Delhi ahead of Shanghai, New York, & London in CCTV cameras installed per sq. mile

Delhi, with 1,826.6 cameras per square mile, comes as the number one city for surveillance, while Chennai, which has 609.9 cameras per square mile, ranks third

Are we literally selling our privacy in the name of security?

Remember the novel by George Orwell, “1984”?

 Published in 1949, it was the ninth novel written by Orwell. It examined the consequences of despotism, mass surveillance, and exploitive regimentation of persons and behaviors within society. Orwell himself remained a devoted socialist and took a leaf from Stalinist Russia and Nazi Germany to design the characters of his novel. Reading the novel, one can see the eerie similarities of the state of affairs in our country. Instances of dissent being suppressed and labeled as anti-nationals, seditious are increasing in these times.

A report by Forbes has revealed that New Delhi, with 1,826.6 cameras per square mile, comes as the number one city for surveillance, while Chennai, which has 609.9 cameras per square miles, ranks third.

The achievement was touted by the Delhi CM, Arvind Kejriwal who in a tweet said that he is proud that the national capital has surpassed cities like Shanghai, New York, and London with the most CCTV cameras per square mile. He even complimented his officers for having achieved this feat in the shortest time.

Delhi: Sell our privacy for greater security?

We are literally selling our privacy in the name of security, and there is no guarantee that it will lead to a fall in the crime levels. This was exactly what George Orwell had detailed in his novel. In a world where crime, terrorism, and economic chaos reign supreme, the masses are suddenly ready to compromise their privacy and accept living under constant surveillance.

Pegasus Snooping tip of the iceberg

The recent Pegasus snooping scandal could be just the tip of the iceberg. The issue did not get the coverage in our media it deserved. In a nation where a large proportion of the population is living below the poverty line, issues such as liberty and privacy are often ignored. However, they are not just words but have got deeper meaning.

They are perceptions, and if they are ignored, we could end up in the utopian world, which George Orwell so glaringly explained in his novel “1984.”