Dear lawmakers and regulators at TRAI,

I am a normal, proud citizen of this country that uses the Internet and finds it a basic element to our existence in today's world. 

With recent developments like Airtel India's Airtel Zero scheme, and similar products from other Telecom Service Providers, the concept of net neutrality is set to take a beating. 

With only apps and websites of rich and powerful companies such as Flipkart, Google and Facebook getting preferential status, the rest of the Internet will suffer. An average netizen deserves to have the choice of the open internet and use the services & visit the sites he chooses to, without restriction from powerful corporations. That will lead to other startup companies and technological innovations being stifled down. 

One simple question. Will these companies have become as rich, famous and powerful if other companies had violated net neutrality and restricted them when they were up and coming? I don't think so. Then why should they be given a right to restrict other's space on the Internet? 

I feel this will blur the gap between using the Internet and digital advertising. They are two distinct things that need to be kept separate. 

I also disapprove of the idea of restricting VoIP services such as Skype, Viber and FaceTime over 3G. Why should a customer be restricted from using these services within the ambit of his Internet quota that he's paying for (despite there being FUP limits active)? It is a violation of a fundamental principle of using the Internet. 

So, I urge you NOT TO PERMIT PRODUCTS LIKE AIRTEL ZERO THAT VIOLATE NET NEUTRALITY. 

PS: I would not have even been able to type this mail and send it if net-neutrality-violating-services such as Airtel Zero were active. Disgusting. 

Thanks,
Best regards, 
Janak Bathija 
Sent from my iPhone