Image courtesy: http://www.wiziq.com/teachblog/are-teachers-keeping-students-from-learning-in-the-digital-age/Hole In The Wall Project in New Delhi

Colonialism 2.0

Our societies are undergoing a transformation with the assistance of the technology. This new stage of human evolution is being accelerated by algorithmic cascades which the Internet has helped brought to billions of people. And while we celebrate and work towards bringing the next billion online, we are stepping back by creating silos akin to the colonization done by the Europeans during the industrial revolution.

Let’s go in the time machine to ancient India and see how it was orchestrated back then. India was a land of inequality with the kings and their men more powerful than the rest. Sometime around 1400s, Europeans started coming to India with the agenda to help us. Guided by the Vatican, Christianity was supposed to be the silver bullet which would end inequality by providing their modern education to us. We were overjoyed and welcomed them with open arms. And while we were celebrating this brotherly love from the west, they started pushing their envelope of influence on us. What followed was 400 years of colonization and imperlism which destroyed our nation and its people.

They played us because of our naiveté. Now, history is repeating again. Except this time, our highway to knowledge is being attacked. Products like Internet.org and Airtel Zero are modern tools of digital colonisation. Companies are trying to create colonies on the internet, i.e. silos, thereby laying the foundation for exploitation at a later stage. We can’t afford to make the same mistake again, and have to fight this before the divide between the priviledged and unprivileged becomes wider.

I was privileged to have access to the internet growing up and it helped me escape my limited awareness about the world and myself. You must have had the experience yourself too. Remember, the first time you got your answer on Google? Exhilarating! Wasn’t it? We have to share that! So my fellow netizens, this is my plea to you; lets share the same apple of knowledge with the next billion and not let history repeat itself. Please goto http://www.savetheinternet.in and let TRAI know that NetNeutrality is important to you.

Mr. Zuckerberg, Facebook might be the Vatican of this era but remember the Vatican was overpowered and outnumbered by the East India company. Facebook is going to outlive you and me and by having such an aggressive growth plan, you will only create the devil.

And to all the telecom operators, companies and entrepreneurs, all I have to say is remember what Uncle Peter said; With great powers, comes great responsibility.