> To Rhizome’s Net Art Commissioning Authorities



I am a journalist based in New Delhi, India. I am writing to you in context to the project on ‘telematic surveillance’ proposed by nungu.com, which is one of the awardees of Rhizome’s net art commission this year. Kindly refer to www.nungu.com/[update[02].



I have been closely following trends and issues concerning electronic surveillance in India and in New Delhi in particular. I started researching these issues after the eruption of the ‘Tehelka Expose’ or the ‘Defense Scam’ in March last year. (See: tehelka.com). This was the first time that journalists from a news agency in India used spy-cams. This helped them to implicate corrupt officials in the Defense Department for accepting bribes. The evidence thus gathered led to the resignation of the Defense Minister and was a major embarrassment for the government. Tehelka was subsequently targeted by the government and is currently embroiled in various counter accusations and prosecutions which have led to the news agency virtually closing down by now. A number of controversial issues about ethics in journalistic practice were also raised in the wake of this episode.



Coming back to the context in which I am writing to you: the project examining ‘telematic surveillance’ entitled ‘Mrs. Jeevan Jham’ hosted on nungu.com. The project has been awarded a grant by Rhizome for its further development. The concept for Mrs. Jeevan Jham begins with an interesting premise; however, I am astounded at the proposed ideas to build on it. I would like to bring to your notice that the proposed ideas are completely illegal. It is shocking that it has indeed been commissioned by an esteemed organization without any verification. I am writing to you to give the organization a fair chance to make its explanations and clarifications before my insinuations make it to the press.



The proposed project intends to install four CCTV cameras pointing at various public spaces in New Delhi. Possibly Rhizome is not aware that in India it is illegal to point cameras on public property without the permission from the local administrative bodies and security agencies. This permission is granted only in exceptional cases, if the authorities are completely convinced that it for the general good and will help in administrative or security management.



Also, whether the footage recorded by these cameras should be made accessible to the general public, or is for the benefit of only certain agencies in another question.



Permission is also required for laying cables to networking these cameras and the server. For this, the territory over which the cables will traverse has to be first determined. Permission is also required for using a wireless network if it would trespass public air space.



The specific kind of cameras, the exact location of these cameras, their distance from one another and from the monitoring centre/ server, has not been identified in the proposal. Hence, I assume that the question of getting permission for the installation of this equipment at the various locations has not been addressed. Does nungu.com intend to execute this proposal illegally? Will Rhizome support and fund this illegal enterprise?



Even if all conditions are met and somehow the permissions were to be miraculously granted, it would not be free of cost. A hefty refundable deposit and a certain fixed fee have to be paid to the authorities as per the rules. The budget proposed by nungu.com, quite strangely does not account for this.



The proposal also mentions that it will have a ‘panic button’ on the website linking directly to the Delhi Police website. If this is done without their prior acknowledgment nungu.com could be prosecuted for its actions.



The factors mentioned above indicate that this is a completely unfeasible and illegitimate proposal as it does not account for the various practicalities and regulations it has to work within. Then why has it still been funded by an esteemed grants authority such as Rhizome?



A further study indicates that the project has been proposed by Beatrice Gibson - a British citizen residing in India. The picture which then begins to emerge is that a foreign national has been funded by a western organization to illegally install cameras on Indian territory. Is it then a project in which a ‘first world’ organization is subversively attempting to monitor a ‘third world’ city? What is the relationship between capitalism, technology and surveillance, as it emerges from this project?



Rhizome along with nungu.com will have much more troubling questions to answer if the Indian authorities take the organizations to court. Since the ‘Tehelka Episode’, this country is extremely skeptical about such ventures and does not take lightly to flouting of rules in such cases. There is a strict ban on photography of any sort in government owned spaces/ premises. The defaulters are strictly dealt with and no compromises are made, instead the paranoid right-wing fanatics try and make an example of every offender of this sort.



I hope that Rhizome had not intended to support a project of this nature on purpose. If there has been an oversight, I would recommend that amends be made as soon as possible - before this thing erupts into a major controversy of some sort.



If any further clarification is required from your end, I shall be glad to assist. However I would prefer to remain anonymous for personal reasons.



Regards,

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