Fwd: Do these cartoons deserve three years in jail?
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Yash Sharma
Sep 12, 2012, 6:12:04 AM9/12/12
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Dear friends across India,
Our government threw cartoonist Aseem Trivedi in jail for depicting India's crass corruption -- and while he faces up to three years in prison, the corrupt politicians he was lampooning are walking free. Our freedoms are slipping away and it’s time we said enough!
Trivedi, a 25-year-old anti-corruption activist, was arrested on Saturday on charges of sedition -- the same British-era law they used against Gandhiji. His crime? Drawing satirical cartoons to criticize our political elite! Information Minister Ambika Soni is defending this gross violation of freedom of speech, but Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil has responded saying the arrest is unjustified.
A court has just granted Trivedi bail, but only a huge public outcry can persuade RR Patil to use his powers to have the charges dropped, defend free speech and push back government censors. Click below to sign the petition now and forward this to everyone -- when we reach 100,000 signatures, Avaaz will deliver our message right in front of R R Patil’s office on a "Freedom of Speech Wall", featuring renowned cartoonists:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/india_cartoongate_trivedi_e/?bsEZmdb&v=17757
Although the Indian Constitution guarantees to everyone freedom of speech and freedom of the press, the Indian government is repeatedly suppressing it. While our government claims that India’s media “is probably the freest in the world,” independent watchdogs rank India 131st out of 179, right behind countries like Bangladesh and Mali. Trivedi’s case is only the latest in a series of egregious crackdowns on freedom.
Trivedi’s “Cartoons Against Corruption” satirized government misdeeds, depicting parliament as a bathroom and replacing the three-lion national emblem with three wolves hungry for graft. The government says his cartoons offended the national honour, when really it’s our corrupt politicians who do! Trivedi was just calling them out for it, and he’s now facing sedition charges -- but together we can pressure RR Patil to do all he can to ensure the charges are dropped immediately.
It’s time we took a stand for free speech to stop the government's attacks on political dissent. Sign the petition now, forward it to 10 others, and help deliver a massive 100,000 strong call in front of R R Patil’s office: 
http://www.avaaz.org/en/india_cartoongate_trivedi_e/?bsEZmdb&v=17757
Last year, hundreds of thousands of us stood with Anna Hazare against corruption. We kept Parliament’s feet to the fire over and over, and while we haven’t won a final victory yet, we’re well on the way. Now let’s do the same thing to keep our media free.
With hope and determination,
Pascal, Luis, Ian, Alaphia, Diego, Ricken and the whole Avaaz team
More information:
Aseem Trivedi accepts bail, to be released today (The Hindu) http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3885665.ece
India cartoonist Aseem Trivedi's arrest sparks outrage (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-19540565
Police had no grounds to arrest cartoonist Aseem Trivedi: Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil (IBN)
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/police-had-no-grounds-to-arrest-aseem-rr-patil/290107-3.html
Indian cartoonist Aseem Trivedi jailed after arrest on sedition charges (Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/10/indian-cartoonist-jailed-sedition
Cartoons Against Corruption
http://www.cartoonsagainstcorruption.blogspot.in/
Avaaz.org is a 15-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz" means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 19 countries on 6 continents and operates in 14 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns here, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
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Our government threw Aseem Trivedi in jail for drawing cartoons -- and while his free speech is criminalized, the corrupt politicians he criticized walk free. Let's rally to support Aseem and urge Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil to use his powers to have the charges dropped and defend free speech! Sign now:  |
Trivedi, a 25-year-old anti-corruption activist, was arrested on Saturday on charges of sedition -- the same British-era law they used against Gandhiji. His crime? Drawing satirical cartoons to criticize our political elite! Information Minister Ambika Soni is defending this gross violation of freedom of speech, but Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil has responded saying the arrest is unjustified.
A court has just granted Trivedi bail, but only a huge public outcry can persuade RR Patil to use his powers to have the charges dropped, defend free speech and push back government censors. Click below to sign the petition now and forward this to everyone -- when we reach 100,000 signatures, Avaaz will deliver our message right in front of R R Patil’s office on a "Freedom of Speech Wall", featuring renowned cartoonists:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/india_cartoongate_trivedi_e/?bsEZmdb&v=17757
Although the Indian Constitution guarantees to everyone freedom of speech and freedom of the press, the Indian government is repeatedly suppressing it. While our government claims that India’s media “is probably the freest in the world,” independent watchdogs rank India 131st out of 179, right behind countries like Bangladesh and Mali. Trivedi’s case is only the latest in a series of egregious crackdowns on freedom.
Trivedi’s “Cartoons Against Corruption” satirized government misdeeds, depicting parliament as a bathroom and replacing the three-lion national emblem with three wolves hungry for graft. The government says his cartoons offended the national honour, when really it’s our corrupt politicians who do! Trivedi was just calling them out for it, and he’s now facing sedition charges -- but together we can pressure RR Patil to do all he can to ensure the charges are dropped immediately.
It’s time we took a stand for free speech to stop the government's attacks on political dissent. Sign the petition now, forward it to 10 others, and help deliver a massive 100,000 strong call in front of R R Patil’s office: 
http://www.avaaz.org/en/india_cartoongate_trivedi_e/?bsEZmdb&v=17757
Last year, hundreds of thousands of us stood with Anna Hazare against corruption. We kept Parliament’s feet to the fire over and over, and while we haven’t won a final victory yet, we’re well on the way. Now let’s do the same thing to keep our media free.
With hope and determination,
Pascal, Luis, Ian, Alaphia, Diego, Ricken and the whole Avaaz team
More information:
Aseem Trivedi accepts bail, to be released today (The Hindu) http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3885665.ece
India cartoonist Aseem Trivedi's arrest sparks outrage (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-19540565
Police had no grounds to arrest cartoonist Aseem Trivedi: Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil (IBN)
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/police-had-no-grounds-to-arrest-aseem-rr-patil/290107-3.html
Indian cartoonist Aseem Trivedi jailed after arrest on sedition charges (Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/10/indian-cartoonist-jailed-sedition
Cartoons Against Corruption
http://www.cartoonsagainstcorruption.blogspot.in/
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Avaaz.org is a 15-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz" means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 19 countries on 6 continents and operates in 14 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns here, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
You are getting this message because you signed "Community Petitions Site" on 2012-07-11 using the email address yash...@gmail.com.
To ensure that Avaaz messages reach your inbox, please add av...@avaaz.org to your address book. To change your email address, language settings, or other personal information, https://secure.avaaz.org/act/index.php?r=profile&user=e5198eeb65a4612d3edcb144c8f94428&lang=en, or simply go here to unsubscribe.
To contact Avaaz, please do not reply to this email. Instead, write to us at www.avaaz.org/en/contact or call us at +1-888-922-8229 (US).
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Regards
Yash Sharma
The change I am making http://www.changerepublic.com/yashair23
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