The Karma of Dr. Vinay Kumaran's Ban: Beyond Personal Differences
Can anyone justify the ban on Dr. Vinay Kumaran? The question is often met with a simple yet direct answer when asked. A ban, no matter how justified by a platform, can feel like a drastic measure against a humanity that values free expression. However, the justification for such actions lies in the principles underpinning the platform’s policies and community standards.
Setting the Stage in Public Space
Public space, especially in the digital realm, requires adherence to certain rules to maintain integrity and civility. These rules apply to everyone, regardless of their brilliance, popularity, or adherence to herd mentality. Tendulkar and Federer exemplify the pinnacle of performance and appeal, with their decisions made by officials not based on their popularity but on the enforcement of rules. The same principle applies to platforms like Quora, where users must adhere to community guidelines to maintain a respectful and informative environment.
A Fabulous Writer with Flaws
Dr. Vinay Kumaran was undoubtedly a fabulous writer, combining a rare blend of domain expertise and a flair for expression. His long-time following and admiration are a testament to his intellectual prowess and dedication to his subjects. While unbiased and erudite, his approach often bordered on aggression, marked by a propensity to push the boundaries of social media etiquette. This was seen especially during his discussions on religion and politics, where his fervor sometimes equated to overacting in a theatrical sense. Like thespian Sivaji Ganesan, he could get carried away by the flow of his arguments, straying from assertive to aggressive statements.
Beyond Victimhood
There is an attempt to see Dr. Kumaran as a victim of his frank espousal of unpopular views against herd mentality and group think. However, the core reason for the ban was not his opinions but the manner in which he expressed them. Quora, like many other platforms, has a fair and consistent policy regarding the Ban on Notable Backlinks (BNBR). Dr. Kumaran, and many other top writers, have faced similar bans for their violation of community guidelines, even if their views were principled and correct.
Ancillary Examples and References
Indian users such as Rohit Pattanaik, Trilochana Rout, Raghu Bhaskaran, and Kamal Gupta, among others, have all faced similar actions for violating Quora's BNBR policy. This policy, which aims to maintain the integrity of the platform, is frequently applied to prevent the spamming of external links. The blogspot Necrologue provides a live documentation of such actions, reflecting the regularity with which platforms like Quora enforce their guidelines.
Conclusion
Dr. Vinay Kumaran was a knowledgeable and talented writer with extremely honest views and opinions on various subjects. No one can deny this fact. However, the ban was a direct outcome of repeated violations of Quora’s community standards. The ban serves as a reminder of the importance of adhering to platform rules, even when articulating views that may be unpopular. The underlying principle is not to silence opinions but to ensure a respectful and informative platform for all users.
Postscript: As I was about to submit this article, it reminded me of a recent response I gave to a similar question: Nagarajan Srinivas's answer on Why are most of the famous Indian Quorans banned?. It sparked an interesting discussion in the comments where Dr. Kumaran himself elucidated his worldview.