Thursday, 7 January 2016

To Mr. M. Zuckerberg

This is a feedback article as an advertorial published in Times of India on January 7, 2016. Sir, the point you have highlighted here are very serious in now a days. Please try to understand the root of the problem rather to impose on the society. We the soul of India may have different view, perhaps it have completely opposite of your approach – as Preamble of our Constitution encompass the Liberty of thought & expression.

It is true that the almighty Government issues free basic books up to certain level in Schools. But it is astonishing fact that the school does not know how to use a library. Even in my school, I ever not seen a library and I think my friends will support it. The library just opens its doors annually to collect gradation in the inspection. So a huge amount of revenue spending on library are simply wasted – mean, students are not aware even I think teachers are not aware about the use of it.

You have mentioned about the free basic healthcare. It is very true that Government has launched several healthcare policies. Still it is found medicines are not easily available, doctors are not available especially at night time, proper nursing is inaccessible and so many things. People of India are just happy with the healthcare service. I don’t know why and how they are satisfied.

You have mentioned about free basic education. Every child deserves to go to school. After the successful launch of Sarva Shiksha Mission, the initiation motivates the families to send their children to school on the basis of FOOD. Today, I find all the primary school teachers are busy with the cooking; there is no time to teach those children. So the basic objectives of school are somewhere lost. Here I am not mentioning about the education strategies – it will take another new horizon of the discussion.

So up to this point, the society is crippled to adopt any new idea – where technology associated with internet is rather different thing.

Suppose there is a man earns thousand rupees per month in a rural area. He has four family members. He can somehow manage his family using very low priced clothes or gifted from some middle class family (which is rare), eat hardly a half-day or not and education for his children is a dream. This family do not have any security for a fixed income, have no medical security, he does not know what amount will cost if one of his child will suffer in Malaria. Can I ask you how the free basic internet service will play a role in this family? Is it not a new kind of burden on this family?

There is another wide perspective in our society which we need to resolve as early as possible. We have religious discrimination, female feticide, child labour, human trafficking, eve teasing, improper public distribution system and so on. These are common and serious problems to all communities in India. Are these problems can be solved just by introducing free basic internet service to all? Can a vacancy be created with proper service situation for the earning member of the above family just by using internet? If we do not have any social equality, what is the necessary to incorporate digital equality?

Digital equality is a word just to DREAM for the poorest person. 

Recall the face of the poorest and weakest man you have seen, and ask yourself if this step you contemplate is going to be any use to him.”   - Mahatma Gandhi


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