SEDITION vs FREE SPEECH

The news of the controversial JNU clips being authentic has yet again kindled the decades-old debate on Sedition vs Free Speech. There has been a plethora of opinions on the scope of Free Speech following this incident. 

Ostensibly, the Indian race is an irascible one. Perhaps the repetitive use of the term 'sedition' in the way it has been portrayed is responsible for such attitude. It has created a much  conception of it than has been enshrined in the IPC. Sedition is an extreme form of incitement of violence against the State and mere shouting of slogans, even anti-national, does not lead to sedition.
As per the Penal Code, a person is guilty of sedition, who,

" -----by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the Government established by law."
Note: There are a few things that need to be kept in mind:

1-The expression "disaffection" includes disloyalty and all feelings of enmity.


2-Comments expressing disapprobation of the measures of the attempting to excite hatred, contempt or disaffection, do not constitute an offence under this section.

3-Comments expressing disapprobation of the administrative or other action of the Government without exciting or attempting to excite hatred, contempt or disaffection, do not constitute an offence under this section. 

Hence, advocating revolution, or even an violent overthrow of State, does not constitute sedition, unless there is incitement to imminent violence.Therefore, despite an immoral and non-patriotic conduct of the highest order, Kanhaiya, Khalid and Bhattacharya cannot be legally tried for sedition.

Reasonable restrictions on the Freedom of Expression were put for the primary purpose of ensuring that everyone had the space to enjoy one's freedom, without hurting the sentiments of another. Just exercising the right to put forward one's views doesn't fall under the purview of a crime as grave as sedition.

It is in the common knowledge of all that Arundhati Roy, Binayak Sen and Aseem Trivedi are the notable ones among those who have been accused of this offence. But none of them have been actually proven guilty by the Apex Court.

Our forefathers were far-sighted enough and provided for us just the echt rights and restrictions. An amalgamation of pre-conceived notions, limited thought process and
a latent 'un-acceptance' of radical and liberal thought fails the very purpose of those week- long deliberations. 

As Neal Boortz said, 'Free Speech was made to protect unpopular speech. Popular speech, by definition, needs no protection.'

Are the numbers penumbral?

The Modi government and the economic policy framers in India are being lauded for the impressive GDP growth, apparently making India the 'fastest growing economy in the world'.

People are going gaga over the government's phenomenal fiscal policies that yielded this phenomenal growth. Unfortunately, it is being credited for nothing more than a gross deceptive data.

As per the Chief Statistical Officer, TCA Anant,the exponential rise has been the result of total consumption of  1,40,000 crore rupees, which surprisingly was less than 30,000 crore just a year ago. A rise in Manufacturing from around 9. 5% to 12.6% in just a quarter FY is equally abstruse. IIP reported a rise of just 2% in factory output. Manufacturing, that forms 75.5% in the IIP, actually contracted by 2.8% . Moreover, production of Electricity and Gas has also supposedly increased to 9.3% from just 5.6% in the December quarter. TCA's figures have been deficient in credibility, both at the national and international level.

• There has been a frightening drop of 17,000 crore in Investment. 
• Gross fixed capital formation has also just maintained a decent growth of 4.4%.
• Imports fell by 5% and Exports too fell by 6%.
• Government expenditure in itself has been 'bad' at a mere 3.3%.
• WPI inflation has fallen.
• All state-owned banks are in red. The largest state-owned bank, State Bank of India, saw profits falling by 66%. Bank of India lost almost 6,000 crores in just one year!

This is about the Government. But the Private Sector isn't doing very well either.

• Sales have been negative but wages, positive.
• Intermediate consumption and expenditure of Private Cos has been way too less.
• Students in institutes like IITs and IIMs are on strikes as there are no sufficient corporate job offers. Companies like Flipkart and its peers are literally running short of money, hence, the shortage in on-campus recruitment. If the economy is really growing so fast, what rational argument can the government put forward, explaining the dearth of jobs?
• An increase of 15.5% in Private Profits isn't in line with the numbers that Companies have reported. Maybe India has a huge number of outperforming firms that are not even listed!

The real numbers can be adduced for the global lack of confidence in Modi's India. Beneath all the illusory glitter, India's growth rate, in reality, is a mere 4.4%, half of what is being projected. 

Let's hope this '7 POINT SOME DECEPTION' withers away and we get to see the authenticated facts.