Women
Arrested in Mumbai for Complaining on Facebook
Last Sunday a woman in Mumbai was
arrested for posting a Facebook status that “created or promoted enmity, hatred
or ill will between classes”. This woman, Shaheen Dhadha, posted a status that
questioned the importance of Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray. Shiv Sena leader
Bal Thackeray died and to show respect during his funeral there was a “bandh”.
This means stores in Mumbai were closing. Shaheen Dhadha posted a status saying
that people like Thackeray die every day therefore a bandh is unnecessary. Dhadha
was arrested as well as her friend who “liked” the status; both women were
sentenced to 14 days in jail after a bond of 15,000 rupees ($270) was paid. Days
after the arrest of Dhadha, 2,000 Shiv Sena workers vandalized Dhadha’s family’s
orthopedic clinic. There are people outraged at the women and there is also a
majority of people outraged at the government for arresting the women. Former
Supreme Court Judge Markandey Katju defended Dhadha saying, “To my mind it is
absurd to say that protesting against a bandh hurts religious sentiments.”
There is a lot of talk about how only these two women were arrested, while hundreds
of other posts like this were made on Facebook.
This article is a clear case of
rights being violated. All people should have the right of freedom of speech;
but not all places around the world have this. In the United States no one would
be arrested for posting a comment on Facebook; it is interesting to see what little
freedom other countries have. Shaheen Dhadha posted a status on Facebook
protesting against a bandh and the government arrests her for disrupting religious
views. Countries around the world have limited freedom when religion and
government are involved. This article can also relate to women’s rights; would
they have been arrested if they were male?
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