Press Release: MHRD’s move to monitor young people’ social media movement unconstitutional
Posted on July 17, 2019
For the favour of Press Release
From The Concerned for Working Children
Date: 17.07.2019
MHRD’s move to monitor young people’ social media movement unconstitutional
The recent move by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to install a ‘Social Media Champion’ (SMC) in all its affiliated colleges is a move that is not only alarming for all our young students but also another step to curtail voices of inquiry and dissent. While the claim of the ministry is that the creation of SMC is only a tool to highlight the achievements of the institutions and the students, the reality is that in an increasingly autocratic climate, this is another alarming move by the State that is putting in covert and overt restrictions on spaces for self-expression and democratic dissent. Thus in one single move, the young people of our country will significantly lose their constitutional right to freedom of expression (Art 19(1)(a) Constitution of India) and right to personal liberty (Article 21), a fear that has been expressed by students themselves. This fact has been acknowledged by Gururaj Desai, the State Secretary of the Students Federation of India, who in his interview to The Hindu on July 17th, has clearly stated that this move to ‘curb the right to dissent.. had to be vehemently opposed’
What is most alarming is the fact that this is not only a clampdown not on individuals and youth movements, but on the very system and mechanisms that provide opportunities to express views and opinions which are cost-effective and technologically enabling. This, in effect, will be a gag order on the youth – who, most often, are the first to challenge the status quo in social, cultural, political and economic spheres. It is also a deliberate effort to wield the stick to Social Media tools which are currently the most accessible tool of expression for many.
We at the Concerned for Working Children, who for almost 40 years have worked to facilitate children’s and young persons’ right to participation, self-expression and agency, vehemently oppose this move by the MHRD. We further call on all responsible citizens and authorities of our country to push for this directive to be immediately retracted. In fact, this is a matter that needs to be challenged in the highest court in the country. In doing so, it is imperative that we ensure that the State upholds our constitutional right as well as our commitment as a nation to the UNCRC, which makes it clear (Article 13) that, ‘Everyone, including children, have the right to express themselves, find out information for themselves — so that they can share it responsibly in the way that they want’
Sign our petition here: http://chng.it/LRFW7MkqVk
For more details, please contact:
Kavita Ratna, Director – Advocacy
The Concerned for Working Children, India.
Phone: +91 – 9448990480
Email: kavitaratna@gmail.com
