The Heelers Diaries

the fantasy world of ireland's greatest living poet

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Location: Kilcullen (Phone 087 7790766), County Kildare, Ireland

Thursday, July 20, 2006

our mutual friend

Our mutual friend, Chamki from the Indian city of Mumbai, tells me that the government of her country has reacted to the recent terrorist murders there by blocking access to certain websites and blogs.
This means Chamki and others like her now find it extremely difficult to gain access from within India to the service provided by Blogger.
Apparently a tiny number of those writing blogs are terrorist sympathisers and propagandists.
Today I contacted the Indian embassy in Dublin by phone.
I expressed my admiration of India.
I expressed my horror at the murders in Mumbai.
I expressed my doubts about the blanket censorship being used to deny terrorist sympathisers their platform. I added that hundreds of thousands of genuinely good people were being cut off from their friends in India as a result.
I suggested that the policy was stopping dead a conversation between east and west.

The Indian embassy in Dublin may be phoned at (01) 4970843.
It may be faxed at (01) 4978074.
It may be emailed at: ambembassy@eircom.net

5 Comments:

Blogger Chamki said...

Thanks so much James. I am writing a letter to the government and getting my college friends to join me.
Thanks again.

6:02 PM  
Blogger heelers said...

We're in this together.
J

2:53 AM  
Blogger Schneewittchen said...

I am seriously impressed that you can actually ring up the Indian embassy in Dublin and speak to a human being.

This does all seem outrageous, hope you get somewhere.

7:51 AM  
Blogger heelers said...

Come on Schnee.
Send the ambassador an email!
James

12:02 AM  
Blogger sou said...

wow. it is nice to know that one country's bloggers' problems can evoke a response across the globe.. thank you for calling the embassy. the ban's gone now (just in case you didn't know).

1:06 PM  

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