It is no news that India has recently found herself in a fiery milieu of religion-based politics and divide. Be it the ruling government making bloops and the opposition calling them out or vice-versa, the blame game between both has only added fuel to the wide-spread fire of communalism that has claimed lives and how!
But amidst all the rows and logjams, the ones that travel beyond the gates of the parliament turn up to be particularly nasty. And thanks to that the fundamental rights of common people, people like you me, are under threat! Do not take my word for it, see for yourself…
According to a report in Hindustan Times, Mohammad Anas, a freelance journalist was recently blocked by Facebook for 30 days because he ‘did not follow’ itsĀ ‘community standards.
No, it did not contain any threat, abuse orĀ indictment of any nature.
He simplyĀ shared a picture of a cash memo by local traders. What’s the news in that? It had ‘Kamal Ka Phool, Hamari Bhool’ printed on it!Ā Ā
The picture was followed by the caption…
Ā “Vyapari apne cash memo par print karva kar janta se bata rahe hain ki BJP ko vote dekar galti ho gayi.”
Reportedly, the picture has originated from Gujaratās Surat and has been doing the rounds on social media for quite some time.
Talking to HT, Anas said that there was nothing objectional with whatever he posted but still Facebook blocked his account for a month for violation.
“I did not say anything on my own. I just shared a photograph and quoted what was mentioned in it. There was nothing objectionable in it.
I have never used any abusive language, nor have I abused anyone, but similar posts that were critical of the government are being removed. This is Facebook fascism.”
That’s not all. He also claimed that this was the fourth time his account has been suspended by Facebook.
Needless to say, this act has spurred an outrage on social media and has left journalists/activists, including Ravish Kumar, fuming over the curb over freedom of expression. While the incident will be long gone, under the rug before anything, it is imperative to think what this could mean!