Myopia Magnified !

It seems Election Commission ( EC ) has issued a notification , banning advertisements by political parties on " Social Media " websites such as Wikipedia / Twitter / YouTube / Facebook and online Apps ( mobile too ? )

With a proviso that the political parties may do so , after getting for their ads , a " pre-certification " from competent authorities

But what about content ( camouflaged ads ? ) posted on internet by general public  ?

EC is in consultation with the Ministry of Communication and Technology , on practical ways to deal with such posts

Whoa !

What a gumption to dare monitor a trillion daily posts on a billion web sites !

Apparently , neither EC nor the Ministry , seem to have heard about the,

INTERNET  OF  THINGS

Under upcoming internet protocol ( IP  V 6.0 ) , each grain of sand on approx 100 earth-sized planets , would have its own unique IP address !

That would translate to a few billion IP addresses for each and every human being on our earth  !

Come 2019 Lok Sabha elections , Congress / BJP / AAP and umpteen other political parties would be delivering their election campaign advertisements ( or donation requests ) , on our ,

> Toothbrushes / Nail-cutters / Wrist-watches / Table cloth / Kitchen wall

Including on plastic lenses in our eyes  !


And wearable Google glasses are already connected to internet 


Scientists have already come up with contact lenses which can see in the dark  !

40 years ago , in his seminal essay , " Marketing Myopia " , author Theodore Levitt wrote ,

"  If you don't make yourself obsolete , someone else will "

May be EC need some advice from our very own Prof Jhunjhunwala , who has succeeded in delivering internet through each and every , humble domestic electric socket  !  Watch out , Internet Service Providers  !

It seems to me , EC is headed for the " Internet Cloud " !  No doubt , against its will  !

If a tiny country like ESTONIA ( population = 1.6 million ) can elect its entire parliament ( may be 20 persons ! ) , ONLINE , without a single physical booth , why can't we  ?

The pessimists among us , will argue :

" It can't be done when you have 814 million voters "

It is this kind of people who are obstacles to India's progress  !

Left to do their thing , they will take India back to 18th Century  !

I urge , Pitrodas and Nilekanis of beloved India , to muster courage and tell EC ,

" Sir , internet is unstoppable / un-controllable

  Don't even try  !  "

*   hemen  parekh  ( 20 March 2014 / Mumbai )