In General

I’m frickin’ pissed.

Pissed because I see the Freedom of Expression getting trampled like a door mat. If I have an opinion and I feel like expressing it, then I have EVERY RIGHT to express it. A blog is a private space to do just that. Even if it means criticising another person or instituition.

Let’s say, I watch the movie Veer Zara and I personally did not like Rani Mukherjee’s acting. And I write a movie review on my blog with not so nice words about the heroine’s acting. Wouldn’t it be stupid if Rani Mukerjee filed a law suit against me because I didn’t like her acting?

Sadly, IIPM did just that and they are facing the conseqeunce.

Another reason I feel pissed is because big organisations think they can use their legal and money power to arm twist individuals.

Again, IIPM did just that and sadly for them, it turned into the biggest public relations disaster. Obviously, their legal cell and their PR cell aren’t working together. Slapping Rs.175 crore lawsuits and burning IBM laptops in front of IBM offices ( how cheap can anyone get!) is obviously not the solution.

I have nothing against IIPM or its Dean ‘prof’ Arindham. I don’t care if he didn’t earn any prestigious degree. (Hey, Bill Gates didn’t even have a degree! ). I don’t care about the crores he spends on advertisement. It’s his business and he can do what he wants.

Now, when his institute’s image is getting sullied, then he has every right in protecting it. I don’t have a problem with that. What I do have a problem is the way he went about doing it. They say, never shoot the messenger. That’s cheap. The way the legal cell personally targeted Gaurav Sabnis is really hitting below the belt. Is this how they teach crisis management at their institution? By doing a dharna and burning stuff like the political parties do on the streets? Pits.

Slapping lawsuits on individual bloggers is a grave mistake. They have unleashed a suicidical avalanche. It’s already hitting back at them badly and will continute to hit back at them. Take a look at the bad publicity they have helped generate. This damage caused by word-of-mouth is far more potent and devastating.