The most important question that the issue raises is that of the rights of an individual under the Indian Constitution to liberty, to conduct legitimate business without fear of an interloper watching all his moves. So, does this seem as if the Indian Government is turning upon the very principles enshrined by it? The answer, if some official backers of the plan are to be believed, is a simple "No". According to them, the move is being taken to counter the increased risks that the Indian citizen faces each day owing to terrorism. Terrorist organizations nowadays are increasingly ditching their archaic ways and turning hi-tech. The very fact that emails and other communication sent using the Blackberry service are so difficult to intercept and decode provides a very safe and convenient avenue for anti-social elements to facilitate the transfer of their dastardly plans to their "comrades". So, it seems like IB's move is justified on this front.
But what about the average businessman who might be using the service to deliver sensitive business information to his partners or clients on a day to day basis? He is spending hard earned money on acquiring a secure and efficient communications medium and hence would definitely not appreciate anybody peeping into his private matters. It seems unfair that this guy comes in the IB's crosshairs.
Hence both contenders seem vindicated as far as their viewpoints are concerned. So what could be the solution? For starters, I have to say that it definitely isn't helping matters when the IB talks about a blanket ban on services. Instead they should be sitting down and thinking of alernatives that might get their work done without antagonising the average Blackberry user. The Blackberry user on the other hand , when assured of confidentiality, should be willing to accept the "alternatives" that the IB might, or rather should propose.
That brings us to the question of workarounds. An idea that came to me, though a bit crude, could get the ball rolling at least. The Government could, in concert with RIM, arrange to have a software built that would, at the server itself, check the messages for certain key elements or words that would raise a red flag. No part of the message itself will be known to any individual since the code would run continuously and wont write logs or in any way store part or whole of the information that its browsing through. For people familiar with UNIX, this could be something like firing a "grep -q
Many small measures could also be taken which would include strict verification of the permanent residence of the subscriber, failing which the service would not be offered. Also, monthly statements should be sent by snail mail to the subscribers residence. To make things convenient, the mailer could contain a unique code using which the subsciber might be able to pay his dues online. But strict conformance to the payment deadlines should be enforced. Also any change of residence should be immediately be notified to the company. The basic idea is to, at all times, keep tabs on the whereabouts of the subscriber.
All these are but some ideas that I could think of in my free time. The officials in all probability, when faced with a task of thinking along those lines with conviction, might be able to do a much better job. In essence the way forward should lie in implementing ideas that would benefit both sides instead of doing things in a slip shod manner.
So the answer to the question that started this post is "No". Having an eye on all our movements at all times is without doubt a disturbing thought. But, with regard to the dangerous times that we live in today, considering the fact that there's no telling where the next blow might come from, we should do our bit by helping authorities secure our daily lives. And that might entail minor compromises at our end, though considering the dividends earned, they are nothing really.
