India: Defending Freedom of Speech
The Indian Blogosphere has been buzzing over the weekend with posts and comments surrounding a controversial educational institute. Vantage Point, a blog run by Gaurav Sabnis was sent an email by this said institute to remove any posts that questioned the claims of the institute. The original article that inspired posts on blog can be read at JAM Magazine here. One of the driving forces behind this magazine, Rashmi Bansal of Youth Curry was at the receiving end of malicious anonymous comments. Many blogs including Sambhar Mafia and Desi Pundit have been following the developments closely.
A lot of Indian blogs have been echoing this call for support. The latest development has been that Gaurav Sabnis has quit his job with IBM. He says -
…I have resigned from IBM. The decision is entirely my own and I was not asked by IBM to resign, nor was I pressured in any manner by any executive from IBM. I took the decision in view of some really bizarre threats that were apparently made by IIPM to IBM…
In the same post he puts forward a strong case for his previous post and why he stands by what he said in his blog -
…my intention to stand by my posts, since I believe in freedom of speech. I have written nothing that can be thought of as libel. IIPM is an organiation in free India which makes some claims in its advertisements. What I did was exercise my right as a citizen, by responding to the information contained…
This isn't the first instance of Indian bloggers facing the wrath of corporate houses and big organisations, but it brings us back to the same question – In a country whose USP is the Biggest Democracy, where has the Right to Free Speech disappeared? Is it easier to bully a blogger than a magazine or a Main Stream Media publication? Does a blogger have any rights?
69 comments
Let’s be clear here: IBM leaning on their employee is sleazy, but I suspect it’s likely not illegal (any experts on Indian employment law want to weigh in?). It most certainly isn’t a First Amendment/Free Speech issue, as the government is not the one attempting to limit speech.
Thanks for the Global Voices coverage.
Bit of a Johnny come lately. Never heard of IIPM. Reading thru the content here – paints a very obnoxious picture of the place. Any news on whether the Indian print media is taking up the cause?
It’s interesting to see the anti-corporate warriors come out and attack IBM over this. Amit, Ben – I think you’d both benefit from actually reading the entire post of Gaurav’s – he wasn’t leaned on and IBM didn’t look the other way while his Article 19 (same as our 1st Amendment) rights were quashed. He chose to leave IBM after it became clear to him that they (IBM) were going to be hurt by bad publicity if he didn’t do something to appease IIPM.
Gaurav said: The second thing dear to me is IBM’s well-being. IBM has been a good employer to me. I have no complaints about them. Even in light of these events, they did not pressurise me to go against my principles and hush the matter up. Yet, IBM was being dragged into this unnecessarily. It was being made a target of bizarre pressure tactics. If even one Thinkpad laptop was actually burnt, it would cause a lot of bad press and nuisance for IBM. So I did not want IBM’s well-being to be compromised in any way.
What IIPM did and is doing is wrong, and what Gaurav has done is noble and laudable. However it’s ironic that those attacking IBM because of it’s relationship to both parties are actually doing what Guarav didn’t want. Maybe ironic wasn’t the word I wanted, pathetic fits better.
Err.. there is no free speech issue here, so lets not get too excited.
Any private company can tell its employees to take a hike if they publish something the company disagrees with. There is nothing ethically wrong with refusing to do business with anybody for any reason.
The right to free speech is violated when the GOVERNMENT is using COERCION to supress its CITIZEN’S opinions. On the other hand, VOLUNTARY business transacations can certainly include terminations of contracts, provided there is no breach involved.
Of course, its quite silly, and poor business sense for a company to attempt deception (like IIPM), especially in the age of the internet. And for that, IIPM will certainly pay a price, due to this publicity alone.
HOWEVER, it seems to me that Sabnis is being a bit of a martyr, since IBM did not ask him to resign.
So frankly, I don’t know what the fuss is all about.
Its not about IBM leaning on Gaurav (which, incidentally it did not)
Its not about Sabnis being a martyr. (hmm, re-read his blog at this point and he certainly doesn’t sound like one)
But it certainly is about Free Speech and the government isnt even here yet. Its about an organization (a h(o?)allowed educational institution, no less) taking on an individual for having expressed his personal opinion on his own website.
And the rate the legal notices are being served up (one more blogger on the issue has recieved them), it looks like a banquet out here!
But yes, terrible business sense and worse terrible, terrible publicity.
Freedom of speech isn’t limited to wrestling with government regulations, but being able to have and to express an opinion in an environment charged with power. The power could be sourced from culture, history, money, trade, resource-control. Traditionally the government has represented all these power exchanges, but even outside the orbit of the government there are forces that control our rights.
At the rate of the law suits arriving in people’s boxes, it won’t be long before the government will have to take a stand.
do harvard profs really teach at IIPM? let alone teach do they even know about an insititue called IIPM? I guess even Harvard should sue IIPM for misusing their name!!
Response to Robert MOdean…
dude, as you’re defending the big-blue vigorously,lets face a few facts. Just answer yes/no to these questions
1. My personal stuff is different from my professional work
2. The company i work for should merely regulate what i do in my professional(work time) life/only in my work time
3. If a company calls me regarding something…it means that it is serious about influencing me.
lets play a game. If your answers to the above are ALL “YES” …you are a person who loves freedom (of speech etc etc) & who is logical..lets not talk about the situation where you don’t have ALL “yes'”
Why do you think IBM officials called up Gaurav? to invite him to a social gathering ? OR perhaps they were SUBTLY trying to convey something ( T H R E A T)
IIPM is not even worth discussing. The more this institute gets discussed, the more media mileage the media crazy director of the institute gets.
Neha, in writing this post– why have you referred to IIPM as “this” institute? Why not publish it’s name?
IIPM has lost any little respect it held previously. That is, if it had any to begin with.