#AamAadmiParty takes a strong stand in the interests of the Aam Aadmi in the Net Neutrality

The Aam Aadmi Party takes a strong stand in the interests of the Aam Aadmi in the Net Neutrality Debate and implores the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to ensure a free, open, equal and neutral internet.

Just a few weeks ago, the Supreme Court stuck down Section 66A of the IT Act and defended our fundamental rights, which had been curtailed by both the NDA and the UPA on pretext of securing of public order. It is now necessary for the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to ensure that the internet, one of the most important public utilities, doesn’t become an expensive and unaffordable luxury for the Aam Aadmi of India.

Aam Aadmi Party believes that the internet should not be divided for Aam and Khaas users, consumers or service providers and stands by the principle of net neutrality. We hope that the citizens of India and their demand for net neutrality will be joined by all political parties, telecom service providers, startups, businesses and every corporation, consortium or company that believes that the all traffic on the internet should be treated equally and ensure that users are able to access all websites at the same speed and cost without preferential treatment of any website or service over the other. Innovation can only be encouraged and bolstered when the internet remains a level-playing field. TRAI must ensure that the best practices of net neutrality from across the world are incorporated and widened to suit India’s socioeconomic discourse.

The Aam Aadmi Party believes that the innovative youth of this country will give us the next Google, Facebook or Whatsapp. In Delhi, we are attempting to engage new businesses and startups via 30 million square feet of incubation space, simplified legal and financial processes to start a business and an educational curriculum framework that enables their cognitive development. However, if some websites or applications or services are offered free or at faster speeds, the balance tips towards established players with deeper pockets which kills the innovative young startups that will emanate from this ecosystem.

AAP hopes that TRAI will ensure that they will safeguard the core principle of freedom and equality governing the internet. In this regard, we submit our response to the TRAI Consultation Paper (based on the #SaveTheInternet campaign response and a crowd-sourced response by Reddit India), demand #NetNeutrality and support the #SaveTheInternet Campaign run by free speech liberals and internet activists and invite all citizens to do so by visiting http://www.savetheinternet.in/