your next-door neighbor is spying and squealing on you. Those who volunteer to spy on fellow citizens will obviously have their political exposures and leanings verified by appropriate government agencies. Unwritten though it may be, evidently, those who tow the party line shall get selected and paid a handsome secret salary from the taxpayers’ money. In other words, you will be paying to be spied on yourself. While words such as rape, child pornography and terrorism are being used as smokescreens, the last but most important word, obviously, is anti-national activities. This will leave every citizen helplessly exposed to unknown spies capable of destroying any individual’s life. This is the ultimate form of divisive governance.