Sunday, November 7, 2010

Googly of GOOGLE


The indispensability of Google in our life manifests itself with an ever-increasing magnitude. And why not, given the fact that Google has become our information manual for whatnots. Whatever we don’t know or don’t want to exert our brains for, we very spontaneously ask Google for the answer…and more often than not it comes up with the right answer.

For that all of us are thankful to Google—rather to the people (wo)manning the Google. Because it is they who feed the data…which necessitates updating the database continuously.  This has led to our high demands from them…that they quite capably meet. But this demand has thrust on them huge responsibility…well, nothing comes for free. It is a two-way traffic.

They are supposed to be 100 % accurate with the information they provide. Anything less than 100%, however inadvertent, doesn’t go down well with people…rendering Google responsible of irresponsible ‘behaviour’.

Given what they stand for, I too thus find their act of showing PoK in Pakistan—not once but twice—a highly irresponsible act. And at the same time immeasurably offending too, given the fact that it is ‘Google’—synonymous with authenticity—who is providing the ‘mis-information’.

I don’t know whether the Indian Government asked for a clarification—leave aside an apology—'for this act. And if this were any indication, then very soon we would come to know of various COAP and COITChinese Occupied Arunachal Pradesh and Chinese Occupied Indian Territories—from Google. China—as reported—did force a leading mobile phone company to indeed show parts of Arunachal as Chinese territories; though China later on refuted this report.

Paradoxically enough, showing PoK in Pakistan and potentiality of ‘exposing’ COAPs and COITs would have juxtaposed impacts.While the former going ‘un-protested’—at least as far as the information available to me—once again reinstates India’s character as being a spineless nation—the latter would be real eye-openers for the citizens of the country. There is a reason behind this claim of mine. When there were definite reports of Chinese incursion(s) in Arunachal, the then concerned minister—and who is now the troubleshooter of this current government—negated the claims, claiming that sanctity of India’s sovereignty has not been compromised.

Reports of Chinese incursion(s) though continues to trickling in, which are invalidated as many times by the ministers…whom one would now prefer to call Swayam Sevaks (Self serving) and not Jan Sevaks (Public servants), which they proclaim themselves to be. Due to the majority of such members of our parliament…our Parliament resembles a PIT—Politicians Interrupting Truth—with a TIP—Traitor(s) Infested Parliament

In spite of knowing all this we can’t do anything but accept the ‘official information’ that is offered to the nation.

But yes, Google with its Googly (of placing PoK in Pakistan)—and a very serious one at that—has trespassed into the domain of our Politicians. And have the politicians protested? No. And if my instinct and analyses is anything to go by, they haven’t protested because they themselves are Manipulators Par Excellence…charting their own MAP… for which they don’t need the help of Google …which stands for Manipulators @ Perfection—!!! 

Sushmita Mukherjee,
November 4, 2010.