[Reader-list] a letter to Sarai admin

[Rakesh Iyer]

Dear all

Thinking for the past 3 hours, I have come to the conclusion that it's
strange enough that the very idea of muzzling of freedom of speech is now
being suggested, which is highly atrocious. I can understand the
frustrations of some who feel the forum has now become one for personal
attacks, and to the extent I have been responsible I feel sad and determined
not to repeat it again.

But the freedom to read a mail or not rests with the person himself.
Similarly, the freedom to be subscribed to a forum or not also lies with the
individual concerned. I don't have the right to take that freedom from an
individual. But then I too do have the right to enjoy those freedoms (so
also the freedom to post and discuss issues).

This exercise seems to be an imposition of the will of the forum members
(because they don't see serious discussions and want them, though when given
the right to participate, they prefer to just listen, through a back-door
method (from the moderator), to restrict the posts concerned. While I agree
that some amount of moderation is essential and personal attacks shouldn't
take place (hence my conduct has been wrong to some extent), I don't agree
with this imposition of will to restrict freedoms, specifically when those
are important for discussion in a better way.

There happens a lot of useless talk in the country using the very same
freedom of speech, in our day to day lives, but I have never seen or heard
anyone ask for imposition of restrictions on the freedom of speech on our
politicians, our bureaucrats, our media and others to ensure that 'serious
discussions' take place. It's the right of the public to hear what they want
to hear, debate upon what they wish to debate, and they have the right to
choose what they wish. And there are innumerable news channels shouting
various things, but we have the right to choose what we wish to see and
hear, and what we don't wish to.

Just because the administration doesn't hear us doesn't mean we do things to
impose our will upon them. That's equivalent to what the Naxalites do,
except that they indulge in violence while members of the forum may not.

The idea of highlighting the responsibilities inherent in a freedom, is very
different from imposing restriction. I would have been very happy if someone
had highlighted the former (and some of you have). But to advocate the
latter is wrong.

*Therefore, I have a simple request from the administrator of the
list/moderator of the list. While I still agree with the self-imposition of
3 articles per day (excluding RTF) from my side, in the event of the
moderator imposing this regulation on the forum I request the moderator to
kindly unsubscribe me from this list, because I can't be a party to a
decision which I feel is unjust, and wrong. I have no issues otherwise.*

This is not a threat, nor is this a fight. It's a request, and my protest
against those who feel restriction is important to ensure
'non-monopolization' (I never stopped anyone from posting, nor did anybody)
and 'serious discussions' (as if anybody stopped that from happening as
well).

And by the way, for this 'high level of discussion', how many actually came
forward and put their views? Or do they think intellectuals would come from
outside, and then put forward their views to have these 'brilliant
discussions'?

Regards

Rakesh

P.S: I remember having read that the Left and the Right (read BJP) came
together to support the V.P.Singh Govt. I now have the privilege of seeing a
similar kind of thing (read those who wish to have serious discussions with
those who like to muzzle their opponent's voice without listening to any
argument or analyzing it) combine together to restrict mails. Great indeed.
What next is the Sarai reader-list planning?