Cultural suppression?
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an undoubtedly polarising figure. The head of the nationalist Bharatija Janat Party (BJP), Modi swept to power on 31% of the popular vote. In 2014, a tide of 171 million voters pushed Modi’s BJP into power, swiping aside Indian National Congress which had enjoyed dominance since the genesis of Indian democracy. India’s electoral system allowed a party with 31% of the vote to gain 52% of the seats in parliament. When this is broken down, Modi’s BJP government was elected by 13.6% of the country’s population. However, despite being elected by a minority of the people, many have charged the government with being hostile to the country’s minority groups. It has been argued that India, a country which is historically secular (at least in terms of government) is shifting towards a system of laws governed by Hindu religious sensibilities. Bans on cow slaughter have seen attacks on Muslims suspected of eating beef. However, beyond these occasional incidents, assaults on freedom of expression on religious grounds seem to have emerged in the avowedly secular state.
Online censorship
Today’s reports that the Indian authorities seek to censor a kiss in the latest James Bond film has reignited the debate over Indian censorship. The internet is a battleground of free speech the world over. In India, it seems, the BJP government is determined to win the war. The government’s decision to block many adult websites resulted in a satirical social media backlash using #NextBanIdea. The James Bond saga has inspired the satirical #SanskariJamesBond.
The best design ever. Cheers to whoever made this. Loving it. #SanskariJamesBond pic.twitter.com/UBKjCF2qoK
— Narendra Varma (@pnvarma) November 18, 2015
Facebook has faced criticism over repeatedly blocking access to a number of atheist groups based in India. Following an online petition, the groups were unblocked, with Facebook claiming they had been blocked in error. However, it is suspected that access to these pages was denied at the behest of the Indian government. In the first half of this year, 15,000 page restriction requests were made by Indian government officials to Facebook. This request gave the country the top-spot, and raises further concerns about the freedom of India’s citizens to express dissenting views on the internet. However, it is not only the virtual realm where people’s words are under scrutiny.
[via Telecom Lead]
Art under threat?
Freedom of expression in the physical realm may also be under threat. In addition to the Bond controversy, this year has seen film bans, and artistic protests from India’s creative community. The Sahitya Akademi is India’s most prestigious literary institution, and has seen 40 creatives return their awards in protest at perceived rising intolerance. In Modi’s India, rising censorship cannot be separated from the increasingly militant tone of political discourse. When intolerance and violence increase, the people are the first victims. Art, it seems, is not far from front-line.
