Updates...
Date: 13/Oct/2005 We have developed a basic infrastrucutre for the site and running it on test beds. We are also starting a non-profit foundation which will own the domain name and members will work on the site.
This will ensure that ownership bias is eliminated. If you would like to be informed about further developments please add your email address to our mailing list using the form below.
Once again we thank you for your interest and are looking forward to your support.
Date: 12/Oct/05 More and more bloggers are pledging their support to Rashmi and Gaurav. Many more have been slapped with legal notices by IIPM. The fight continues and is being taken to press, though many are skeptical about media's interest because IIPM is a major advertisement source for most of them. The main reason behind starting of Project Freedom of Speech, to provide unbiased channel of media.
Blogs have started putting up tags and showing their support for Project Freedom of Speech. We have also come up with a structure for the website which will act as medium of exchange for news.
The structure proposed is...
A region wise categorization of news will be done. So you can limit your scope of daily dose to your region. Also a search option will be provided so that news on similar topics can be searched irrespective of region.
The site will be multilingual, though project development will use English as base language.
News will be contributed by visitors of the site. So people decide what news they want to share. The articles can be appended and commented upon, giving fair chance to other party/parties involved in news to have their say.
Suggestions for improvement or better structure are welcome as always. Contact: titan[DOT]pradyot@gmail[DOT]com
How it all started...
Recently two Bloggers, namely Rashmi Bansal and Gaurav Sabnis, were threatened and harassed for the posts they made on their blog. Both, threats and harassing events, were unjustified.
Reason: It all started with Rashmi's, editor of JAMMAG,
article on Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM), which raised some questions regarding authenticity of tall claims
made by the afore mentioned institute regarding it's infrastructure, placements and degree awarded by it.
Date: 05/Aug/05 An Indian blogger, Gaurav, who is quite popular among Indian Blogosphere, wrote an
article supporting JAM's investigation. He raised a few more questions regarding qualifications of
so-called Management Guru, Arindham Chaudhari.
Date: 17/Sep/05 Gaurav
gave link to two other blogs, one of it is dead now, the other called itself
Truth about IIPM
Date: 07/Oct/05 The matter would have passed just like many other, but IIPM served a
legal notice to Gaurav through their Legal and Compliance Cell, which Gaurav posted on his popular blog. Around same time mud slinging on JAM started, which was supported with threats of legal lawsuit.
Date: 10/Oct/05 Matters got out of control when IIPM threatened to stage protest against IBM, then employer of Gaurav, though Gaurav offered a public disclaimer that views on Gaurav's blog are his personal and IBM is not involved in any fathomable manner IIPM remained stubborn upon their motive of staging the protest. Thus, Gaurav took a bold and self respecting
step of resigning from IBM to keep the company from unnecessary controversy. At same time, Rashmi has been facing
lewd comments attacking her at personal level on her blog..
Latest: You can get all the latest information and follow things happening around the blogosphere by visiting
Sambhar Mafia and
DesiPundit.
What we plan to do
A lot has already been done and lot is in progress. Bloggers from all over the world are supporting Rashmi and Gaurav. Let me say that again, "Supporting Rashmi and Gaurav". For this is not fight against IIPM, it's students or anyone in person. This is a revolt against any oppressing party for protecting our right to Freedom of Speech. Right to questions claims of cooperates and individuals. Our immediate aim is to get justice and due apologies for Gaurav and Rashmi from IIPM. Ideas as to how this can be done are welcome. Currently we plan to do this by supporting them and making IIPM realize that they are not alone and cannot be intimidated..
Our
future plan includes, but are not limited to, start a open source news website which will provide a media channel where free unbiased grass root level journalism can develop. As this is an open source project ideas, support for development and suggestions for improvement are always welcome.
What you can do
For now, all we ask from you is to put a tag (the one you see in upper left corner of this page) on your blog, personal website, or any internet page you might have. This would link back to this site and inform more people about our current aim and future projects. All you have to do is copy these two line code from textbox below and paste it between <HEAD> and </HEAD> tag of your webpage or blog template. Just one lines won't make a difference to your site bandwidth usage, but would be a great help.