Following up on news earlier this week that the government of India blocked access to a wide array of websites (Link to BB post), Mridula says,

Nandan, an Indian blogger filed an application under Right to Information Act 2005 seeking the government to explain:

"My RTI Application was filed to find out why a blanket block has taken place for Blogspot.com, Typepad.com and Geocities.com. You can find a step by step guide to filing an RTI application (specifically for this ban) here."

The irony is the Government takes one month to reply and then can deny an answer quoting 'National Security' as a reason.

Link.

BoingBoing reader Ace Bhattacharjya writes, "I'm a member of the South Asian Journalists' Association. Please see this clarification from A.R. Ghanashyam, Deputy Consul General, New York (many of you met him at this week at the SAJA Convention and know him through his earlier work as the consul in charge of dealing with the press here)."

From: A.R.Ghanashyam [dcg@indiacgny.org]
Subject: Blog Issue in India

July 19, 2006

Dear Sree:

Reference our discussions and correspondence on the issue of blocking of blogs in India, we had taken up the matter with the authorities concerned in the Department of Telecommunications in the Government of India and the facts are as under:

A two-page write up containing extremely derogatory references to Islam and the holy prophet which had the potential to inflame religious sensitivities in India and create serious law and order problems in the country appeared in a blog facilitated by well known search engines. The matter was immediately taken note of by our CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) and the Department of Telecommunications (DOT) was informed of it. The DOT took up the matter forthwith with the search engines and instructions were also issued to all Internet providers to block the two impertinent pages. Because of a technological error, the Internet providers went beyond what was expected of them which in turn resulted in the unfortunate blocking of all blogs. Department of Telecommunications have now clarified the issue and the error is being rectified and it is expected that normalcy in respect of blogs will soon be restored.

This is for your information.

A.R. Ghanashyam
Deputy Consul General
New York

Link.

Hob Gadling says,

Rediff is reporting that India's blog blockade will end in 48 hours. According to a spokesperson of the Internet Service Providers Association of India, the block happened as some ISPs misunderstood the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) notice and blocked entire blog domains instead of individual blogs. Ironically, the report lists the individual sites blocked thus attracting more attention towards them.

Patrix M. of Desipundit and other blogs says,

Just read your Update post on Blogspot ban in India. This newspaper article examines each of those blogs and exposes the inept and ham-handed way in which the censorship was carried out. Almost all of the blogs or rather the content in those blogs have nothing to do with national security of India. I guess India too has their share of Ted Stevens who have scant knowledge of the Internet and to make it worse, they lack reading skills as well. Dang! I am pissed as hell.