Such a merry scene I was lucky to see.
Across the plains, near the sea...
I saw the ripples go up and down and ships sailing from town to town...
With coconut palms on the shimmery beach...
The palm tops I could barely reach
The merry scene in the couplet reffered to India, where WE the people is Sovereign.Where the ruler is By the people and for the people beautifully coined in the word 'Democracy'.
The stupendous heights of this beautiful world cannot be reached unless Democratization strengthens its roots deeply into the soil.
Internet is the mo0st powerful tool for Democratization.It is powerful because it encourages a mass participatory kind of democracy,it is a key facilitator, it educates and this awareness lays the foundation of democracy.
The principles of democracy are based on creating a WIN-WIN situation for everyone involoved.This was created when a large group of people from diverse cultures,varied backgrounds come together to discuss,inform and agree after a consensus.
Considering India in particular in its pre independence era, we saw children scrawling graffiti on walls or publishing pamphlets in underground print shops, now with technology virtually knocking at each and every door step these documents are available to a wider audience in a easier, faster and cheaper manner.
Internet brings with itself freedom of thought and expression.It has information from Human rights organisations such as HRW whose views would otherwise have not reached such a wider audience.It raises questions on the governance of certain authoritative regimes, encourages citizens to take action. It includes proliferation of advertising for western goods not available in left repressive regimes.It promotes political conciousness which is sometimes erased from libraries, papers and broadcast media.
All this has led to several campaigns--> Mistreatment of detainees in Abu gharib prison for example...This is the area where advent o fInternat is feared the most as it can surely topple repressive regimes,if implemented effectively.
It was 50 years back when the United Nations General assembly adopted Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with hopes in heart and bundles of determination of making earth a place which ensured free expression for everyone.
But its most powerful tool the INTERNET is under attack from laws, reasons and politics. Be it te case in china where a Chinese as access to 13% less sites than his counterpart in UK or US or of Turkey where a teenager received a jail sentence for making comments critical of police in an online forum.
My worthy opponents who are talking about Internet just reaching to people of a specific region are actually supporting my stand by believing that if it reaches most of the household it could democratization.
Barry S Steinhardt, one of the founders of GLOBAL INTERNET LIBERTY CAMPAIGN reflects that objectionavle ideas are best stymied by an INTELLIGENT Response rather than REPRESSION...
People realize its not just a tool for techno geeks anymore. If this is realized by the opressive rulers, by those who believe in repression. by YOU and ME...The meery scene across distant plains that mystique land across seven seas would come here for us to flourish.
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