Women arrested in India over Facebook post

Shaheen Dhada, an Indian woman, was arrested over this week because of a Facebook post she made criticizing the shutdown of Mumbai after the death of a politician. However, not only did she get arrested, her friend, Renu Srinivasan, was also arrested because she 'liked' the comment. To someone living in North America, this seems absolutely crazy. It is just two women expressing their opinions, not making any threats or spreading hatred, just saying what's on their minds. Although many people in India would share the same opinion as me, their government and police force did not. They charged the women for "creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes". She made the comment after Mumbai politician Bal Thackeray died over the weekend which caused the near shutdown of Mumbai. The comment on Facebook read; "People like Thackeray are born and die daily and one should not observe a 'bandh' [shutdown] for that." It is hard to imagine anyone in North America or Europe getting in trouble for writing a message like that. Not only did she get arrested, but an angry mob also attacked and vandalized her uncle's clinic. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-20405457