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Indian govt blocks Yahoo! groups on security ground
(Originally posted to Sarai Reader-List on 25 September 2003)
Posted below are URL's to most news reports about a draconian move by the Indian state to specifically block a specific online news group on Yahoo!. (The targeted group's name on Yahoo! is: Kynhun. with the URL http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kynhun/)
Blocking of a near invisible Website ordered by Indian agencies in the name of national security is reprehensible enough, but the blocking of an entire domain, (groups.yahoo.com) is criminal. It seems that when Yahoo! refused to comply with request from Indian authorities to delete the 'Kynhun' Yahoo! group in question, and the consequence was that the entire groups.yahoo.com domain has become inaccessible to India-based users for the last 4 days or so. There are literally thousands of Yahoo! group sites related to and/or based in India (if you do search on Yahoogroups with the term India, it gives you a search result figure of 12,503).
This is not the first time the Indian government has tried to block Websites. During the Kargil war of 1999, the Website of a prominent Pakistani daily was blocked, which was very vigorously fought by many in the media in India and some activists abroad. In 1998, a lawsuit was filed by online activist Arun Mehta to challenge other moves by the Indian state to block some Websites.
This current move to block Internet content for thousands of users is a serious violation of freedom of expression and sets a very dangerous precedent of censorship and control of the Internet in India. Human rights groups in India, South Asia and around the world need to take note and express concern.
Addresses of the officials and bodies to whom people may write to protest or to seek their intervention regarding this latest instance of Internet censorship in India:
Mr Arun Shourie
Minister of Communications & Information Technology & Disinvestment
Ist Floor, Electronics Niketan,
Lodhi Road, New Delhi
Email :
ashourie@nic.in
Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad
Minister of Information and Broadcasting
E-Mail:
ravis@sansad.nic.in
Phone: +91-11-23384340, 23384782
Fax : +91-11-23782118
Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In)
India's Department of Telecom
Email:
ddgir@sancharnet.in
The Internet Service Providers Association of India (ISPAI)
Yahoo! India Web Services Ltd
386, Veer Savarkar Marg
Opp. Siddhivinayak Temple
Mumbai 400025
Phone: +91-22-56622222
Fax: +91-22-56622244
Delhi Office:
Yahoo! India Web Services Ltd
Ground Floor, First India Place
Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road
Gurgaon 122002
Haryana
Phone: +91-0124-5061888/9 (from Delhi 95124-5061888/9)
Fax: +91-0124-2560057
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) (India's official human rights watchdog)
Please write to any or all of the above, write to the press and contact human rights groups to take this up.
You can also read messages posted to the discussion forum at the Ministry of Information Technologys Website and post your views there.
I would particularly recommend that activists who have in the past vigorously fought against censorship on the Internet in India should be involved and some legal action should be initiated right away, if this ban persists this week.
In the meantime, users in India wanting to urgently access the groups.yahoo.com domain-based sites despite this unofficial ban should attempt to beat the ban by browsing via: www.anonymizer.com or may want to visit www.proxy4free.com. The second option may involve changing some of your PC settings.
I also propose the formation of a campaign group consisting of individuals moderating and managing groups on the groups.yahoo.com domain to challenge the Indian government, in case this ban lasts any further.
Lets organise to beat the ban.
Harsh Kapoor
South Asia Citizens Web
Email:
aiindex@mnet.fr
(Harsh Kapoor is an independent Indian online activist based in France. He has run the South Asia Citizens Web since 1996, and related lists South Asia citizens Wire, South Asians Against Nukes, India Pakistan Arms Race and Militarisation Watch. Much of his work is focused on challenging the far right. - Editor)
RELATED RESOURCES
Media reports
Protest against blocking of Yahoogroups
The Hindu, 25 September 2003
'Anti-national' Yahoo Groups blocked
Mid Day, 24 September 2003
Is the government right in blocking all Yahoo groups?
The Economic Times, 24 September 2003
'Govt has no right to block Yahoo group'
Sify.com-Pioneer, 24 September 2003
India blocks Yahoo web site
CNETAsia, 24 September 2003
Yahoo refuses to remove anti-India content, site blocked
Newindpress, 24 September 2003
No net gain for Big Brother
The Hindustan Times, 24 September 2003
Yahoo Groups continue to be blocked
News Today, 23 September 2003
Government bans Yahoo! group
Rediff.com, 23 September 2003
Bid to block anti-India website affects users
The Hindu, 23 September 2003
India blocks Yahoo! Groups
The Register (UK), 23 September 2003
India bans a Yahoo group
BusinessWeek, 23 September 2003
The Times of India., 23 September 2003
Yahoo website blocked
Govt blocks e-group but can't prevent access
The Hindustan Times, 23 September 2003
Govt issues orders to ISPs - ` Block separatist outfit's e-group
Business Line (India), 20 September 2003
Background resources on other instances of Internet censorship in India
Censorship and Internet in India: Can we keep Internet in India free?
Posted to The Guide on the VSNL Website, 17 November 1998
Indian Government Ban of Net Access to Pakistani News Broken
Rediff.com, 5 July 1999
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