However, the reality is quite the opposite. In most of our cities,
cybercafes run by small businessmen are fair game for corrupt cops
and municipal employees, and this situation is bolstered by badly
thought out laws and confusion born in the common perception that
computer based connectivity is a rich person's plaything, used mainly
for surfing illicit materials and for anti-national activities.

The latter perception is particularly galling, since cops and
bureaucrats never seem to pause to think about how their own
perversion of the country's laws are more anti-national than picking
up a gun and holding a state to ransom can be.

My questions to this forum are: what can be done about this, and how
can we participate?

fyi, there is a thriving discussion of cyber related legal matters at
cyberlaw-india@yahoogroups.com and about connectivity matters in
general at india-gii@.... Please do go through the archives to
see previous discussions on this matter.

At 8:51 AM +0530 9/9/04, anant trivedi wrote:
>I agree with your analysis. This should be one of the ways of
>providing internet access to the segment of population which for a
>variety of reasons cannot have their own internet connectivity. But
>the support needs to thought out in order to target those in need.
>
>anant
> ----- Original Message -----
> My Reply:
>
> In brief, Vikram Doctor appears to be saying that cyber cafes
>within a decade of their start are on way out in the West while in
>India their number is going up.
>
> My view: It is understandable that the cyber cafes are on way out
>in the West as there is high Internet accessibility in the West. As
>a result an individual need not go to a cyber cafe to access the
>Web. He can simply access the Web at home. On the other hand, due to
>very low Internet penetration in India and high cost of Internet
>connectivity, common citizens have no choice but to access the
>Internet from a cyber cafe. Public policies must therefore support
>cyber cafes in India by providing a number of incentives for setting
>them up. This will also provide gainful employment to India's
>unemployed and educated youth.I hope the position is clear.
>
> Dr D.C.Misra
> September 8, 2004
>
> Comment by Shri Santosh Rajan:
>
> it is a little confusing
>
> what is your point and what is the point raised by the author

--
Vickram