We are not so different, after all, are we?

"All mobile operators, international gateways and internet service providers received February 3 directives from the Myanmar Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) to temporarily block social media service Facebook," reported Myanmar Times. "Facebook banned 20 Myanmar military individuals and organisations in 2018, including Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and the military's Myawaddy television network." Surprisingly, Facebook has been available in Myanmar despite banning Gen Hlaing who, as commander-in-chief, has become the ruler following a military coup. India has "the strongest and the most vibrant democracy in the world", said Prime Minister Narendra Modi. So censorship cannot happen in India. Or, can it? Not just Facebook, "India has suspended mobile internet services in three areas around the capital, Delhi, where farmers are staging hunger strike in protest at new agricultural laws," reported BBC. "The government has directed Twitter to comply with its order to remove contents/accounts related to farmer genocide hashtags, and warned that the microblogging platform may face 'penal action' for non-compliance of its order, according to sources." Twitter and Facebook are American companies and have freedom of action in the US but they better obey in India or else their Indian employees maybe arrested under UAPA and NSA laws and denied bail indefinitely. "A four-to-five-feet wide concrete wall - built by Delhi Police - now runs across the Delhi-Chandigarh national highway, cutting off the protesters of Samyukata Kisan Morcha from the capital. Behind this wall are five layers of barricades in a zone of about 1.5 km, denying the farmers access to dozen mobile toilet vans and Delhi Jal Board water tankers." Layers of barricades against Indian citizens but nothing to stop terrorists from entering India from Pakistan, it seems. Who knows how many tunnels there are. Terrorists could be driving across. To stop farmers from forming a procession of tractors on Republic Day, 26 January, the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government "ordered supply officers in all districts to stop selling diesel to farmers", wrote Shruti Rajagopalan. Socialist policies allow governments to control rights of citizens to speech, to property and to services. However, Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV Arnab Goswami had complete freedom of information about India's attack on Balakot 3 days before it happened, according to a leaked recording of a telephone conversation. Naturally, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan accused Modi of attacking Pakistan in February to win election in May 2019. Which he did. Modi projects strong leadership and delivery of subsidies is key to Modi's popularity, wrote Verma and Barthwal. "Mrs (former PM Indira) Gandhi had many redeeming qualities, for instance, a sense of shame... That is missing in the rulers of today," said BJP leader Arun Shourie. Modi cannot be defeated by criticism. The only way is to show people that he is no different to other politicians. For India, it's not like frying pan to fire. More like, one dump to another.