Government invites public to be 'eyes and ears of police'

Soon after the internet services being restored in the entire Jammu and Kashmir, The Indian government has launched a programme to identify online activities deemed to work against the “sovereignty of the nation.

India’s Home Ministry opened an online registration portal this week to recruit participants for the scheme, in which anyone can register, to report unlawful content on social media.

The ministry portal lists a few broad categories of offences that it asks volunteers to flag. Besides unlawful content such as child pornography, the list includes content deemed to be against the sovereignty and integrity of India, defense and security of the state, and friendly relations with foreign nations, without providing any definition into what constitutes such offences.

The programme would end up creating an atmosphere of fear around free speech in the country.

It might end up leading to the harassment of citizens who may not have violated any law.

People could potentially report false claims in order to settle personal scores, and individuals belonging to minority communities will be rendered vulnerable for no fault of their own.

Stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui is lucky to have been granted bail by the Supreme Court but one cannot overlook the fact that he spent time in jail for a joke he did not crack. Imagine what the fate of others could be when overzealous citizens start snooping on each other.