We are working overtime, trying to get ApnaNet back again - to be able to give you guys the free home pages we promised. Just hold on a lil while !

Now there is a new site which is taking up the issue - Citizens for Free Information. Visit it, and feel free to express your views. There are good points of every company and vsnl has done commendable job sometimes esp. their 24-hr internet support, although some may feel to disagree. Please be fair and free in your views.

Thanks to all who've e-mailed us supproting us. Here's just one of the e-mails that touched us. Thank you guys - it keeps us going !

8th March, 1997 22:04
To,
The Web Master/ Promoter
Apnanet

Dear Sir,

I have received a copy of the mail about VSNL's highly irrational and autocratic behaviour in providing Internet services.

I am particularly apalled by the fact that without any prior notice to Apnanet site operator, VSNL chose to block access to its site - which was perhaps pre-paid for. The sin committed by ApnaNet? Daring to raise protest against the tardy services provided by VSNL and spearheading or kickstarting a anti- tariff hike signature campaign of existing VSNL subscribers. I have also heard stories about VSNL disconnecting some user's account arbitrarily when the user sent unsolicited mail to other users (junk mail).

I, as an individual feel that VSNL's action in blocking access to Apnanet site is not only wholly arbitrary and unconstitutional but in doing so, VSNL has also exposed itself to claim for examplary damages for breach of contract. Lest anybody misunderstand it, when VSNL reduced its tariff, existing users who had prepaid higher amounts in advance were told that they were under a binding contract and therefore, the lower tariff was not applicable to them. VSNL provides or undertakes to provide service for a consideration - there is quid pro quo. The only grounds for disconnecting a prepaid service could either be by operation of law - (which is not the case here) or breach of contract or non -observance of a predefined condition (which again is not applicable). In both the cases a notice to the affected party is a must - which also has not been done. This is utter disregard of the law of the land and violation of principles of natural justice. This smacks of official arrogance. VSNL must be taught a lesson. The consumers in India staunchly refuse to be taken for sitting ducks. I have personally experienced tremendous difficulty in getting connected. If the connection is established, the keyboard freezes. Complaints to helpdesk in this regard evokes no response. Mostly the user's modem is blamed. If the user has an internal modem, he is advised that he should buy an external modem. After the user gets an external modem and the problem persists, MTNL line is blamed. It goes on and on and on. VSNL feels that it is doling out charity to the users. This attitude must change. They can adopt this posture because they happen to be the sole ISP in the country.

I commit my whole-hearted support to the movement started by you. I suggest that you file a Writ petition for the violation of your fundamental rights by VSNL and seek permission to file a separate suit for damages. I am sure that if represented properly, the Hon'ble Court would grant you reconnection order on ad-interim basis. I am sure that you would not require any financial support for doing this - but in case you do, I would contribute a humble amount of Rs. 10,000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand Only) towards this.

I suggest that after you succeed in this, we file a representative Writ Petition (on behalf of like minded internet users) seeking the Hon'ble Court direction to VSNL to improve its service and ensure quick connection. A similar situation was faced by subscribers of Singnet in Singapore (the problem related only to difficulty experienced in getting connected by the user) a few moths earlier. The users raised such a hue and cry that not only Singnet improved its service drastically, but the Government also immediately appointed 2 more ISPs. Lately, I had also read somewhere about the damages awarded to users of AOL(?) for AOL's inability to provide simultaneous connection to its users. (They had enrolled more subsribers than they could handle).

I hereby declare that I am not at all afraid of VSNL and I hereby authorize you to make the contents of this email public on your Tripod site or VSNL site. You may not send this email to other VSNL users.