I was extremely happy with the government of India, as I usually am, for stepping in and prohibiting us from watching a documentary produced by the BBC a few weeks ago. I am aware of the howls of protest that greeted this act, the accusations of emergency powers being misused, and comments about fragile egos and misplaced patriotism that flew around online. I ignored the noise because I believe the government should exercise more control over everything we do.

So, we didn’t get to watch a documentary; what was the big deal? It’s not as if we were being prohibited from watching genuinely uplifting shows like Mann Ki Baat, which are still streaming on YouTube for anyone in need of fantasy or sleeping aids. The documentary we were prevented from watching was created by foreigners, and we all know by now how anyone who isn’t Indian cannot be trusted. Only filmmakers, journalists and artists approved by the government should be allowed to create art for the rest of us. It is what open, sensible countries do.