Devangshu Datta: Censorship can be productive

VIEWPOINT

In April, the Dujiangyan Public Security Bureau (DPSB) in Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China, decided on "recruitment of 96 professionals (including 10 women) 'Skynet' monitor managers". "Skynet" is the literal translation of a Chinese word that means both the Internet and CCTV-surveillance.

DPSB wants an ethical workforce. Only paragons of virtues need apply. Candidates must (a) be citizens of PRC with citizens' rights; (b) support CPC leaders; love socialism; (c) respect the law, have an upright character, be dedicated to work, and be possessed of a spirit of serving the people.

The physical parameters are less onerous. "Men must be at least 1.68 metres tall; women at least 1.55 metres. In good health; with all five senses; no communicable diseases; not hard of hearing; no internal hemorrhoids."

"Skynet" abjures thugs and perverts. "Individuals who fit the following need not apply: i) Been subject to criminal punishment, public security penalties, reform through labour, or juvenile discipline; ii) Currently subject of an unresolved criminal investigation; iii) Immoral, or engaged in improper acts such as hooliganism or peeping."

There must be no whiff of either nepotistic corruption or anti-national activity. Disqualification is automatic for those "iv) who have a close relative, or a distant relative who has been a major life influence, who has been sentenced to death or who has engaged in overseas activities to topple the government; v) have a close relative, or a distant relative who has been a major life influence, who is the subject of an unresolved criminal investigation."

The salary is 1,300 yuan per month or roughly Rs 7,000""these are grunt jobs. From the terms and conditions, the "management" could be of either CCTVs or internet monitors. Both tasks involve long hours sitting down, watching screens.

Piles would obviously interfere with the sitting. But the PRC is hardly likely to be recruiting its moral creme de la creme to perform the brain-dead act of catching shoplifters. The moral stipulations don't make sense unless it's about Net censorship.

In that context, "relatives who have been major life influences and engaged in overseas activities to topple the government" are indeed a ticking time-bomb. Exposure to the uncensored Web might unhinge somebody who lacks uprightness of character. Support for the CPC's leadership (Communist Party of China) and a love of socialism would most definitely be key to psychologically anchoring these brave souls as they performed their tasks in terra incognita.

The virtual censor cadre is crucial to maintaining stability in Chinese society, where, you will note, citizens have rights, though it is considered a crime to assert them. While surfing in the PRC, you may see two cute cartoon cops, Jingjing and Chacha, pop up if the URL you typed in is reactionary (which is ominously often). Very politely, you will be told that you really don't want to go there and offered a download of the TLRB instead.

Dujiangyan is a class B town. Censorship offers 90-odd jobs there; there must be at least 5,000 policing Shanghai's ant-farms. If so many earn their daily bread from censorship that means strong vested pro-censorship interests. It's like prohibition in Gujarat.

Soon, the PRC will be able to outsource dirt-cheap domain skills in virtual censorship. There are lots of global takers""India Inc. may well collaborate as we've done in other ITES.

This is another sector where India has fallen behind despite IT supposedly being a core strength. The PRC is building an army of ethical censors who can block without fear or favour. Chinese censorship adds economic value""it is at the least, a good way of generating work and developing Net-skills in the workforce at large.

In contrast, Indian censorship is destructive, annoying and causes financial losses. There are no cute cartoon cops. Instead, India's censorship domain skill depends on faceless bureaucrats in CERT-in at the virtual level and, on the likes of Neeraj Jain and Priyaranjan Dasmunshi.

Do you know what their major life influences do? Would they work for Rs 7,000 per month? Are they possessed of a spirit of servicing people? The answers are censored!