A lawyer has moved the Delhi High Court seeking directions to Twitter to comply with the Centre’s IT rules that require social media platforms to appoint resident grievance officers, besides providing access to encrypted messages to law enforcement agencies in certain cases.
Filed by advocate Amit Acharya, the PIL comes three days after the expiry of the three-month period given to the companies to comply with the rules, non-compliance of which could effectively deprive the social media companies—Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp and others – of the legal protections for user generated content on their platforms, making them potentially liable for criminal action, in case of complaints.
The new rules also require them to take down any content flagged by the authorities in 36 hours, and to set up a mechanism to respond to complaints.
Social media platforms are widely used by politicians, professionals and common people alike in India which has 53 crore WhatsApp users, 41 crore Facebook subscribers, 21 crore Instagram subscribers, while 1.75 crore account holders of microblogging platform Twitter.
The Information Technology Rules came into effect from February 25 and the Centre had given three months to every social media intermediary, including Twitter, to comply with them.
Despite the expiry of the said three-month period till date no resident grievance officer has been appointed by Twitter to deal with complaints regarding tweets on its platform, Acharya pointed out.
Acharya said he came to know about the alleged non-compliance when he tried to lodge a complaint against a couple of tweets.
Besides seeking a direction to Twitter to appoint a resident grievance officer without further delay, he urged the court to direct the Centre to ensure that the IT rules are complied with.
Twitter maintained it was committed to India as a vital market, but criticised the new IT rules and regulations that it said “inhibit free, open public conversation”.
The Centre had said Twitter was levelling baseless and false allegations to defame India and dictating terms to the world’s largest democracy and that the social networking platform has refused to comply with new digital rules requiring identification of the originator of a flagged message and appointing grievance redressal officers and the purported commitment of the US-based firm to India not only sounds hollow but completely self-serving.
It’s living hell, we are helpless, says High Court on black fungus drug shortage
“We are living this hell. Everyone is living this hell. It’s a situation where we want to help, but we are helpless,” the Delhi High Court lamented on Friday while hearing pleas on the shortage of black fungus medicine and the problems being faced by the patients.
While the Centre placed a report giving the steps taken by it to source the medicine and overcome shortages, the high court directed it to give further details on current status of its imports and when the stocks are expected.
The court, which was hearing two pleas seeking medicine vials for two patients admitted here for black fungus infection, expressed helplessness over the situation and said it cannot pass any order that a particular patient should be given preference for treatment while denying it to others.
The issue of shortage of the medicine for treating black fungus was raised by advocate Rakesh Malhotra who said the black fungus cases, affecting Covid-affected people, are rising.
The court, which was informed that steps are being taken by the Centre to procure 2.30 lakh vials of Liposomal Amphotericin-B from six countries, asked the government to explain the reason behind choosing this figure as the “today’s requirement of the medicine is much more”.
“The Union of India shall place a report giving the detailed current status of the said imports. It will be considered on Monday. It has to indicate how the figure of 2.30 lakh vials was arrived at and whether there is a greater availability of the drug which could be imported,” a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh said, which heard for six hours the matter relating to various issues arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The court asked the Centre to come back on May 31 with a definite statement as to what happened to these 2.30 lakh vials, where are they, what is the stage, when are they coming to India, has the order been placed or not.
When one of the Centre’s advocate said the order for the vials has been placed abroad, the bench said, “we are running against time. If you placed the order on May 24, today it should have been here”.
“We are only expressing out anxiety because of the proportions this thing is assuming. Every hour is assuming a new proportion,” the bench said, adding that “the effort here is to save lives and every hour matters”.
Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma said as per the information updated on the portal, the number of patients under treatment for mucormycosis (black fungus) in India are 14,872 on May 28 (9 AM) and this includes 423 patients in Delhi.
“Out of the sources that have been presently identified abroad, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on May 24 has called upon Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to take steps to procure 2,30,000 vials of Liposomal Amphotericin-B from Australia, Russia, Germany, Argentina, Belgium and China.
“MEA has also been called upon to procure 50,000 tablets of Isavuconazole. Steps in this regard are being taken by the MEA,” said the Centre’s report, filed through advocates Amit Mahajan, Kirtiman Singh and Nidhi Mohan Parashar.
The Centre said domestic production capacity of Amphotericin B Liposomal Injection has progressed as while in April it was 62,000, in May it was 1,40,000 and in June it is expected to be 3,25,114.
It said the main impediment in granting more licences for manufacture of Liposomal Amphotericin B is the shortage of the raw materials and excipients worldwide.
It said the MEA has been working on ensuring supplies of key excipients from sources abroad for production of Liposomal Amphotericin B (Amphonex) in India and added that imports are being made by Mylan Labs from Gilead Inc. USA and the government is working to increase the imports and for early delivery.
Regarding the medicine supplies made to Delhi, the Centre said 400 vials were allocated on May 24, 300 vials on May 26 and 1920 vials on May 27.
It said as per the tentative estimation of joint monitoring committee under the Directorate General of Health Services, 20 per cent of the total active Covid-19 cases are moderate to severe and may require hospitalisation. From these 20 percent of moderate and severe cases, 1:500 to 1:1000 cases may develop mucormycosis.
The court had earlier said the gap between demand and supply of Amphotericin B was “too wide to bridge” and drastic steps are required to be taken.
According to the Union Health Ministry, people catch mucormycosis by coming in contact with the fungal spores in the environment. It can also develop on the skin after the fungus enters the skin through a cut, scrape, burn, or other type of skin trauma.
The disease is being detected among patients who are recovering or have recovered from Covid-19. Moreover, anyone who is diabetic and whose immune system is not functioning well needs to be on the guard against this, the ministry has said. — PTI
After Milkha, his wife tests positive; both doing fine
After Milkha Singh, his 82-year-old wife Nirmal Milkha Singh has been also tested positive for Covid-19.
The former captain of the Indian volleyball team and former Joint Director, Sports, UT, Chandigarh, was admitted to Fortis Hospital today. Earlier, she had tested negative along with other members. Both Milkha and Nirmal have been put on oxygen support.
“Milkha Singh continues to be stable on oxygen support. However, he is weak and we are trying to persuade him to increase his food intake. Today, we stepped him down from the ICU to a room, which he is sharing with his wife Nirmal Milkha Singh, who was admitted earlier in the day with Covid pneumonia. Both are being closely monitored,” read a medical bulletin issued by the hospital.
“Mom and dad are on oxygen. They will pull through,” said Jeev Milkha Singh.
Sources said Nirmal underwent a test on Wednesday and was later admitted to the hospital following suggestions by her daughter. Earlier on Tuesday, the legendary athlete was said to clinically stable with decreasing oxygen requirement. He had wished to take a stroll.
“Both are doing fine and maintaining good saturation levels. Milkha is not taking any food for two days now. He wished to take a walk. However, he is also under strict observation. Nirmal is also responding well to the treatment,” said a source.
The legendary athlete is a four-time Asian Games gold medallist and the 1958 Commonwealth Games champion but his greatest performance was the fourth-place finish in the 400m final of the 1960 Rome Olympics. His timing at the Italian capital remained the national record for 38 years till Paramjeet Singh broke it in 1998. He also represented India in the 1956 and 1964 Olympics and was bestowed the Padma Shri in 1959. Nirmal, meanwhile, is known to be a dedicated administrator, who worked for the welfare of sportspersons.
Won’t be long before a woman commands a warship, say female Navy officers deployed at sea
Surg. Lt Hannah Jane and Lt Cdr Tanisha Chakraborty are among four women officers deployed aboard warships in December-January. They are serving on fleet tanker INS Shakti.
Surgeon Lieutenant T. Hannah Jane and Lieutenant Commander Tanisha Chakraborty have been deployed on board fleet tanker INS Shakti | By special arrangement
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New Delhi: The Indian Navy will soon see a marked rise in the number of women deployed on-board warships, and in future, they may command a warship too, two female naval officers recently deployed aboard a warship told ThePrint in an interview.
Surgeon Lieutenant T. Hannah Jane and Lieutenant Commander Tanisha Chakraborty are serving aboard fleet tanker INS Shakti. They are two of the four women officers deployed by the Navy aboard warships in December-January, after a gap of nearly 25 years. The others are Lt Sivi Bhardwaj, an air traffic controller, and Lt Cdr Priyanka Chaudhary, a logistics officer. Both have been deployed on India’s only aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
Back in 1997, the first women officers to be posted aboard warships were Surgeon Commander Vinita Tomar and Sub Lieutenant Rajeshwari Kori on INS Jyoti, a fleet support vessel. However, no women officers were permitted on corvettes, destroyers and aircraft carriers. Women do not serve as sailors in the Indian Navy.
Barring the medical wing, 704 women are currently serving in the Navy, which is 6.5 per cent of the total officer cadre, according to data submitted in Parliament. The total strength of men serving in the Navy is 10,108.
Surg. Lt Hannah Jane, a naval doctor, told ThePrint that women have always had marginal relevance in the armed forces, but now, people are being more receptive to change and their number is slowly increasing.
“Women have always aspired to be on warships but due to difficult habitability conditions for women on board, there has been a delay in enforcing it,” she said.
“Now, the Navy is working towards ensuring enhancement of living conditions in order to suit the requirement of women on ships, and I’m sure we will see a marked rise in the number of women on board ships,” said Jane, who is on temporary Covid-19 duty at the Dhanvantri Covid Care Hospital set up in Ahmedabad under the aegis of the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
Lt Cdr Chakraborty, a logistics officer, added that the environment aboard the ship has been quite conducive.
“With the worldwide change in perception of gender, accessibility to social media and acceptance of women in leadership roles, society has evolved very much and so has the Indian Navy,” she said.
“As a matter of fact, the environment has been quite conducive,” Chakraborty continued, adding that the existing infrastructure of most ships is being reviewed to see which are habitable for women, and changes are being made to ships currently under construction.
Armed forces kid and civilian, both driven by adventure
Surg. Lt Hannah Jane hails from Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu, and her mother is a serving Nursing Officer in the armed forces. “So, I grew up all across the country due to her frequent transfers,” she said.
Jane attended the Army Public Schools and Kendriya Vidyalayas all around the country, and completed her MBBS from Rajah Muthiah Medical College in Tamil Nadu.
She said it was her mother who inspired her to join Indian Navy in June 2017, though she was already fascinated by the uniform, the adventurous lifestyle and the “opportunities provided by the services to broaden the horizon of an individual”.
Lt Cdr Chakraborty, meanwhile, was born in Guwahati, Assam, but travelled to different parts of the country while growing up as her father had a transferrable job. She graduated in engineering from Chennai, and joined the armed forces after working with firms like Wipro and Huawei.
Chakraborty said when she joined the Indian Navy in July 2009, there wasn’t much exposure to the defence forces for people like her, who hail from civilian backgrounds.
“I had come across an advertisement in the print media for joining the forces. The sheer passion for adventure drove me to apply for the services. Today, when I look back, I am happy I took the call and I am proud to don the uniform,” she said.
Commanding a ship & permanent commission
Serving at sea is considered an important milestone in the career growth of naval officers, and posting women officers on board warships as well as giving them permanent commission opens doors for senior select rank promotions for them in the service, for which they were not considered earlier.
Lt Cdr Chakraborty said with this new trend, she definitely sees women officers commanding ships in the future.
“It doesn’t seem to be a far-flung idea anymore to see women officers commanding ships in the future,” she said.
Surg. Lt Hannah Jane agreed, but said there is a long way to go as their male counterparts get a larger amount of training and experience.
Speaking about the Supreme Court’s 2020 judgment on granting permanent commission to women Navy officers, Hannah Jane said it is encouraging, and will help put women at par with men and inspire more women to join the Navy.
Chakraborty concurred: “I am sure this will encourage more women officers to join the armed forces. Being a short service commissioned officer, one has to start thinking of a second career on the verge of one’s thirties. A stable job with the permanent commission is definitely going to be a boost. Opportunities are increasing to spread wings every day.”
Women officers in the Indian Navy work in different branches such as logistics, education, aviation and naval architecture, among others. They also serve in operational appointments as ‘observers’ in the Navy’s maritime reconnaissance aircraft like P8i, IL-38 and Dornier.
In September last year, the Navy cleared the way for two women officers — Sub Lieutenants Riti Singh & Kumudini Tyagi — to operate from the deck of a warship as helicopter observers.
“In future, I envisage women sailors working hand-in-hand with male sailors in fields like discipline, logistics, education and medical,” Lt Cdr Chakraborty said.
Surg Lt Hannah Jane added that at the beginning of her deployment on board a ship, she had some mental inhibitions, but as she got exposed to the environment, she found it was no different from the base units.
Chakraborty, who has been stationed aboard INS Shakti for about a couple of months now, said work-wise, the experience isn’t much different.
“I am learning the nuances of the unique circumstances on board, as against being in ashore units. Other trivial challenges are like living in no network areas and reduced interactions with family due to long or unpredictable sailing schedules,” she said.
Military personnel help set up a 750-bed Covid facility at Varanasi | Representational image | ANI
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New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Defence scheme aiming to hire 400 retired military doctors for a year to aid the country’s Covid fight has received a lukewarm response so far, with the Directorate General of the Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) receiving only around 100 applications in roughly two weeks of the process being set in motion.
“We received somewhere between 90 and 100 applications until Saturday last week,” a source in the government confirmed to ThePrint.https://99cdc412edd1de465c01bc244f274c52.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
The tri-service AFMS is responsible for the overall medical policy of the armed forces. Earlier this month, the DGAFMS mooted a proposal to hire around 400 retired officers on contract basis to help India battle the second wave.
The defence ministry subsequently issued an order dated 8 May, instructing the DGAFMS to hire former members of the Army Medical Corps and Short-Service Commission released between 2017 and 2021. According to the ministry order, they were to be hired under the ‘Tour of Duty’ scheme for a period of 11 months.
Talking to ThePrint, defence officers admitted they were expecting a stronger response and many more applications. One officer said all of them should have been deployed on the field by now, given the nature of the emergency.
The officers, however, said recruitment will continue for around four more months and they are hopeful there will be more applicants.
“Even as cases are falling, the recruitment will continue so as to ensure there is an adequate number of doctors available in the instance of a third wave of the pandemic,” the source quoted above said.
Retired medical veterans of the armed forces say one possible reason for the low response could be that the offer was not lucrative enough for retired military doctors to leave their current assignments.
“Every retired doctor is engaged in some assignment or the other. The offer had to be attractive for them to leave their current assignments and join the government for a contract of just 11 months,” said a former Army doctor, who did not wish to be named.
The terms and conditions of the government scheme say the doctors hired under it will get a fixed monthly lump sum, equivalent to the salary drawn at the time of retirement, minus the pension. The doctors will also be entitled to specialist pay wherever applicable, but no other allowances.https://99cdc412edd1de465c01bc244f274c52.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
Brig (Dr) Arvind Kumar Tyagi (Retd), an oncosurgeon who serves as director (oncology) at the Yashoda Cancer Institute in Ghaziabad, said it is important to note that a doctor never retires.
“Even after his retirement from the Army, he would have joined another employer. And it is unlikely that he would leave his current job to do something that he is anyway doing.”
He added: “We all have been providing consultation and treating people during the pandemic and they include not just military veterans, but also civilians. We are there to pitch in. I’m providing free consultation to about 200 people and can continue doing so without a separate banner or salary.”
To strengthen the military’s contribution in tackling Covid, the defence ministry last month sanctioned the invoking of Schedule 8.1 of the Delegation of Financial Powers to Defence Services (DFPDS-2016), which deals with the grant of emergency financial powers to the AFMS upto 30 September 2021.
Schedule 8.1 of DFPDS-2016 provides for full financial powers to the DGAFMS for procurement of medical items, materials and stores.
The AFMS has deployed additional doctors, including specialists and super specialists, and paramedics at several hospitals, and SSC doctors of the AFMS have been granted extension until 31 December.
Asked why the defence ministry didn’t call reservists, a senior defence officer said the scheme is for those retired military doctors who want to volunteer to join the government in Covid-relief efforts. Calling back reservists would have made participation compulsory for all military doctors who retired in a certain time period.
“Also, the financial implications of calling back reservists would be much higher. Under the current scheme, doctors volunteering would be on a certain pay without insurance and other privileges,” the officer said.
The Heron TP drone is manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries | Photo: iai.co.ilText Size: A- A+
New Delhi: The Indian Army will soon get four Heron TP drones on lease from Israel, which will be deployed along the Line of Actual Control with China for long surveillance missions, ThePrint has learnt.
The Heron TP, which is as long as a Rafale (14 metres) and has double the wingspan of the French fighter, has been developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). It is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) for all weather strategic missions. While the Heron TP drones are capable of being armed if needed, sources said the ones being leased by India are non-weaponised versions.
“The first two drones will be delivered soon. The other two will be delivered after a gap of three months,” a source told ThePrint, adding that the contract for the lease was signed earlier this year. The lease is for a period of three years with an option of another two years, but costs are not being divulged.
This is the Indian Army’s first time leasing military equipment, after a clause was introduced in the latest version of the Defence Acquisition Procedure. The Navy has already leased two non-weaponised General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B Sea Guardian MALE UAVs from the US under this policy, but sources in the defence establishment said that the Israeli Heron TP performs better and is cheaper.
The Army and the Indian Air Force use a mix of previous generation Heron and Searcher 2 drones. Sources said that the Heron TP is much more capable than its predecessor.
“The Heron TP is huge. It looks like an AN-32 aircraft in size because of its large wingspan. It has a maximum take-off weight of 5,670 kg, with a maximum payload weight of 2,700 kg. The earlier generation has less than half this capacity,” a source said, adding that with an endurance of 30 hours, the drone has a range of over 1,000 kilometres.
It is equipped with automatic taxi-takeoff and landing (ATOL), satellite communication for extended range, and fully redundant avionics, among other highlights.
Meanwhile, the armed forces are in talks with Israel to upgrade the 90 previous generation Herons in service, and also to weaponise them. Of the 90, about 75 are operated by the IAF.
Mere Modi-bashing won’t lead to his defeat; the people look for an alternative before they can discard what they have. And let us face it: such an alternative does not exist, at least not on the menu that an ordinary person gets to see. Opposition unity is necessary, but not sufficient. The Opposition needs a glue that holds it together and a glow to radiate hope among the people.
Sign of the times: The protest over the farm laws hints at the need to look for a political substitute to the present BJP-led dispensation. PTI
Yogendra Yadav
National president, Swaraj India
The black flag protest by the farmers’ movement on the occasion of the seventh anniversary of the Narendra Modi government on Wednesday told us something about the need for political alternatives. It also offered a hint as to how such an alternative might come about.
In the seven years since he took oath, Modi’s government has never looked as shaky as it does today. Its aura of power is melting. For Modi sceptics, the botched-up handling of the second wave of the Covid pandemic — under-testing the patients and under-reporting the dead, lack of preparedness, unavailability of oxygen, and vaccine mismanagement — has confirmed its callousness bordering on cruelty. For many die-hard Modi believers, the absence of the government during this crucial period has punctured the myth of omnipotence built around the Prime Minister. They have begun to entertain a suspicion that the PM is not quite in control of things, and not as powerful as he appears.
The carefully designed image of the all-powerful PM is coming unstuck in the political arena too. The anti-CAA protests showed that a small but determined group could stand up to this government. The farmers’ movement has already demonstrated that this government can be pushed on the back foot. West Bengal has called the bluff of the electoral prowess of the PM and his party. After seven years of untrammelled exercise of power, the Modi government has to contend with a truth that troubles all authoritarian rulers: power corrodes, absolute power corrodes absolutely.
Momentarily, the Modi government resembles the second innings of the Manmohan Singh government, whose countdown had begun in 2012. It might seem that the PM has lost his charm, that the government would collapse under the weight of the mountain of lies that it has spun to cover up its misgovernance and misdeeds. The Opposition has to just wait and watch, and possibly unite.
Here lies the danger. The danger is in assuming that the Modi government’s countdown has begun, in believing that democracy’s self-correcting mechanisms will control the excesses of this government, that history will do the job for us.
Nothing can be farther from the truth. At this moment, we are liable to over-read popular anger with the Modi government and under-estimate its reserve of popular support. There is certainly widespread discontent, disappointment and disaffection with the Modi government today, but it need not result in its popular rejection. There is a fairly large section that might back the incumbent irrespective of its governance record. For the rest, disappointment may not turn into disgust that leads voters to throw out the incumbent at all cost. In any case, the sight of all Opposition leaders holding hands together may not enthuse the voters; it might only reinforce the impression of one man against a gang.
Besides, the Modi government is bound to come up with a counter-offensive. At this moment, we are liable to underestimate the sheer power of propaganda at the command of the ruling establishment. Its spin-doctors are waiting for the storm to blow over before they launch the usual games of deflecting the blame, distracting the public and delaying the encounter with the public. They are waiting for an opportune moment to launch a vicious attack on the challengers. Its stories would be amplified with the help of money, media and organisational machinery. One thing is for sure: Unlike Dr Manmohan Singh, PM Modi will not fade away without fighting to the finish, without exhausting all the vast means at his command, fair and foul.
Let us be clear: Despite all his blunders, mere Modi-bashing won’t lead to his defeat; the people look for an alternative before they can discard what they have. And let us face it: such an alternative does not exist, at least not on the menu that an ordinary person gets to see. This is not to discount the existing Opposition parties, nor to dismiss the need for their unity. Opposition unity is necessary, but not sufficient. The Opposition needs a glue that holds it together and a glow to radiate hope among the people. As of now, it doesn’t seem to have either. This is why we need an alternative to supplement the existing Opposition.
Such an alternative to Modi would need, first of all, a positive and believable message about India’s future. Beyond a point, people do not want to hear what has gone wrong in the past; they want to know how things can get better in the future. This time it cannot be fake dreams and jumlas. Having fallen for it once, the people now need something solid, something believable. The message must be universal, simple and inspire confidence. That message does not exist in the public domain today. It cannot be conjured up from the ideologies of the 20th century. The language of the old ideologies of the bygone era does not work with today’s India. A fresh message must involve a coming together of fresh ideas, a fresh combination of policies and positions.
Once we have a positive and believable message, we need credible messengers. Their words must carry more weight than run-of-the-mill politicians. The Opposition is deficient in this respect too. We do not have a Jayaprakash Narayan with us today. At the same time, Indian public life is not bereft of leaders with proven track record of selfless public service, integrity and intelligence. Some of them must step forward to respond to this historic need.
Finally, we need a powerful machine to carry this message across the country. This machine needs two parts: Organisation and communication. Today, there is nothing in the oppositional space that can match the BJP on both these counts. Many of the Opposition parties have their cadre, no doubt. Therefore, bringing the existing Opposition parties on board is necessary for building an alternative. But it is not sufficient. A new alternative must involve a large-scale mobilisation of citizens, mainly younger citizens, who have hitherto remained outside the political domain. Bringing this fresh energy into political life is a must to meet the current challenge. A powerful communication machine, with an IT team to match the BJP’s, must supplement the organisation on the ground. India needs a Truth Army to take on the troll army of RSS-BJP.
The creation of such a positive and viable alternative is the most pressing political task for those who believe in the idea of India, those who respect our constitutional values, those who despair at the erosion of democracy, and those who are committed to reclaiming our Republic.
Would someone respond to this call of our times? If yes, how would this process unfold? We do not have answers. But Wednesday’s protest offers us a clue: the farmers’ movement took the lead, followed by trade unions and other organisations, before the political parties extended their support. Is that a model for the future?
The tussle over an individual’s right to privacy vis-a-vis the state’s duty to identify and punish wrongdoers has taken an interesting turn. The management of WhatsApp, the messaging application used by 53 crore Indians, has gone to court against the Indian Government guidelines under which digital media companies are sought to be regulated. Citing user privacy, WhatsApp has taken the moral high ground. The new rules state, among other things, that digital media companies such as WhatsApp must disclose the identity of the ‘first originator of information’ when the government seeks it. WhatsApp contends that in order to comply with the new rules, it would have to break the end-to-end encryption that ensures user privacy, undermining people’s right to privacy.
But there’s much more to the issue than just user privacy. The new user policy of WhatsApp, introduced earlier this year, allows it to share an individual’s information — generated when a user interacts with a business account on WhatsApp — with its parent company, Facebook, and other group firms. The idea is for Facebook to use this data to its financial benefit. In other parts of the world, such as Europe, users can refuse to allow WhatsApp to share their data — in India, this option is not given to the users. WhatsApp bends to the rules of the European Union because they have a data protection law in place there — in India, such a law has been in the works for two years but it is yet to see the light of day. This has enabled WhatsApp to discriminate against Indian users.
Over the last few years, after several cases of mob violence following rumours disseminated over WhatsApp, the company has attempted to arrest spread of misinformation. In a significant judgment in 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that individual privacy is a fundamental right, except when ‘legality, necessity and proportionality’ all outweigh it; digital media companies, thus, must disclose the identity of those causing or abetting crime through rumours or hate speech. Free speech advocates, however, fear that the government could use this provision to stifle dissent or criticism of its policies. Seeing the track record of the governments, it is a legitimate fear. Among these competing interests, a fair balance must be brought through debate, negotiation and a new law.
BRO restores Sumdho-Gramphu road after seven months
The Border Roads Organisation today restored the Sumdho-Kaza-Gramphu road via the 15,059-ft-high Kunzum pass in Lahaul and Spiti after a gap of seven months. However, traffic movement will be allowed on this road after a gap of three days.
The restoration of this road would provide easy access to residents of the Spiti valley to Lahaul and Manali. Similarly, tourists can reach the Spiti valley from Manali and Leh side directly. Otherwise, they have to travel via Shimla and Kinnaur districts to enter the Spiti valley.
This road was blocked for traffic movement in the region since November last year because of heavy snowfall at the Kunzum pass and its nearby places in the area. The BRO team worked relentlessly to restore this road earlier as compared to previous years. Generally every year, the BRO restores this road in June.
This road is strategically important for military personnel and civilians in the region because Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur districts share their boundaries with China. This road connects Lahaul and Spiti with Kinnaur.
Additional District Magistrate, Kaza, Gyan Sagar Negi said the BRO had restored the road but it needed proper widening at some stretches for a smooth traffic flow. As soon as the BRO gives the green signal, the Kaza administration will allow traffic on this road within three days.
Motorcycle rally marks ‘black day’ I PM’s effigies burnt across state I Protest trends on social media
Farmers raise slogans and hoist black flags to mark six months of their ongoing struggle at the Singhu border on Wednesday. Photo: Mukesh Aggarwal
Ravinder Saini & Mukesh Tandon
Tribune News Service
Jhajjar/Panipat, May 26
On the call of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), protesting farmers on Wednesday observed a ‘black day’ at the Tikri and Singhu borders on the completion of six months of the ongoing agitation against three farm laws.
The day also marked the completion of seven years of the Centre’s formation.
An effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi being burnt in Ambala on Wednesday. Pradeep Maini
At Tikri, where farmers from Punjab and Haryana have been camping for the past six months, a festive mood prevailed on Wednesday with black flags hoisted on every hut and vehicle. Women donned black salwar-suit and dupatta while men wore black badges on their arms to mark the day. The Sikh protesters tied black cloth on their turbans.
A protest under way in Gurugram on Wednesday. Photo: S Chandan
Young protesters put up a show of unity by taking out a bike rally from Tikri to Dhansa border while passing through various villages. A play describing the Centre’s intentions for the farm laws and movement was also staged by artistes from Punjab at the main protest site.
Residents from nearby villages holding black flags in their hands reached the border and expressed their solidarity. “Today’s protest was not only an epitome of farmers’ strength but also a slap on the face of the Centre, which is using all unfair means to sabotage the historical stir. We have been here for the past six months despite all odds and are prepared to spend as much time as needed to win this battle. So, the Centre should repeal the three laws without testing us more,” said Parminder Singh, a protester.
Sikh protesters sport black cloth on their turbans. Manas Ranjan Bhui
Purushottam Singh Gill, a senior BKU (Lakhowal) leader, claimed the protest evoked an overwhelming response as people from every section of society contributed by hoisting black flags on their rooftops or vehicles. “The success of today’s protest is a clear indication that we are heading in the right direction,” he added.
At Singhu, the protesters hoisted black flags at the main stage, on their tents, bamboo huts, tractor-trailers and two-wheelers. They also celebrated Buddha Purnima
Various SKM leaders said May 26 was marked as a “black day” for farmers, with lakhs of citizens expressing their resistance against the Centre in numerous ways. Multiple hashtags in support of the movement trended on social media since the morning, they claimed.
Govt was mistakenThe stir will continue until our demands are met. The Centre thought that it would come to an end if prolonged. The government was mistaken. In six months, the stir has spread across the country.— Gurnam S Charuni, BKU (Charuni) chief
Meanwhile, effigies of the Prime Minister were also burnt at Tikri, Pakoda Chowk in Bahadurgarh, the main gate of the kisan office at Singhu and across the state.
Ambala: BKU activists burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ambala and Kurukshetra. Leaders of the Congress, AAP and Haryana Democratic Front hoisted back flags on the rooftops of their homes.
BKU chief Gurnam Singh Charuni appealed to Uttar Pradesh farmers to start opposing BJP leaders as the elections were scheduled in the state next year.
Karnal/Kaithal: Farmers burnt the effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Bastara toll plaza on the NH-44 in Karnal district, and at Titram Mor in Kaithal district. They also protested at Pehowa chowk, Pundri, Pai, Kalayat in Kaithal district.
Tajinder Singh, a protester, said: “Farmers faced extreme cold and now they are protesting in scorching heat. We will not go back until the three laws are revoked.”
Another protester Manju “We are not excited to observe ‘black day’. The Modi government has left us with no option, but to protest.”
Rohtak: Farmers burnt the effigy of the Union Government outside Mansarovar Park here. They also celebrated the festival of Budhha Purnima. They reiterated that the government must revoke the three controversial farm laws.
The effigies were also burnt in Sonepat and Panipat.
Cong doesn’t want stir to succeed: Vij
Chandigarh: The Congress doesn’t want the farmers’ movement to succeed and was not in their interests, said Home Minister Anil Vij. Interacting with the media on Wednesday, he said, “Everyone has a right to protest in independent India. The Congress and other parties are hiding behind the farmers’ movement and have been exposed. They don’t want the movement to succeed.” He pointed out that he and even farmers’ leaders had written to the Union Agriculture Minister for starting talks again. TNS
Should start talks with farmers: Selja
Chandigarh: Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee chief Kumari Selja on Wednesday supported the “black day” observed by farmers and appealed to the Central government to accept their demands. She said the BJP government at the Centre should immediately “do away with its ego” and start the process of dialogue with the farmers and withdraw the black laws. Besides, the Haryana Government should withdraw the cases registered against farmers in the state during the agitation. TNS
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