The current mechanisms of internet censorship in India are draconian and unconstitutional. They need to be replaced with a new set of rules that are fair, transparent and accessible for public scrutiny, says Shivam Vij
Now if only Manmohan Singh showed such acumen in dealing with other crises his government is facing, says Shivam Vij.
The problem with the debate on freedom of speech and expression in India is that we don't debate what is "reasonable restriction" and what is censorship. We examine every cartoon, painting, film and book through our ideological prism, says Shivam Vij
Right-wing politics all over the world seeks to victimise the weak and powerless by falsely claiming victimhood, says Shivam Vij
There's so much internet censorship in India now that it is surprising that instead of outrage you find the Indian media actually building the case for censorship, writes Shivam Vij
'I wonder how we can reduce violence in society by answering it with violence,' asks Shivam Vij. 'If instead we answer it with mercy, we will be a more humane society.'
'Kapil Sibal has passed a law that anyone posting anything "offensive" on Twitter can be jailed for three years. That's section 66A of the IT Act amended by United Progressive Alliance II in 2008. It's a cognisable offence so you have to be arrested and apply for bail. As though you had committed murder!' notes Shivam Vij.
When a security force finds the vessel of another country within its maritime borders -- with no "objectionable materials apart from a large cache of fish" -- why can't they simply ask the vessel to return, asks Shivam Vij
'Their action in asking for blocking of entire websites is a mis-representation of a judicial order to cause indiscriminate blocking of these web-services throughout the country.'
If Bihar is clocking much higher growth than Gujarat, and Nitish Kumar enjoys the confidence of Hidus and Muslims alike, does it not make Nitish Kumar a much better contender for Prime Ministership than Narendra Modi, asks Shivam Vij
If Bihar is clocking much higher growth than Gujarat, and Nitish Kumar enjoys the confidence of Hidus and Muslims alike, does it not make Nitish Kumar a much better contender for Prime Ministership than Narendra Modi, asks Shivam Vij
In an interview with Shivam Vij in their IRC chat room, members of Anonymous India explain why they are doing what they are doing.
The Left parties have decided to back the annulment motion and efforts are on to mobilise members of Parliament across party lines. If the motion is accepted by the Rajya Sabha, it will be sent to the Lok Sabha, probably in the monsoon session, reports Shivam Vij
Mayawati must not be shattered right now. Had she not done what she did, she would have lost the Dalit votebank -- that would have been the end of her political career. As someone told me during the elections, the BSP was not fighting this election for power. It was fighting this election to save its core, says Shivam Vij.
In Delhi this December, we understood how many others from Kashmir to Koodankulam have long felt, says Shivam Vij
'I thought we were a legitimate democracy anyway, why do we have to prove it by hanging a terrorist we captured alive,' asks Shivam Vij
We should put Ajmal Kasab in jail until he dies a natural death, just like Babu Bajrangi. Rotting in jail knowing you are never going to be a free man again is worse than the finality of death. The punishment for crimes against humanity should be in this world and not the next, says Shivam Vij.
We should put Ajmal Kasab in jail until he dies a natural death, just like Babu Bajrangi. Rotting in jail knowing you are never going to be a free man again is worse than the finality of death. The punishment for crimes against humanity should be in this world and not the next, says Shivam Vij.
The BJP's post-Vajpayee succession battle will resolve itself only when it is in a position to form a government. For that it will need to woo regional satraps, many of whom have prime ministerial ambitions of their own.'
'Even if the numbers are on the BJP's side, many regional leaders can't afford to support a Modi-led government for fear of losing their Muslim vote blocs,' says Shivam Vij.
If Dr Khaleel Chishty, a 79-year-old Pakistani accused of murder in 1992, dies in an Indian jail not only would it be a matter of shame, it would also be a setback in bringing home many Indian prisoners in Pakistan, says Shivam Vij.
What has Tehelka's greatness to do with an act of sexual assault by its editor-in-chief, asks Shivam Vij
Amidst alarmist rumours that track-two parleys between India and Pakistan are urging India to 'give up Siachen', Myra MacDonald tells Shivam Vij in an e-mail interview why resolving Siachen without resolving the Jammu and Kashmir dispute may not be easy.
At the Lifestyle Pakistan trade exhibition that concluded in Delhi on Sunday, one stall stands out from a distance for just its name -- Deepak Perwani, a Sindhi Hindu from Karachi, who spoke to Shivam Vij.
Rahul Gandhi always left crowds happy. Talking to people he addressed after his rallies, always left the impression that people were impressed by him. But then, what went wrong?
'Hawa' is the public discourse that transforms electoral issues and caste calculus into the hard numbers on the EVM machine, says Shivam Vij. The hawa plays a critical role in influencing the fluctuating voter, the fence sitter, who is often the small caste group not mobilised by any political party, or the small but significant number of voters within caste blocks who doesn't vote with the community.
'You are one of the drops that make that ocean, but when you leave it makes no difference to the ocean.'
Our Hindutva fanatics are actually making Hindu society more like Islamists are changing Muslim societies, says Shivam Vij.
As the second season of The Night Manager hits the OTT screen, Deepa Gahlot looks back at the top spy thrillers on streaming platforms.
The least the Opposition can do, for India's sake, is try to offer one, says Mitali Saran.
A lot of what we are hearing about Indrani is coming from our desire to demonise her and deny her humanity, says Shivam Vij.
'Everyone's going to come out on few kilos (heavier).'
'India should be more confident and let Pakistanis meet Hurriyat leaders. India's main concern is terrorism, and India should talk terrorism. If that means talking Kashmir, so be it. India can't answer terror with terror because we don't have terror factories. India can't answer terrorism with war because we both have nuclear weapons. That leaves talks as the only option,' says Shivam Vij.
The world according to Neeraj Pandey. Observed by Sreehari Nair.
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