page_title: Save Your Voice
section_title: Freedom Fast
hierarchical_section_title: Save Your Voice / Annulment Motion in the Parliament / Freedom Fast
caption_attribution_description: English: A hunger strike against internet censorship by Aseem Trivedi and Alok Dixit from Save Your Voice at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi.
context_page_description: Save Your Voice is a movement against internet censorship in India. It was founded by cartoonist Aseem Trivedi, journalist Alok Dixit, socialist Arpit Gupta and Chirag Joshi in January 2012. The movement was initially named "Raise Your Voice", before it was renamed. The movement started from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, under the frontier-ship of the movement's four founders; with a "Langda March" at Ujjain. The movement opposes the Information Technology Act of India and demands democratic rules for the governance of Internet. The campaign is targeted at the draconian rules framed under the Information Technology Act, 2000.
context_section_description: Save Your Voice supported the annulment motion brought by the MP P Rajeev and to put pressure on the government, two of the movement’s campaigners, the cartoonist Aseem Trivedi and journalist Alok Dixit started a hunger strike. People from various streams and in favour of this cause have visited the campaigning activists at Jantar Mantar, and helped to keep their motive intact. Arvind Gaur, Director of Asmita Theatre (New delhi) and a key member of India Against Corruption, also joined them with his associates and assured that he would extend his support for the fight for 'Freedom of Speech & Expression' in a full-fledged manner. The seven days long Anshan was ended when both were forced to end a hunger strike they began on 2 May. Their health had deteriorated considerably and they were hospitalised. The annulment motion in the Rajyasabha could not be passed and India joined the league of dictator nations where internet is not free. However, the hunger strike successfully highlighted the issue in the global media.
  The IT Rules 2011 were adopted in April last year as an addition to the 2000 Information Technology Act, which was amended in 2008. They require Internet companies to withdraw any content deemed objectionable, particularly if its nature is "defamatory,” "hateful,” "harmful to minors,” or "infringes copyright" within 36 hours of being notified by the authorities, or face prosecution.
  "This has turned technical intermediaries into Web censorship police informants,” Reporters Without Borders said. "Although some content categories are justifiably objectionable, other more vague or subjective definitions could jeopardize informational content.”The IT Rules also impose on cybercafé owners drastic regulations that violate personal data privacy and place a presumption-of-guilt burden on all Indian netizens.
  India was added in March to the list of countries under surveillance in Reporters Without Borders' latest report on Internet Enemies.
caption: Freedom Fast: a hunger strike against internet censorship
exif: {}