sshhhhh.. Keep Quiet !!!

This is an article that could get me arrested, if I didn’t chose proper words. The words of my hatred or anguish need to be spilled or fabricated like a sugar coated capsule. Many incidents in the last couple of months have queued up swarming for their right to express. Renowned cartoonist for his sarcastic cartoons against political parties, motorcycle maker’s advertisement depicting a particular caste in South India and now two girls for commenting on Bal Thackerey’ s  death in a facebook. The government was ready to pull its socks to put them behind the bars.

According to article 19(1), freedom of expression states that "everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference" with restrictions on different bases. These bases include Security of the State, decency, public order, defamation, integrity of state etc. So the law says that everyone can express his/her ideas at their free will. It’s like asking us to make a coffee, without coffee powder and the best part is government is ready to give coffee maker as a freebie. That’s how laws work in our country.

On Independence Day, the President and the Prime Minister talks about the freedom. The freedom and the rights, that needs to be cherished and exercised to its core. The first thought that springs up my mind, “you must be joking!!!” OMG! I have made enough mockery to screw my life for the next 3 years in prison. As an outraged individual and being battered at free will, I m left with a Hobson’s choice.

In general the laws of our constitution have more loop holes than in fishing net. When we analyze the salient features, it is heartening and painful to say that laws were framed to soothe different levels of our society. Our constitution has framed laws to exercise our right to express and to treat subjects with iron fist in case of blasphemy.     

On the other hand let’s look at the flip side of the coin. Human nature tends to control things by acting on its vulnerability and milked the benefits for it’s worth. This is where derogatory remarks against women or race occurs leading to a barbaric ritual. Everyone will have a license to pass comments on anyone they like. If your boss wants us to prepare a presentation, we can pass a comment, “F*** u!” In reply he or she can say “my pleasure, your place or mine”.

A country with more than 1.2 billion people with diverse ethnicity and culture, it is next to impossible to frame rules without any lacunae. I feel pity for those trying to solve these never ending problems. The wheels of change seem to move at snail’s pace, showing least interest to dethrone the devils lying in our backyard.

If you want a solution, that could throw us some light on how laws work in our country, watch the guy who walks on a tight rope. If we walk straight without balancing on our sides, we are likely to fall in the sea of sorrow. On the other hand, if we can master the trick of balancing (switching sides) we can make home.

PS: I express my sincere apologies (Mr. Prime Minister and Mr. President), if I had hurt the sentiments in the event of exercising my freedom of expression.