We missed it earlier The restriction on accessing the BBC documentary titled ‘The Modi Question’ on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to grow in India as the Internet Archive took down the documentary’s first episode from its platform. The episode dealt with events surrounding the riots in the Indian state of Gujarat in 2002 and Modi’s leadership during the period. A cursory perusal of the page revealed that the “item is no longer available”, adding that items can be taken down for various reasons which include a decision of the uploader or a violation of the platform’s Terms of Use. The lack of reason makes it difficult to ascertain whether the documentary was taken down to comply with a government order or a request made by the BBC. A report in The Hindu points out that other uploads of the episode continue to be available for access but they may not be there for long. [caption id="attachment_177487" align="alignnone" width="880"] Source: Internet Archive[/caption] What is the Internet Archive: It is a “digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form”, according to a description available on the site. Why it matters: It is a notable development because the link had gone viral across the country as Indian users relied on it to view the documentary which has not been released officially in India. It is a matter of concern as the takedown, along with government action against the documentary, highlights the shrinking space for free press and…
