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Google, Facebook agree to remove ‘hateful’ NE content

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New Delhi, August 21 (Firstpost India): Facebook and Google are reportedly working on requests from India to remove from their websites “inflammatory and hateful content” that the government blames for sparking a mass exodus of people from several cities.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Facebook made a statement saying that it would remove all content which breaches their terms, as defined in its agreement with its users.

Search-engine giant Google also said that they will continue to work closely with relevant authorities, and remove all ‘hateful’ content from their site. However, Twitter and Microsoft have not offered any immediate comments.
Stung by criticism over its handling of the exodus of people from north-eastern states, the government had threatened legal action against micro-blogging site Twitter and also asked websites to track down offensive material and pull off ‘inflammable’ content.
Tens of thousands of panic-stricken students and workers from northeast left for home last week, spurred by rumors they would be attacked in retaliation for communal violence in Assam.

India has been pushing Internet firms, especially social-networking websites, to censor content. However, they have refused to do so, citing local information technology laws that protect them from liability for content posted by users.

Earlier, social networking sites like Facebook and YouTube had informed the government that inflammatory contents uploaded on their pages originated from Pakistan.
“The initial response from international social networking sites indicates that such contents have been hosted from outside the country and to a large extent from a neighbouring country (Pakistan),” Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DEIT) said in a statement.

The response of these websites came after the government ordered ban of more than 250 pages charging that morphed images and videos were uploaded displaying alleged atrocities on Muslims. The government also said that these led to the fear psychosis among the people of the North-East and their mass exodus from different parts of the country.

However, one of the intermediary sites has conveyed to the DEIT that uploaders of the inflammatory and hateful contents were outside the jurisdiction of the country,”thereby implying that they are not obliged to take any constructive step to deal with it”.

The DEIT said most of the contents were taken from events “unrelated to the incident occurred in Assam. Hosting of such morphed image and video led to a lot of inciting comments from users on the blogs…and circulation of hate SMSes”.

“The DEIT has been working with international social networking sites on this issue. However, a lot more and quicker action is expected from them to address such a sensitive issue which concern restoring peace, harmony, public order and national security,” the statement said.
It said proxy servers and virtual private network services which hide the user identity appear to have been used for uploading the content. The agencies are continuously monitoring hosting of such inflammatory and harmful content.

In a separate case, Google, Facebook and some other websites are facing criminal charges in a New Delhi court for hosting, what Indian authorities call “objectionable content’. On February, Facebook and Google were forced to remove content from their Indian domains that was considered offensive to Hindus, Muslims and Christians, after a court in New Delhi ruled that certain images were deemed objectionable.
 
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Muslim goodwill delegation from Nagaland to tour

DIMAPUR, August 21 (MExN): A seven member goodwill team comprising of representatives from the Dimapur Muslim Public Forum (DMPF), Muslim Council Dimapur (MCD) and Muslim Welfare Society (MWS) Kohima, will be leaving for Bangalore, Pune and other affected area on Wednesday, 22ndAugust, to prevail upon Public, NGOs and more specially Muslim Civil Societies including governments of those places that the situation in the Northeast especially in Nagaland is most peaceful.
A joint press note issued by the Muslim bodies stated that it would make a fervent appeal to them to see that no unwanted elements create any chaos and rumours against the people of Nagaland and other states of the N.E. “The delegation shall also make whole hearted appeal to all the people to maintain peace and ensure security and safety of the students and professionals from Nagaland highlighting the secular character of the Nagas”, stated the press note.  The Muslim goodwill delegation from Nagaland includes Shanwar Shaikh (Munna), President DMPF, G.M. Babar Gen. Secretary DMPF, M.A. Ahad Tapadar, Advisor, DMPF, A. Rahman, Working president, MCD, A. Jalil Tapadar, Jt, secretary MCD, Babar Uddin President Muslim Welfare Society, Kohima and MD. Minar Uddin, Advisor MWS, Kohima.

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More Naga youths arrive by flight, train today
Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 21
The last batch of Naga youths studying or employed in south Indian cities like Bangalore and Pune, part of the mass exodus of North East people from South India, arrived in Dimapur Tuesday.
Over the last one week, thousands of people from NE India had fled the southern cities following report of attacks and threats on North East people in southern India. Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU) President K Mhachio Odyuo told the Morung Express that 54 Naga youths arrived Dimapur by flight and trains on Tuesday, 33 youths by ‘Nagaland Express’ and ‘Mariani Express’ and 21 by the India Airlines flight. With today’s arrival, the DNSU estimates the total number of Nagas who have returned home over the past one week to around 700.
DNSU members who had set up temporary camp at Circuit House for four days, have been jointly coordinating with the district administration and police in and manning the assistance booths at Dimapur Railway station, Bus station and Dimapur Airport to monitor and facilitate the inflow of Nagas returning from the southern states.
DNSU has also been providing logistic support and other assistance to Naga students on their way home to their respective towns and villages.
Mhachio said on Monday last (August 19), the DNSU hosted 32 Naga students and youths from different Naga areas including those from Jalukie in Peren district, and Tamenglong and Senapati districts in Manipur, who had to stay overnight in Dimapur before proceeding to their respective homes.
“They left early this morning”, the DNSU President added.

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NSF to attend NE conclave on exodus    
Don’t resort to action against Muslim community in Nagaland, NSF makes appeal

DIMAPUR, AUGUST 21 (MExN): The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) delegation will be attending a consultative meeting on August 23 at Guwahati organised under the aegis of North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) to discuss the issue of threat on NE people in different Indian cities. NSF will take a decision on how to handle the ongoing issue basing on the outcome of the meeting, informed a press note issued by NSF President Kelhouneizo Yhome and General Secretary Ejanthung Ngullie.
Until any such decision is taken, the NSF made an appeal to the Naga people not to spread rumours, issue threats or resort to action against the Muslim community in Nagaland. “We are closely studying the entire issue and all appropriate remedial measures will be taken accordingly”, the NSF stated.

NESO emergency meeting on exodus
In the backdrop of the ongoing threat and insecurity of students of North East in mainland India which has resulted in mass exodus of students from most of metropolitan cities of India and in an effort to find out a solution to this extra ordinary problem, an emergency meeting of the Northeast Student Organization (NESO) is being fixed on 23rd August 2012 at Guwahati. All the office bearers and presidents of member organizations are asked to please attend the meeting without fail. This was stated in a press note issued by NSN Lotha Special Coordinator NESO.
  
 

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