Whistle-blower nominated for Nobel Prize! Yes, you heard it right. Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor who opened the Pandora’s box sparking off international controversies after he unraveled the obscure espionage activities of the US agency NSA, has now entered the league of people who have been nominated for the coveted Nobel Prize for peace. In a recent news on Wednesday, two Norwegian politicians Baard Vegar Solhjell and Snorre Valen stated that he deserved the award because of his endeavors to make the government agencies more transparent and safeguard people’s liberty, thus contributing to a peaceful world.
Edward Snowden’s name will hence be remembered in history alongside great leaders like late Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi, Mother Teresa, Obama and other mighty ones who did their bit to create a just and humane world.
His controversial revelations into the ‘inside working’ of US intelligence agencies has put the American government in a tight spot at a global level, branding him as a ‘traitor’ who risked national security which could be a vantage point for terrorists. Whereas his supporters hail him as a ‘hero’ who unveiled the devious and deceiving actions of the state on which they entrusted the responsibility to protect them. They are extremely outrageous at the government agency’s actions that infringed on their personal liberty and privacy.
In the light of these arguments, the question that arises especially after Snowden’s recent nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize is whether he is worthy of the honour being bestowed on him and what will be it’s ramifications on the international front, more significantly for India.
Even though his actions have caused mass upheaval and jeopardized the interests of mammoth corporations and agencies, his whistle-blowing has led to a more transparent and secure world. I mean none of us would want security at the cost of privacy, personal freedom and liberty!
Imagine a world where every email or message you send is being monitored, phone calls being tapped, your internet activities being kept a track of. No it’s not some plot of a thriller movie, and neither you are Mr. Langdon. We are common people who have rights which have now been breached by an outside agency and if not for Snowden who leaked the truth, we would still be living under pretense and deceit. So, yes I feel it’s a right decision to acknowledge him for his courage to speak the truth and commemorate him in history as a ‘hero’ who made this world a just and transparent world.
In the context of India and it’s long crusade against corruption and implementation of a strict ironclad ‘protection of whistle-blower law’ to protect the citizens of this nation who raise their voice against the wrongdoing, any international recognition or acclaim for whistle-blowing can hopefully influence our legislative body and compel them to defend those people who do a great service to the society by speaking the truth.