Sympathies For Rashmi Bansal

I am sure another frenzy of posts bearing placards of “Freedom of expression” follow. Before blindly canvassing for Ms Bansal again, will the blogosphere care to verify facts this time? The blogger you credited with the “lead” has the notorious distinction of pioneering such campaigns without fact checking. And BTW, would you give a clean-chit to the fellah who beheaded the Ambedkar Statue? After all, he was also just expressing his thoughts, freely. If no, why is Ms B an exception?

Observer,

I’ll just answer the Ambdedkar query you posed to me and withhold comments on the rest.

I believe in absolute freedom of expression, and that is public knowledge. However, I would not give a clean chit to the fella who beheaded the Ambedkar statue because private property, to me, is more important that freedom of expression. You can’t damage property which does not belong to you, in order to express yourself. For the same reasons, no one can leave abusive or inappropriate comments on DesiPundit because our ownership of the website has a higher importance than other people’s freedom of expression in abusing us.

However, I would fully support the right to freedom of expression of somebody who creates their own statues of B. R. Ambedkar and then beheads/pisses on them, or creates websites which have pictures or cartoons of B.R. Ambedkar engaging in sexual acts with horses, dogs, or anything even more “offensive” that you can think up.

Considering how badly she had botched my article in her magazine, I am hardly surprised: One such editorial misguided missile of hers must have landed her in this position.

This lady has a way of getting into trouble.

S

Hooray ! It’s again that time of the year when we go bersek over the rights of the Blogging Community.

Bloggers of India, Unite. Here is your button. Hack your Templates. Display it proudly in the side-bar. Drop everything, Blog your protest. March to the Parliament. Go bonkers again…And what more, its the second time that RB has created an opportunity to enable us to behave like kids, so lets decide, hold a contest and give felicitate her.

RB rocks man…Wonder if GS has already linked to this in his blog. Getting to be quite a syndicated business, this “Bloggers’ Rights” issues, eh?

I dont know about the levels of being offensive, but if we go by what Vulturo says, then I guess one can knit/weave the Indian Flag at home and then burn it in your front yard and claim that it is your freedom of expression. Dont worry, buddy, DP and the desi bloggers will create enough ruckus to bail you out. Boss, aren’t we bloggers bigger than the Constitution ?

Or maybe I’m completely wrong. If Shivamji has the right to post pictures that are “a gross violation of the right to respect and privacy of the dead.”, I guess Rashimi could also post an article that violates the respect and privacy of the living. But then, we, the cream of the desi bloggers looks at things objectively and not subjectively…the object here being the identity of the Blogger.

I dont know about the levels of being offensive, but if we go by what Vulturo says, then I guess one can knit/weave the Indian Flag at home and then burn it in your front yard and claim that it is your freedom of expression.

Yes indeed. Thats how it works in America, at least where the American flag is concerned. And I quite like the idea.

And this isn’t an issue of “Blogger rights” at all. It is a broader free speech issue.

Rashmi is being sued because of an advertisement which was carried in her magazine and not because she wrote something in her blog or an edit she wrote in the mag.

Vulturo,

Perhaps, you could be make this the sticky post for a couple of days.

Don,

You still not over it? Amusing!

Rashmi is being sued because of an advertisement which was carried in her magazine and not because she wrote something in her blog or an edit she wrote in the mag.

Oh! And probably in a hurry she forgot to see what goes into the issue. I heard you and I can now safely display advt for porno-sites on my family blog.

I am surprised by the tone of the bloggers who hate bloggers and blogging simply because they can. No personal offense intended but “not getting the point” is something I have seen quite often in the desi blogosphere.

No Confused, Nah, I’m still not over it ! Probably will never be. Can never get over this display of “misguided support” (just b’cos one’s a fellow-blogger) to an offender who’s actually ‘WANTED’.
Of late, some of you at DP have become very sensitive to criticism or an alternate thought process. Confused, you become either sarcy or defensive whenever someone comments a view different from what is conveyed in a DP post. Maybe you should totally moderate comments so that only the “Yes Yes” stuff gets published.

Further to what Observer says, maybe The Hindu or TOI can have a front-page picture of a nude couple for a condom ad or Porn Vids and if they get pulled by the law, claim “broader free speech”.

btw, where’s the connection between FREE SPEECH and a PAID ADVERTISEMENT ?

Shivam misses the point completely by asking Rashmi to stand up for free speech. If she meant to express those things, then she should stand by them. And knowing Rashmi, I am sure she would have. She risked an expensive lawsuit to stand by what JAM published about IIPM.

However here, the apology makes it clear that JAM did not intend to offend anyone this time. While, like Saket, I am fully in favour of people having the right to offend anyone and anything without the state cracking down on them, here the point is that even under existing laws, Rashmi is being wronged. So if she didn’t mean to say those things, she is right in issuing an unconditional apology.

Please understand, this is not like the Danish cartoon issue, where they published the cartoons to cause offense, and to make a point about free speech. If it was, I am sure Rashmi would have stuck to her guns and not recalled the issues.

And if someone has the desire that such a point be made, they should do it themselves
by publishing something offensive and standing by it, rather that expecting Rashmi to stand by something which she didn’t mean to say.

donthecat, no one asked for a case to be filed against Shivam. confused, greatbong and I found the pictures distasteful and we said so. Criticising something does not infringe on freedom of speech, in fact it is very much a part of freedom of speech. Legal action or coercion, punishing someone for saying something, infringes on it. Please don’t muddy the water by mixing the two issues.

Don,

If you are never going to get over it, well, thats that then.

However, you are most welcome to comment as you please, and I can assure you, at least on my posts I have never edited/deleted/moderated any comments.

Gaurav> you have to contra whatever Shivamji says, right ? ;-# . And after reading your comment for a zillionth time, I’m still not sure what your are saying…

If RS felt she was right about that AD, then she should have stuck to her guns and not withdrawn the issues. She has not only withdrawn the copies from the newsstands, but also posted an unconditional apology, which means she accepts her faux-pas. Well, a media person doesn’t go about apologising and retracting a story unless she/he feels that a wrong has been committed. Ans pray, tell me why is she ‘underground,‘ ?

However, if I were to subscribe to your point of view, then I guess Arindam Chaud was perfectly justified in releasing the IIPM Ad which he thought was right. He didn’t withdraw the Ad; he continues to release it frequently. He wasn’t WANTED by the cops. Does that make IIPM a not-so-dubious institution? If Arindam,as head of an institution, is liable for a dubious Ad released by IIPM, then Rashmi,as an Ed, is also answerable for an offending Ad released by JAM.

Oh and about THAT post of yours on Shivam.. it was mor of a personal attack on Shivam and not a criticism of the pics and that stank to high hell…

Boss, Rashmi is today WANTED b’cos the general junta and the law which binds them found a content in her mag distasteful and disgusting.

On an entirely unrelated note, shouldn’t that be sympathy for Rashmi Bansal rather than sympathies?

donthecat,

It’s simple. The magazine with the ad was released without an intention to offend anyone. When some people got offended, then she voluntarily withdrew copies of the mag. Party A publishing something without any intention to offend, party B getting offended, and party A voluntarily withdrawing the publication out a desire to not offend, is a perfectly acceptable chain of events without anone’s rights being trampled upon.

Here, JAM voluntarily withdrew the publication. It is not, at its core, an issue of freedom of speech, though the laws invoked have been and will be used to suppress freedom of speech. The issue is overly zealous and wrongful use of the laws by the police.

As to why she is untraceable is something only she knows.

As for Arindam Chaudhary, please point out to me when I have ever said that Arindam Chaudhary or IIPM should be prosecuted or arrested. In their ads, they have not crossed the line into the illegal. But just because someone is not doing something illegal does not make them non-dubious by definition. IIPM is still a dubious institution and the way to save unknowing unwitting students from going there is to spread awareness about the hollowness of their claims.

And just because the police does something, it doesn’t mean that it is in line with what the general junta wants. And just because the law says something doesn’t make it right. Both the police and the constitution are fallible in my opinion. If you are one of those who blindly believes everything done by the police, the government and the law to be right, then it is your call.

What the hell are you lot rambling about? Gaurav and now you lot are being bleeding hearts for no reason. This whole problem is over an advertisement. THAT is not free speech. Kindly look up the dictionary for “unconditional support”. You don’t even KNOW what caused the offense, and yet you say “free speech” and “We also urge bloggers across India to write about this issue and express support for Rashmi.” For fuck’s sake, have some sense before you start a “crusade”. Alternatively, you could realise that this is plain bullshit and just shut up.

Oh, and I don’t hate RB. I have supported her during the IIPM issue, but this issue is nothing like it.

This comment was posted from 61.16.233.194, an IP which belongs to the IIPM network, and hence could not have been posted by the real Rashmi Bansal. Impersonation is strictly forbidden at DesiPundit. Please do not engage in it again – Vulturo

“This comment was posted from 61.16.233.194, an IP which belongs to the IIPM network, and hence could not have been posted by the real Rashmi Bansal. Impersonation is strictly forbidden at DesiPundit. Please do not engage in it again – Vulturo”

Not to be critical, but can’t there BE a Rashmi Bansal in IIPM? Of course, if the nature of the comment was designed to be “from” Rashmi, fair play.

Don’t you think it would have been a good idea to keep this post sticky for a few more days?

I’m not a blogger, maybe never will b b’cos I dont have the attitude. But a friend from Malaysia has been telling me to get into it. She also referred this site from which she says I can check out many other blogs. I just did and I must compliment you on the wonderful work that you are doing here.

But I’m also a bit confused. I understand that you link to posts which you think other readers will find interseting. So why this post? It doesn’t link to any post by Ms.Bansal. It just urges bloggers to unite against an offender as seen in the eyes of the existing law. Is this not a irresponsible attitude?

Mr.Vulturo says that h likes the idea of burning an American flag. Maybe, but I dont agree with him vis-a-vis India. You call yourself ‘desi-pundit’, which means you are featuring Indian based content and sentiments. And in India, its not ‘Cool’ to burn our flag. And every civilised person would agree that the Indian attitude towards its country’s flag is better than the American one. Do you think it would have been cool if Armstrong had planted the US flag on the moon and then burnt it, just b’cos he wanted to protest against something?

I agree with Observer when he says you can’t start a crusade for a non-issue. The right thing for Ms.Bansal would be to surrender to the cops and then appeal in a comptetent court of law. Until she’s pronounced not guilty, the matter is sub-judice and cannot be sensationalised for trivial reasons. No individual, even a popular blogger, is above the law…

Mr.Gaurav>I agree with you that the law is an ass sometimes, but then you can file a PIL or a writ rather than attempt to create mass protests by inciting people. Making a mockery of the law is what our politicians are doing and I guess we are a shade better than they are.

I may sound off-track, but would desi-pundit blindly support Osama Bin Laden if he were an Indian blogger and said that 9/11 was a expression of HIS sentiments.

On the other hand, I find so many interesting articles linked through your site,which can help me in my career after I complete my PG. Thanks

Sundar,

>Do you think it would have been cool if Armstrong had planted the US flag on the moon and then burnt it, just b’cos he wanted to protest against something?

Errr…even if he wanted to, he couldn’t.

And the American law doesn’t hold him guilty (yet) for doing so because it constitutes as free speech. I know it can be hard to understand this but try removing the emotion and everything is crystal clear. Justice is blind and doesn’t consider emotions, remember even in India.

Patrix> I think SR used the Armstrong-US flag just as an hypothetical refrence. Something tells me you didn’t get his drift.

On removing the emotion bit, I strongly agree with you. Maybe some of you at DP should apply it to Rashmi Bansal issue as well. You guys are getting a bit too emotional about this “protest against popular bloggers’ victimisation” business. Take away that emotion and you are left with an editor who just acted immature, which in no way calls for an X-Men style action against the authorities.

Actually, except for a few of us rambling here, I dont think the desi blogsphere is really concerned about RS. Guess they have matured and come a long way since the IIPM tamasha.

DontheCat,

I would prefer a hypothetical reference to be at least scientifically possible (making a fire on the moon..gah!). Anyway, that apart I think you miss the bigger picture of such protests. Most of us haven’t met Rashmi Bansal so the argument of emotions ruling our decision to protest is moot.

As an editor, she may find it difficult to exercise editorial control on advertisement which the offending piece was.

I beg to differ on your opinion of IIPM as tamasha but to each his own.