I N F O C H A N G E agendISSUE 22 201a1 The limits of freedom Freedom of expression is increasingly under assault — on grounds of sedition, obscenity, immorality or offending public sentiment. Should this freedom be constrained? If so, when and how?

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© Infochange News & Features, Centre for Communication and Development Studies, 2011 Infochange Agenda is a quarterly journal published by the Centre for Communication and Development Studies, a social change resource centre focusing on the research and communication of information for change To order copies, write to: Centre for Communication and Development Studies 301, Kanchanjunga Building, Kanchan Lane, Off Law College Road, Pune 411 004 Suggested contribution: Rs 90 (1 issue); Rs 300 (4 issues); Rs 550 (8 issues) DDs/cheques to be made out to 'Centre for Communication and Development Studies' Infochange Agenda content may be cited, reproduced and reprinted for purposes of education and public dissemination with due credit to the authors, the journal and the publishers The views expressed in these articles are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the standpoint of Infochange Agenda On artisticfreedom Virtual democracy? The wardogma ‘Dissent isthequintessenceofdemocracy’:HighCourtjudgment Assaults onfreedomofexpressioninSriLanka Repression andresurgenceinTibet Out, darkspots:HistoryandthestateinRussia Freedom gagged:PublicexpressioninKashmir Dissent vsincitement? Cultural memoryandthepoliticsofintolerance When is‘news’betteroffnotreported? The secretlifeoffilmcensorship Reasonable restrictionsandunreasonablespeech Freedom insecurity Sedition andthedeathoffreespeech A milliontyranniesnow Speaking freely by DilipSimeon by JavedIqbal by Ketan Tanna by PurushottamAgrawal by AjaiSahni by GitaSahgal by MaseehRahman

by ShohiniGhosh

Philip Varghese, UjwalaSamarth,VijayNarvekar, VishnuWalje by Tenzing Sonam Production andlayout:

by SiddharthNarrain by JyotiPunwani

by RohiniHensman by SualehKeen This issuehasbeenguest-editedbyDilipSimeon by ArupBanerji by MangeshKulkarni

by LawrenceLiang

Contents Editors:

Infochange team: Gita Vasudevan, SameerKarmarkar

HutokshiDoctor, JohnSamuel

K CDwarkanath, 15 38 19 12 26 22 54 33 41 48 57 45 29 59 4 2 8 1 ISSUE 22 2011 2 ISSUE 22 2011 Tomaso Marcolla/www.posterfortomorrow.org distortions inthemisveryold.Infact,alookattheworld social, andthematterofconstraintsdeliberate truth. Imagesandspoken(orwritten)wordsareimplicitly are engagementswiththequestionofsociallyaccessible THE ESSAYS CONTAINED inthisissueof heresy in1600 condemnation ofGiordanoBruno,burntatthestakefor Bellarmino (1542-1621),whopresidedoverthe Epigraph onthegraveofCardinalInquisitorRoberto forceIhavesubduedthe brains oftheproud’— ‘With Speaking freely systems, theyinauguratetheslidetowardstyranny on freedomofexpression.Whensuchpracticesbecomecommonindemocratic enquiry stalledandhistorybeingrewritten,weareseeingincreasingconstraints artists forcedtofleethecountryforoffending‘publicsentiment’,withhistorical films beingbannedorcensored,notjustbythestatebutchauvinistforces,with With citizensbeingchargedwithseditionforspeakingtheirminds,booksand Freedom ofexpression Infochange Agenda

filmed im inquiry; thepoliticalcertificationofliteraryawardsand debate aboutsedition,constraintsplaceduponhistorical them seriouslyandforalongtime.Theyrangefromthe themes tackledbytheirauthorshavebeenaddressed The essaysaresubstantial,andspeakforthemselves. around usmightre-awakenthoughtsoftheInquisition. to theviolentconflictthatsurrounds us.Iftruthisthefirst and deliberatemisinformation? Thesequestionsalsorelate to inflamepeople’sfeelings? Howdowedealwithdeceit hate-inspired acts,andthereproduction ofimageslikely murder? Howoughtthemedia totreatthereportageof freedom ofspeech,hatespeech andtheincitementto state andofcitizens.Wheremaywedrawthelinebetween There areotherquestions,abouttheresponsibilityof on euphemism,forwhichalinkisprovidedbelow). examine thispropositioncouldreadGeorgeOrwell’sessay propaganda an active form of censorship (readers wishing to each other. Censorshipisapassiveformofpropagandaand expression. Censorship an lies attheheartofquestionfreedomspeechand powerless inthepublicrealm?”To mymind,thismeditation be deceitful?Andwhatrealitydoestruthpossess,ifitis the essenceoftruthtobepowerlessandpower sheer impressionitmadeonme,readsasfollows:“Is A citationfromHannahArendtthatIoftenuseforthe access toarchives. emerge throughsustaineddebateanddialogue,free without manipulationorintimidation,enablingtruthto sound optionistoallowhistoricalexplorationproceed be apoliticalminefield.Here,asinrelatedmatters,theonly accounts ofthepast.Thisiswhyhistorysooftenappearsto political ideologuestocontrolthepresentviadoctored It reflectsthe of historyisnotmerelyaRussian(orSoviet)phenomenon. ideological frontier speech andthoughtisnotconfinedwithinnationalor well. Thisisasitshouldbe,forthepoliticalcontrolof generated notonlybystatepolicy, butbymassbeliefas neighbou They coverexperiencesarisingnotjustinIndia,but ages, tothecensorshipofjournalists’reports. ring countriestoo;andtheydealwithissues widespreadattemptbygovernmentsand s. For instance,thestatemanipulation d propaganda are mirror images of DILIP SIMEON prove asthought-provokingfor itsreadersastheywerefor for invitingmetoeditthisissue, andIhopethesearticles profound questions.I’mgrateful to in theirownwaymadesignificant effortstoanswerthese The authorsoftheessayscontained inthisissuehaveeach dictatorial ornihilistcontemptfortruth. of anethicresponsibility, withoutsuccumbing toa and distort.Itispossibl via thepracticeofrestraint,withoutintendingtodeceive reportage of, say, communalviolencemaybeapproached Truth andfr systems, theyinauguratetheslidetowardstyranny. and whensuchpracticesbecomecommonindemocratic self-destructive. Dictatorshavelearntthistotheircost, with thestate,assaultontruthfulcommunicationis for individualsaswellpublicinstitutionsbeginning of truthpoisonseverythinggainedbytheviolation”,that disdain. We needtoremindourselves thatthe“violation if wecontinuetotreatthepursuitoftruthwithsuch cannot hopetoengagewiththecrucialissuesofourtime equivalent tosilence,becausenoonehearsanyone.We rather thanclarity. Insuchasituation,speech becomes cows areregularlyfieldedinordertomanufactureanimus apparent inthepoliticaldomain,whereclichesandholy conversation bypolemica of language.Thetendencytoreplacemeaningful unquestionable entity, istosetthestageforanobliteration of theNation,Communityorsomesuchpermanently some establishedtradition;orinlinewiththeinterests worth knowingisalreadyevident,inaccordancewith place. To holdthatalltruthisclasstruth;oreverything must assumethereisanobjecttointerpretinthefirst things andevents,butinordertointerpretanything,we I believenot.Thereareindeedmanyinterpretationsof is aninterpretation?Hastruthbeenabolishedbypolitics? line ofvision,oneperspectiveamongmany, thateverything Must weresignourselvestothebeliefthattruthisjusta convivi border alongwithsomefriends.Therewasafriendlyand this wasnotthecasesome20yearsago,whenIvisited egged onbytouroperatorsmakingafastbuck(incidentally, Pakistan hurl patriotic slogans at each other every evening — Wagah border, whereassembledcrowdsfrom Indiaand of commercialisedvenomisavailablefortravellerstothe army ofmetaphors”.Mediaaside,acrassmanifestation the beliefthattruthisapurelyrelativething,“amobile faith; andtheiradoptionbythemassmediastrengthens mobilising sentiment.Ideologiestendtomixreasonwith The medialendsitselftothepoliticalrealmasameansof assumption thatpublicopinionispartofthebattleground. warfare ischaracterisedbyideologicalmanipulation,onthe enemies) impliesanall-roundassaultontruth.Modern warfare (‘hot’or‘cold’,involvinginternalexternal casualty ofwar, itfollowsthataconditionofperpetual al atmospherethen). eedom gotogether. Questionsofsensitive e toconsiderthesemattersaspart nd sentimentalbrow-beatingis Infochange Agenda

all readersof heartfelt thanksareduetothecontributors,andregards find agreatdealheretopursuetheirinterestsfurther. My free publicexpression,butI’mconfidentthatreaderswill me. Thereisalotmorethatcouldbesaidonthethemeof September 2010 conflict. Hisfirstnovel Aman PublicCharitableTrust, whichworkstounderstandandreduceviolentsocial Dilip SimeonisaDelhi-basedhistorianandwriter. Heisalsoassociatedwiththe • ThecontroversyregardingtheNDAgovernment’sallegedattempt pakistans-political-culture/ org/2011/03/speak-no-evil-the-grip-of-religious-extremism-on- the gripofreligiousextremism. • Pakistan’s blasphemylawisatoolforpersecutionandreflects indexoncensorship.org/category/current-edition/ the UnitedStatesisInternetfreedom’sbestfriend. and meansofusingnewmediatogetthewordout,asksif secret servicesinRussia,IndexonCensorshipassessestheways information —fromrevolutioninEgypttoreportingonthe technology transformsthecultureofactivismandaccessto • IndexonCensorship,currentedition:TheNetEffect:Asdigital Some usefullinksoncensorshipandintellectualfreedom edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm up mentalpicturesofthem.”Readmoreat: phraseology isneededifonewantstonamethingswithoutcalling lumber camps:thisiscalledeliminationofunreliableelements.Such trial, orshotinthebackofnecksenttodiescurvyArctic rectification offrontiers.People areimprisonedforyearswithout no morethantheycancarry:thisiscalledtransferofpopulationor are robbedoftheirfarmsandsenttrudgingalongtheroadswith incendiary bullets:thisiscalledpacification.Millionsofpeasants countryside, thecattlemachine-gunned,hutssetonfirewith are bombardedfromtheair, theinhabitantsdrivenoutinto question-begging andsheercloudyvagueness.Defencelessvillages parties. Thuspoliticallanguagehastoconsistlargelyofeuphemism, which donotsquarewiththeprofessedaimsofpolitical by argumentswhicharetoobrutalformostpeopletoface,and of theatombombsonJapan,canindeedbedefended,butonly rule inIndia,theRussianpurgesanddeportations,dropping defence oftheindefensible.ThingslikecontinuanceBritish 1946: “Inourtime,politicalspeechandwritingarelargelythe • ExtractfromGeorgeOrwellonPolitics andtheEnglishLanguage, gandhiserve.org/cwmg/cwmg_controversy.html to tamperwithMahatmaGandhi’sCollectedWorks. Infochange Agenda Revolution Highway Introduction http://www.indexoncensorship. waspublishedbyPenguinIndiain . http://www.mtholyoke. http://www. http://www. 3 ISSUE 22 2011 4 ISSUE 22 2011 the governmentthroughstreetmobilisation.Theissuewas Narayan’s ‘Total Revolution’campaignseekingtooverthrow The coverstoryformyfirstissuewastobeonJayaprakash features magazine. down totransforming cut myteethasanewspaperreporter, Iimmediatelygot ready togopress.Itwasmymaidenjobaseditor. Having the magazine Gandhi onJune25,1975.Ihadjusttakenoveraseditorof internal EmergencypromulgatedbyPrimeMinisterIndira nationwide state-enforcedpresscensorshipcamewiththe theonlyexperienceof FOR JOURNALISTSININDIA, June 25. of LIBertie,brotherFaith, HopeandJusticia,diedon O’Cracy, DEM,beloved husbandofTRuth,lovingfather ‘Deaths’ columnbyanoutside journalist,AshokMahadevan: much-celebrated itemanonymously placedinthepaper’s fell outofline.Theonlynotedissentcamefromasingle, Throughout the21-monthEmergency, the The badnewssankin—theworldhadsuddenlychanged. most influentialeditorinthecountry, replied tersely. on potatocultivationinLahaul,”ShamLal,arguablythe what heplannedtowriteinhisnexteditorial.“I’llbewriting morrow. Asenioreditor editor of the roomsomeofussidled The whole idea seemed so strange that as we shuffled out of should read. and thisworthywouldhenceforthdecidewhatthepeople what we liked. A new office of chief censor was to be set up, a dourbureaucratthatwewerenolongerfreetopublish Seated inablandcommitteeroom,wewereinformedby Maharashtra governmenthadcalledameetingofeditors. my officeo The timingcouldn’thavebeenworse.WhenIreached Foreign Service. movement, andaninsider’sexposeoftheIndian with AtalBihariVajpayee, thenaleadingfigureinJP’s to carryothercriticalfeatures,suchasalengthyinterview A milliontyranniesnow and themoremediareportthisconfrontation,worseitbecomes simultaneously antitheticaltoit.For, themorefreespeechadvocatesconfrontit, this newcensorshipisasmuchthecreationofdemocracyanddevelopmentit constitute thebiggestthreattofreedomanddemocracyinIndia.Andironically, books, art,cinemaandmusic—theentirepanoplyofculturalproductiontoday The communalcampaignsvariouslytargetingnewspapers,magazines,TVchannels, The TimesofIndia n themorningofJune26,Iwastoldthat Freedom ofexpression Onlooker Onlooker in Mumbai,andmyfirstissuewas mustered upthecouragetoaskhim uptoShamLal,theformidable , seekingapointerforthe into ahardnosednewsand TOI neveronce

into theownershippatternofnewspapers.Thiswasclearly control theprintmediabysettingupacommitteetoinquire A yearearlier, MrsGandhihadalreadyshownherdesireto Lessons oftheEmergency shaved hisbeardtoescapedetection. The Onlooker censorship byofficialscould beerraticandirrational. my experiencesoonshowed that eventheexerciseofpress later accusedthemof:“When askedtobend,youcrawled”), some journalistswenttojail, amajoritydidwhatLKAdvani But iftheresponsestoEmergencywereuneven(while be themostresistanttostaterepression. lesson ofpresscensorshipwas:themostpowerfulneednot competition ratherthanmonopolyownership.Sothefirst pattern ofownershiptheIndianmediasuggestedgood Gandhi’s tune—thereportinfactconcludedthat But muchtoeveryone’ssurprise,herefusedplayMrs submitted hisreportin1976attheheightofEmergency. economics professorfromKolkata’s PresidencyCollege, straight outofKafkaorGeorgeOrwell.Datta,aretired was knownsimplyas‘TheFact FindingCommittee’,aname chairman ofMrsGandhi’spressownershipinquiry, which The othersurprisewasBhabhatoshDatta,venerable of The IndianExpress who defiedGandhiweretheboorishRamnathGoenkaof began publicationduringtheEmergency. But amongstthose suave AroonPurie,ownerof accepted presscensorshipwithoutawhimper. Sodidthe so misleading.TheeruditeShamLalandthe The Emergencyshowedhowtheseeasylabelscouldbe in themedia. ‘the JutePress’,wereverycriticalof“monopolyownership” Jawaharlal Nehru,whoprobablycoinedthememorableterm trait —bothherhusbandFeroze Gandhiandherfather particularly amongstleft-wingleaders.Itwasalsoafamily Distrust ofthepresswasingrainedinherCongressParty, a rusetohitbackatnewspaperownerswhoopposedher. The Statesman TOI submittedtoapoliceinquiry, andMahadevan was putundertotalpre-censorship. Inother . and themegalomaniacalCushrowIrani India Today magazine, which TOI group RAHMAN MASEEH

Pande’s storyspokeofthecourageanddecencyordinary our Muslimbrethren?” face wouldwehaveshownbackhomeifhadbetrayed Rajasthan,” the now impoverished Hindus told Pande. “What out theMuslimhomes.“We’re allfromthesamevillagein they hadn’tprotectedtheirlivelihoodbysimplypointing mob togoonanarsonspree.Pande askedtheHinduswhy to setfiretheirshops.Theyhadstoodfirm,provokingthe homes inthebasti,andwhentheyrefusedhadthreatened come fromoutsideandaskedthemtopointoutMuslim what hadhappened.Theytoldhimthatanarmedmob colony wereleftuntouched.Puzzled,heaskedtheHindus edge ofashantytown,buttheMuslimhomeswithin Hindu mobhadburneddownalltheshopsat after the1969Ahmedabadriots,hefoundthatamarauding full ofinterestinganecdotesandobservations.For instance, engulfed byHindu-Muslimconflagrations.Hisinterviewwas Pande wasinthehabitofstudyingplacesthathadbeen historian BNPande oncommunalviolence. red pencil.OnesuchwasalonginterviewIdidwiththe find meaningfulstoriesthatcouldescapeBigBrother’s publication. Asaningénueeditor, Iwouldstruggleto words, everyarticlehadtobeclearedbythecensorbefore said sowell,theEmergencywas“apilotplant,alarge-scale ideologies tobloom.AsthesociologistShivVishvanathan turns autocraticandrepressive,ithelpsvarioustyrannical So thesecondlessonofpresscensorshipwas:whenastate propagating ahate-filledvisionofIndia? just arepressivebutalsoproductiveact—inthiscase Foucault meantwhen Indians shouldread.Was thiswhattheFrench philosopher man wassittinginthechiefcensor’sofficedecidingwhat and manyofitsworkersjailedduringtheEmergency, anRSS I thoughtitwasironicalthatwhiletheRSShadbeenbanned him completely, butI’llrestoremostofhiscuts.” censored t pained expression,andfinallyconfided:“Theofficialwho interview hadbeensobrutallyhacked.Hereaditwitha retired newspapereditor. IwenttoaskhimwhythePande incident. ThechiefcensorinMaharashtrawasBinodRao,a back heavilycensored,includingtheabove-mentioned Indians. Buttomyuttersurprise,theinterviewcame abrupt endtomyfirsttenureaseditor. Neither MrsGandhinortheRSSwereresponsiblefor trial fortotalitarianismsandemergenciesthatcamelater”. hese pagesbelongstotheRSS.Ican’tover-rule intolerance The newcensorshipofcommunal hecharacterisedcensorshipasnot Onlooker was owned 5 ISSUE 22 2011 6 ISSUE 22 2011 Special Branchmenwhenthey calledinatthe sterilisations. Iwascertainthat thegenteelbehaviourof rural eliteinthestatehadbeen outragedbytheforced Maharashtra ChiefMinisterS BChavanbelonged.The Barsi islocatedinMarathwada, aregiontowhichthethen my lie,andleft.Ineversawthemagain. the photos had been sent to the press. They quietly accepted interested intakingawaythephotographs.Iliedandsaid all enquired aboutthestory. However, theyseemedmainly sheepish SpecialBranchmenwalkedintotheofficeand door camesomeweeksafterpublication.Two somewhat undercover correspondenttoMumbai.Buttheknockon international media—the government wouldreact.Thestorygotsomeplayinthe project ofSanjayGandhi,sotherewasnoknowinghowthe into governmentvans.Thesterilisationcampaignwasapet Fulcrum ‘Barsi —SuccessorExcess?’appearedasacoverstoryin studio photographerhadclickedthechaoticstreetscenes. married andwithoutchildren,somequiteold.Abravelocal the annualtarget.Somewereunmarried,somenewly dragged tohospitalandforciblysterilisedinordermeet of peasantswhohadcometotownonmarketdaywere of thenationalfamilyplanningcampaign—anumber Barsi inMaharashtra.Iwenttheretodiscoverthefullhorror heard offorcedsterilisationsinaruralmarkettowncalled denouement. WhenIwasediting shackles duringtheEmergencyhadanaltogetherdifferent My next experience as an editor pushing against censorship’s the Tibetstruggle. criticise ChinaorwritefavourablyabouttheDalaiLamaand and ontheother, itdoesnotpermititscorrespondentsto hand itdisplayscourageinpublishingtheWikileaksfiles; publication. LookatNRam’s his background,willseektoimposeprejudicesona even beforethestatestepsin.Theowner, nomatterwhat That wasmythirdlesson:censorshipoftenbeginsathome, before Iwassackedfromthe Naxalite conspiracyinthestoryonChina.Itwasn’tlong But theKarnanis,withtheirKolkata roots,detecteda years later! India —it’sanothermatterthatitprobablystilldoes35 Emergency, thestoryseemedtocarryimportantlessonsfor photographs, ararityinthe1970s.Ingloomof travelled toChinaandcomebackwithexcellentcolour researched andwrittenbytwoIndianMarxistswhohad of theprimaryeducationsysteminChina.Itwasverywell of thecensor, Ihadcarriedacoverstoryonthesuccess In myperennialquestforalittlelightinthedarkshadow mansion notoriousforitsbrothels. jute andcoalwhosenamealsoadornedaPark Street by theKarnanis,aKolkata businessfamilywithinterestsin , illustratedwithphotosofpeasantsbeingdragged Freedom ofexpression Washington Post The Hindu Onlooker Fulcrum . today: ontheone magazine,we even sentan Fulcrum office high-decibel communalcampaigns variouslytargeting Rushdie’s novel the alacritywithwhichgovernment bannedSalman there weresomewarningsignals evenearlier—suchas marked thebeginningofthis disturbingphase,though the destructionofBabriMasjid inDecember1992 intolerance throughanylegalorillegalmeans”.Hebelieves speech advocate,callsit“thenew‘censorship’ofcommunal blight. RajeevDhavan,thenotedDelhilawyerandfree But alongwiththisnewspringhascomeanotherinsidious Newer formsofcensorship radical wayofdisseminating“news”and“views”. control. AndtheInternetandsocialmedianowprovidea Television hasbeenliberatedfromabsolutegovernment since thattime.Theprintmediahasmultipliedandboomed. The Indianmediahasundergoneadramatictransformation 1977 andwasresoundinglydefeated. belief ofherowninvincibility, shecalledageneralelectionin of thepopularrageagainstforcedsterilisations.Smugin ensured herinsulationfrommaking the people,herunaware she laterlookedbackontheEmergency:presscensorship this dividemaynothavebeenlostonMrsGandhiwhen Gandhi wouldn’thaveknownthat.Ultimately, theironyof sterilisation story expressed genuine grassroots anger; Sanjay leader’s linkswiththepeople.Chavanknew sometimes, itsintensitycanbeininverseproportiontothe So thefourthlessoninstaterepressionofmedia: far fromDelhi,andSanjayGandhi’sgoons. days, beforeInternetandsatellitenewsTV, Mumbaiwasstill police responsemayhavebeenaltogetherdifferent.Inthose his ruralsupporters.IfIhaddonethestoryoutofDelhi, had alottodowiththefeedbackChavanwasgettingfrom describing the Sena as ‘fascist’ BA syllabus, ostensibly for from the University of Mumbai’s get successful Shiv Sena campaign to one need look no further than the also lurks cold political calculation, ‘new censorship’ dramas there bigotry and hatred, behind such If proof were needed that besides Such A Long Journey Satanic Verses in September1989.These removed Fulcrum to promotehimselfthatheburned Mistry’sbookatthe party’s studentwingandwas lookingforasuitable‘cause’ Bal Thackeray’sgrandsonAditya wasanointedheadofthe years withoutanyoneobjecting. It’sonlyafterSenafounder as ‘fascist’.The1991novelhad beenonthesyllabusfor of Mumbai’sBAsyllabus,ostensibly fordescribingtheSena Mistry’s the recentsuccessfulShivSenacampaigntogetRohinton cold politicalcalculation,oneneedlooknofurtherthan behind such‘newcensorship’dramastherealsolurks If proofwereneededthatbesidesbigotryandhatred, is threateningtoturnintoatragedy. readers’ page.Nowthefarcehasnotonlybecomeserious, it outpourings ofcranks,providingsomeentertainmenton the cause. Butsuchletterswereseeninthosedaysasthe showing offhislife-longcommitmenttotheanti-Husain 1973 attackingHusain’spaintingsofLordGanesha.Hewas published inKhushwantSingh’s One leaderofthecampaignpointedoutaletterbyhim due toavibrantmediaandresurgentHindutvaradicalism. new —itonlyacquireddramaticdimensionsafter1996 Nor wasthecampaigntogag,bindandquarterHusain gods andgoddesses”. much moresimple—“aMuslimhasnorighttopaintour aesthetic traditioninfluencesandinspireshim.Thepointis what approachtheartisttakestowardshissubject,orwhich Bajrang Dalchieftoldmebackin1996,thepointisnot anti-Husain campaign;itwascommunalism.Asthethen But ofcourse,artwasneverthecontextvicious the magnificentVimal Vasahi templeatMountAbu. instance, camefroman11thcenturyiconofthegoddessin inspiration forthecontroversialSaraswatisketch, whose workisdeeplyinfluencedbyHinduiconography, modern artitself. ItseemstomatterlittlethatforHusain understanding ofeitherHusainasanartistorindeed TV talkshows,withtheparticipantsoftendisplayinglittle topic ofdiscussion—somewouldsay, whipping boy—on During thisperiod,Husainhasalsobecomeafavourite asylum abroad. court; andhislifelimbthreatened,forcinghimtoseek slashed andmuseumsransacked;casesfiledagainsthimin artist’s entireoeuvrehasbeencondemned;hispaintings the statemostlyactingasamutespectator, thecelebrated M FHusainbeganin1996.Duringthelast15years,with against asketchoftheGoddessSaraswatibypainter I realisedthiswhentheHinduradicalcampaignprotesting antithetical toit”. of democracyanddevelopmentasitissimultaneously points out,“thenew‘censorship’isasmuchthecreation freedom anddemocracyinIndia.Andironically, asDhavan production —todayconstitutethebiggestthreatto and music—inotherwords,theentirepanoplyofcultural newspapers, magazines,TVchannels,books,art,cinema Such ALongJourney removed fromtheUniversity Illustrated Weekly around happens notbecausethemobistoobigordangerous freedom andkeepssurrenderingtothemob.Andthis because thestateoftenabdicatesitsresponsibilitytodefend Indian democracyisfacingthisexistentialdilemmaonly report thisconfrontation,thebiggerbeastbecomes. speech advocatesconfrontitandthemoremedia And thenatureofbeastissuchthatmorefree and whipup‘popular’support. using fromtimetorespondasectariangrievance instrument thatallpoliticalpartieswithoutexceptionare “the creationofdemocracyanddevelopment”.Itisalsoan censorship’. AsDhavanpointsout,thisperiloustrendis Muslims? Thereinliesthereallong-termdangerofthis‘new designed tomobilise‘devout’Hindusagainst‘iconoclastic’ as thecampaignagainstHusain’spaintingsappears to projectAdityaandmobiliseSainiksbehindhim,just novel wascynicallymanufacturedbytheThackerayclan Can therebeanydoubtthattheuproaragainstMistry’s university gates,catapultinghimselftonationalfame. Maseeh Rahmanisaseniorjournalistbased inNewDelhi of democraticfreeexpression inasecularsociety”. Dhavan observes,“reliesoncoercion tosilencetheexercise challenge asthe‘newcensorship’ ofintolerancewhich,as proposals tocontrolblogging. Noneoftheseposeasbiga attempts tohobblethemedia,asevidenced,say, in especially intelevision;thegovernment’scontinued of secretinvestmentsinmediahousesbybigbusiness, as revealedintheNiiraRadiatapes;troublingimpact ‘paid news’;theincreasinginfluenceofpowerfullobbyists to themediainIndiatoday—insidiousgrowthof There areofcoursemanyotherinternalandexternalthreats viewer attackedanypainting. and therewerelongqueuestoseeHusain’sworks.Notone breakers. RecordcrowdsshowedupattheArtSummit, was readytouseitsenormousresourcesconfrontlaw- art fairtosendaclearmessagethatatlastthegovernment Husain’s works.TheDelhipolicecommissionervisitedthe Policemen werestationedinall thegalleriesshowing home ministryassuredtheorganisersofpropersecurity. campaign, thestatetookitsresponsibilitiesseriously. The But forthefirsttimeeverin15yearsofanti-Husain hurriedly brought down by both Indian and foreign galleries. attacked. Astheartfairopened,allofHusain’sworkswere they don’tbringdownHusain’spaintingswouldbe in Januarywereonceagainthreatenedthisyearthatif Art galleriesparticipatingintheIndiaSummitDelhi to thepassivity, naycowardice,ofthestate. the spectreofthis‘newcensorship’hasgrownmainlydue Let metakeanoppositeexampletoillustratethepointthat effectively defendfreedom. state lackconvictionandleadershipinordertobeable (we’re still not Pakistan), butbecausetheorgansof intolerance The newcensorshipofcommunal

7 ISSUE 22 2011 8 ISSUE 22 2011 Sedition andthedeathoffreespeech He subsequentlyfiledanappealintheSupremeCourtwhich be releasedonbailwasrejectedbytheBilaspurHighCourt. of lifeimprisonmentinDecember2010.Sen’sapplication to trial court,whichconvictedhimwithamaximumsentence his credentialsseemtohavehadlittleimpactontheRaipur is beingfollowedcloselyacrosstheworld.Unfortunately, gained worldwiderecognition,whichexplainswhyhistrial Sen’s work,especiallyintheareaofpublichealth,has Indian citizensaswellhumanrightsactivistsglobally. Sen haveprovokedoutrageamongstalargesectionof medical practitionerandhumanrightsworkerDrBinayak these archaicprovisionsatall.Theseditionchargesagainst there ispressingneedforadebateonwhetherwerequire charges overthelastfewyearsisenoughtotellusthat the country. Aquicklookatsomeofthosefacingsedition in whichtheselawshavebeenusedtocurbfreespeech sedition lawshavesparkedrenewedinterestinthemanner RECENT MEDIAATTENTION andpublicdebatearoundIndia’s society voicesopposedtoamilitary solutiontotheproblem Naxalites. Senrepresentedthe shrinkinggroupofcivil the state-supportedvigilante forceSalwaJudumandthe voices inastatewhichhasseen violentconflictbetween is thetargetofasystematiccampaign tosilencedissenting jail andthepartyleadershipin hiding,manybelievethathe as acourierbetweenanallegedNaxaliteleaderinRaipur While theChhattisgarhgovernmentclaimsthatSenacted granted himbailonApril15,2011. state policy. Isittimetoseriouslyre-examinethem? blasphemy, seditionlawsunderminetherighttodissentandcriticise of speechandexpression.Alongwithothercoloniallawsdealingobscenity activist DrBinayakSen—hasmadethemoneofthebiggestthreatstofreedom The repeateduseofIndia’sseditionlaws—mostrecentlyagainsthumanrights Freedom ofexpression population intheseareas. regard totheconsequencesforalreadypauperisedtribal and otherindustriesinthisresource-richstatewithout encouraging large-scaleinvestmentsinminesandminerals which hasbeencriticalofthestategovernment’spolicies People’s UnionforCivilLiberties(PUCL),Chhattisgarh, of Naxalism.ThesegroupsincludeSen’sorganisation,the ‘hatred orcontempt’totheword ‘disaffection’.These feelings ofenmity’.Thenew amendment addedthewords Disaffection wasnowstated to include‘disloyaltyandall Besant. In1898,thelawwas amendedbytheBritish. nationalist leadersincluding Tilak, Gandhi,andAnnie late-19th andearly-20thcentury werethoseofIndian Ironically, someofthemostfamousseditiontrials as ruler. or repudiationofacceptanceaparticulargovernment opposite ofthatfeeling,andmanifestsalackof, The rulermustbeacceptedasaruler. Disaffectionisthe that canexistonlybetween‘theruler’andruled’. from theBritish.‘Disaffection’hasbeendefinedasafeeling laws istheideaof‘disaffection’thatwehaveinherited (Prevention) Act(Section2(o)(iii)).Commontothese Meetings Act,1911;andtheUnlawfulActivities of CriminalProcedure,1973(Section95);theSeditious the IndianPenal Code,1860(Section 124(A));theCode Sedition lawsarefoundinthefollowingIndia: urgent needtore-examinethehistoryofthislegislation. Given thewidespreadnatureofitsuse,thereisan newspapers; thereareprobablymanyunreportedones. target themedia.Thesecaseshavebeenreportedin manner inwhichtheselawsareusedtomuzzledissentand them. Facts listedintheaccompanying tableindicatethe harass peopleevenifthegovernmentiswaryofusing The chargesdemonstratehowseditionlawsareusedto in Delhi. pursued basedonaprivatecomplaintfiledintrialcourt on Kashmirtitled‘Azadi: TheOnlyWay’. Thechargeswere Varavara Raoandothersfortheirspeechesataseminar in November2010againstArundhatiRoy, SARGeelani, In anotherhigh-profilecase,seditionchargeswerefiled

SIDDHARTH

NARRAIN

Recentcasesataglance trial, attendedbythemostprominent politicalfiguresof India along withShankerlalBanker, theproprietor of of MohandasGandhiin1922. Gandhiwascharged, The mostfamousseditiontrial afterTilak’swasthetrial 505 amendments alsobroughtinSection153-A with sedition Person charged Sudhir Dhawale Bhat Noor Muhammed Sengupta andothers Rao, Shuddabrata R Geelani,Varavara Arundhati Roy, SA others Bharat Pawar, and Avinash Kulkarni, Niranjan Mahapatra, E RatiRao Piyush Sethia (Vaiko) V Gopalaswamy Laxman Choudhury Lenin Kumar Kirori SinghBainsla Gautam Mehta Bharat Desaiand Binayak Sen Kahturam Sunani Manoj Shinde ii oftheIPC. , forthreearticlespublished in themagazine.The journalist and freelance Dalit rightsactivist Srinagar Memorial College, Lecturer, Gandhi theorists activists, andmedia Writers, political social activists leaders and Trade union Varthapatra Resident Editor, and organicfarmer Environmentalist MDMK Politician, Sambadh Journalist, Editor, leader Gujjar community (Mehta) Gujarat Samachar photographer, Ahmedabad; Times ofIndia, Resident Editor, activist human rights Doctor and Journalist, OTV Saamna Editor, Surat, Occupation Nishan 2010 November June 2010 2010- March 2010 February 2010 January 2009 December 2009 September 2008 December 2008 June 2008 June 2007 May 2007 May 2006 August When 2011 January 2010 December i andSection Young

Rajasthan Bayana, Gujarat Ahmedabad, Chhattisgarh Raipur, Sinapali, Orissa Surat, Gujarat Where Maharashtra Wardha, Srinagar Delhi Gujarat Karnataka Mysore, Tamil Nadu Salem, Tamil Nadu Chennai, district, Orissa Gajapati Orissa Bhubaneshwar,

him themaximumpunishment possible. was usedtotryhim,anddemanded thatthejudgegive stunning statement,Gandhi commented onthelawthat and whyitwashismoralduty todisobeythelaw. Ina uncomp judg presided overbyJudgeStrangman.Gandhiexplainedtothe that time,wasfollowedcloselybytheentirenation.It e whyfrombeingastaunch royalist hehadbecomean For leadinganagitationdemandingSTstatusforGujjars Ahmedabad policecommissionerandtheunderworld For articlesandphotographsthatallegedlinksbetweenthe the vigilanteSalwaJudum Sen hadcriticisedtheChhattisgarhgovernment’ssupportto For allegedlyhelpingcouriermessagestoMaoistleadership. hunger ‘soft’ dolomitestonesinNuapadadistrictduetoacute For filingareportthat Pahariya tribalswereconsuming tackling thefloodsituationinSurat Modi inaneditorialwhileallegingadministrativefailure For using“abusivewords”againstChiefMinisterNarendra Nature ofcharges Police allege linkswithCPI(Maoist)party on whether‘stone-peltersweretherealheroes’ For setting aquestionpaperforEnglishliteraturestudents titled ‘Azadi: TheOnlyWay’ that theymadeanti-IndiaspeechesataseminaronKashmir Private complaintalleging Police allegelinkswithCPI(Maoist) Karnataka Article in government’s supportforSalwaJudum Pamphlet distributedduringprotestagainstChhattisgarh launch function Remarks allegedlyagainstIndia’ssovereigntyatabook drug trafficking been writingabouttheinvolvementoflocalpoliceinillegal For allegedlypossessingMaoistliterature.Chaudhuryhad (Kandhamal’s riversofblood) riots entitled‘DharmanareKandhamalreRaktonadhi’ For publishingaspecialbookletontheKandhamal romising disaffectionistandnon-cooperator, Varthapatra Re-examining legislation alleging encounterdeathsin

9 ISSUE 22 2011 10 ISSUE 22 2011 previous systems which initstotalityhasdonemoreharmtoIndiathan But I hold it a virtue to be disaffected towards a Government less canIhaveanydisaffectiontowardstheKing’sperson. no pe their briefestoutlinethereasonsformydisaffection.Ihave charged underthatsection.Ihaveendeavouredtogivein convicted underit.Iconsideritaprivilege,therefore,tobe that someofthemostlovedIndia’spatriotshavebeen have studiedsomeofthecasestriedunderit,andIknow under whichmerepromotionofdisaffectionisacrime.I section underwhich not contemplate,promoteorincitetoviolence.Butthe the fullestexpressiontohisdisaffection,solongashedoes has noaffectionforaperson,oneshouldbefreetogive cannot bemanufacturedorregulatedbythelaw. Ifone designed tosuppressthelibertyofcitizen.Affection perhaps theprinceamongpoliticalsectionsofIPC “… and theterm‘publicorder’as groundsonwhichlaws Constitution. ThedraftConstitution in independent Indiawasnotlost onthosedraftingthe like GandhiandTilakcontinuing inthestatutebooksof The ironyoftheseditionlaw used againstnationalists the variousarticlestenderedinasevidenceagainstme.” a preciousprivilegeformetobeablewritewhatIhave in to beasinhaveaffection than sheeverwasbefore.Holdingsuchabelief, Iconsiderit Section 124AunderwhichIamhappilychargedis rsonal ill-willagainstanysingleadministrator, much Freedom ofexpression . India islessmanlyundertheBritishrule MrBankerandIarechargedisone forthesystem.Andithasbeen cluded ‘sedition ’

government. Thecourtheldthatbanningapublication magazine the CommunistParty illegal,bannedtheleft-leaning case, inwhichtheMadrasgovernment,afterdeclaring that promptedNehrutodothisweretheRomeshThapar asked hisCabinettoamendArticle19(1)a.Thetwocases regard toopinionsfromthefarleftandright,Nehru decisions in1949thatupheldfreedomofspeechwith developments receivedajoltwhen,stungbytwocourt guaranteed bytheConstitution(1).Howeverthesejudicial violated therighttofreedomofspeechandexpression court casesinthe1950s,whencourtsheldthatthey The seditionlawsweresuccessfullychallengedintwohigh Constitutional Assembly. Munshi whoproposedthesechangesinthedebates amendment wastheresultofinitiativetakenbyKM freedom ofspeechandexpression(Article19(2)).This eliminated seditionfromthelistofexceptionsto be framed.However, thefinaldraftofConstitution limiting thefundamentalrighttospeech(Article13)could violence. Thecourtupheldthe constitutionalityofthe government withoutinciting publicdisorderbyactsof government andcommenting uponthemeasuresof Court distinguishedclearlybetween disloyaltytothe circumscribing itsmeaning.In itsdecision,theSupreme atthesametime the constitutionalityofSection 124A, Kedar NathSinghjudgmenttheSupremeCourtupheld defining momentcamein1 124 AoftheIPCtobeunconstitutional(2).However, the Court didfollowtheprevioustwocasesandheldSection Despite theFirstAmendment,in1958AllahabadHigh can beseenhappeninginstatesacrossIndiatoday. to crushpoliticalopposition,especiallyatalocallevel.This Anthony w prescient. InthedebateonamendmentinParliament, move, Anglo-IndianleaderFrank Anthonywasthemost rebellion inTelengana. Ofthosewhodisagreedwiththe — widelyunderstoodtobelinkedtheongoingarmed ‘irresponsible journalism’,andwithdangerstothestate Nehru sawitasawayofdealingwithwhathecalled vulnerable communitiesincontextsofextremeinequality. tackling socialboycottandincitementtooffencesagainst Ambedkar supportedthemovewhichhesawasawayof the government.Indebatesaroundthisamendment, before ‘restrictions’,asasafeguardagainstmisuseby friendly states’intoArticle19(2);andtheword‘reasonable’ inserting thewords‘publicorder’and‘relationswith Nehru’s governmentdecidedtoamendtheConstitution, matter andmaterialrelatedtoPakistan toscrutiny. the RSSmouthpiece to anorderpassedbythechiefcommissioner, Delhi,asking danger tothesecurityofstate.Thesecondcaserelated exceptions to19(1)awerespecificandhadentail was notsupportedbytheconstitutionalschemesince because itwouldendangerpublicsafetyororder Crossroads arned that state legislatures might use this power Organiser forbeingoverlycriticaloftheNehru 962 wheninthelandmark to submitallcommunal US, and New Zealand and seriously re-examined the need for constitutional democracies such as the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth. It is time we followed the lead of modern and the right to criticise state policy in large parts of the blasphemy laws, sedition laws undermine the right to dissent such as criminal defamation, laws dealing with obscenity, and expression in this country. Along with other colonial laws one of the biggest threats to the freedom of speech and The repeated use of sedition laws has made these laws that the liberty of a citizen is not lightly interfered with.”that graver the offence, greater should be the care taken so enmity and hatred, etc, does harm to the cause. It is expectedfor offences of such serious nature like sedition and to promotetrial for those offences. Mechanical order convicting a citizenThe appellant strictly speaking should not have been put to essential ingredients of the offences under the three sections.against the appellant for these offences did not contain the of the sections, as already observed, even the charges framedthe absence of any evidence which may attract the provisions exhibited a very casual approach of the trial court. Let alonefor offences under Section 153 A, 124 A and 505 (2), has that the manner in which convictions have been recorded “Before parting with this judgment, we wish to observe acquitted ofchargesseditionin1997(3): Court’s observationinacaseconcerningKashmiriyouth terror’. TheproblemisaptlydescribedintheSupreme face andthelargeratmosphereofso-called‘waragainst attributed tothelocalpressuresthatjudgesintrialcourt even convicting)attheinitialstages.Someofthiscanbe guilty ofentertainingseditioncharges(andsometimes torturous legalprocess.Trial courtshavebeenincreasingly along theway, hefacespunishmentbybeingputthrougha So evenifsomeonechargedwithseditionisacquitted process ofbeingdraggedtocourtthatisthepunishment. and anyonewhodaresexpressdissent.For many, itisthe journalists, mediapractitioners,humanrightsactivists in thecountrycontinuetofilechargesofseditionagainst constitutionality), successivecentralandstategovernments the seditionlaw(atsametimeupholdingits While t would notsurvivethetestofconstitutionality. sedition lawweretobegivenawiderinterpretation,it incitement toviolence.Thejudgesobservedthatifthe to createdisorder, ordisturbanceoflawandorder, or its applicationtoactsinvolvingintentionortendency sedition law, whilstalsocurtailingitsmeaningandlimiting 1959 All101 Cri AppNo1434of1955,D/-11-2-1958 (All)citedinRamNandanvState,AIR 1 Tara SinghGopiChandvTheState1951CriLJ449andSabirRazaState, Endnotes a journalistwith gender rights,andthepoliticsofSupreme Court.Hehaspreviouslyworkedas Bangalore. Hisresearchinterestsincludemedialawsandcensorship,sexuality and Siddharth NarrainisalegalresearcherandlawyerwiththeAlternativeLawForum, these undemocratic laws he SupremeCourthaslimitedthescopeof Frontline magazine and in the world’s largest democracy. The Hindu newspaper inNewDelhi or communityandsuchactivityforanyreasonwhatsoevercausesislikelyto force orviolence,againstanyreligious,racial,languageregionalgroupcaste be likelythattheparticipantsinsuchactivitywilluseortrainedtocriminal intending touseorbetrainedcriminalforceviolenceknowingit use orbetrainedtocriminalforceviolence,participatesinsuchactivity or violenceofknowingittobelikelythattheparticipantsinsuchactivitywill that theparticipantsinsuchactivityshalluseorbetrainedtocriminalforce (b) 2[(c)Organisesanyexercise,movement,drillorothersimilaractivityintending and whichdisturbsorislikelytodisturbthepublictranquillity different religious,racial,languageorregionalgroupscastescommunities, (b) Commitsanyactwhichisprejudicialtothemaintenanceofharmonybetween racial, languageorregionalgroupscastescommunities, disharmony orfeelingsofenmity, hatredorill-willbetweendifferentreligious, or birth, residence, language, caste or community or anyothergroundwhatsoever, otherwise, promotesorattemptstopromote,ongroundsofreligion,race,place (a) Bywords,eitherspokenorwritten,bysignsvisiblerepresentations (1) Whoever maintenance ofharmony place ofbirth,residence,language,etc,anddoingactsprejudicialto Promoting enmitybetweendifferentgroupsongroundsofreligion,race, i Section153Aasitreadstoday: 3 BilalAhmedKaloovStateofAndhraPradesh,AIR1997SC3483 2 RamNandanvState,AIR1959All101 such intentasaforesaid.] report istrueandmakes,publishesorcirculates it[ingoodfaithand]withoutany or report,hasreasonablegroundsforbelieving thatsuchstatement,rumouror when thepersonmaking,publishingor circulatinganysuchstatement,rumour Exception —Itdoesnotamounttoan offence, withinthemeaningofthissection, be liabletofine.] shall bepunishedwithimprisonmentwhichmayextendtofiveyearsand also assembly engagedintheperformanceorreligiouswo commits anoffencespecifiedinsub-section(2)anyplaceofworshipor (3) Offenceundersub-section(2)committedinplaceofworship,etc:—Whoever years, orwithfine,both. or communities,shallbepunishedwithimprisonmentwhichmayextendtothree ill-will betweendifferentreligious,racial,languageorregionalgroupscastes or communityanyothergroundwhatsoever, feelingsofenmity, hatredor promote, ongroundsofreligion,race,placebirth,residence,language,caste or alarmingnewswithintenttocreatepromote,whichislikely or Whoever makes,publishesorcirculatesanystatementreportcontainingrumour [(2) Statementscreatingorpromotingenmity, hatredorill-willbetweenclasses:— fine, orwithboth. Shall bepunishedwithimprisonmentwhichmayextendto[threeyears],or persons tocommitanyoffenceagainstotherclassorcommunity; intenttoincite,orwhichislikelyanyclasscommunity (c) With offence againsttheStateorpublictranquillity; to anysectionofthepublicwherebypersonmaybeinducedcommitan intentto (b) With or failinhisdutyassuch; airman] intheArmy, [NavyorAirForce] [ofIndia]tomutinyorotherwisedisregard intenttocause,orwhichislikelyanyofficer,(a) With soldier, [sailoror [(1)] Whoevermakes,publishesorcirculatesanystatement,rumourreport, [505 Statementsconducingtopublicmischief ii Section505(asitstandstoday)reads with imprisonmentwhichmayextendtofiveyearsandshallalsobeliablefine.] the performanceofreligiousworshiporceremonies,shallbepunished specified insub-section(1)anyplaceofworshiporassemblyengaged Offence committedinplaceofworship,etc—(2)Whoevercommitsanoffence fine, orwithboth. Shall bepunishedwithimprisonmentwhichmayextendtothreeyears,or racial, languageorregionalgroupcastecommunity,] cause fearoralarmafeelingofinsecurityamongstmemberssuchreligious, cause, orwhichislikelytofearalarmthepublic,

Re-examining legislation rship orreligiousceremonies,

, 2[or]

11 ISSUE 22 2011 12 ISSUE 22 2011 or recompense — is the reality of a destitute and hopeless suicides, millions expropriated and displaced without relief mortality, rural distress reflected in tens of thousands ofpoor, farmer among the highest rates of infant, child and maternalless. Behind the banality of statistics — a third of the world’slumbering bureaucracies that know little and understand even their meagre means of survival, indeed, often of their lives, justiceby or redress; to be arbitrarily and pitilessly divested freedomof to starve; to suffer limitless abuse with no hope of of millions of citizens, ‘freedom’ means little more than the But these are not the greatest of our oppressions. For hundreds and holding govern against them, but remain responsible for framing India’s laws members of India’s present Parliament have criminal charges beggar the budgets of most states. A hundred and sixty-two corruption, and the astronomical proportions of new scandals in the country is suffocating under the leaden pall of a vast nexus long inured to rapine with impunity. Every high office killed by a thuggish politician-bureaucrat-business-crime a death trap problems. The Right to Information (RTI) Act has become these antediluvian bodies is the ‘solution’ to all of India’s panchayati raj blissfully argue that devolution of powers to and issue and execute death sentences, while advocates of regressive elements in rural society sanction honour killings their ‘sentiments’ must be respected. Khap panchayats and sometimes, brutal violence, even as governments argue that moral codes, and back these with intimidation and, at least media”. Increasingly, right-wing formations issue fatwas and the police ‘crackdown’ against the oil mafia is “only for the despite the public outrage and political posturing in this case, the retiring director general of the state police declares that, estimated at billions of rupees annually and, months later, daylight while investigating a nationwide petrol theft racket collector in Maharashtra is brutally murdered in broad work such hours ‘deserve to be raped’. An additional district members of the perpetrators proclaim that women who of the nth BPO worker returning home in the night, family Unsurprisingly, given such lofty precedents, after the rape at night, declares: “Women should not be so adventurous.” murder of a woman journalist driving home from work late The chief minister of her capital city, in the wake of the WHAT, PRECISELY, is the meaning of ‘freedom’ in India today? Freedom insecurity political expediency? agencies toimplementtheruleoflaw, andthesubordinationoflegalprocessesto rooted notinthelegislationsthemselvesbutinabilityofstateandits sedition, onthegroundsthattheyaresusceptibletoabuse.Butisn’tproblem and mountingcriticismof‘draconian’,‘colonial’statutessuchasthelawon In recentmonthswehaveseenacounter-productive debateonfreedomvssecurity, for RTI activists, dozens of whom have been Freedom ofexpression ment answerable to the Constitution. must beframed. which anymeaningfuldiscourseonfreedomandsecurity her Constitutionandlaws.Thisisthecontextagainst inept, infirmandcallousadministration,haveeviscerated louche democracy, herloutishstate,licentious,corrupt, The sheerandoverwhelmingstructuralviolenceofIndia’s darkness in which much of India still lives. Men ofotherwiseimpeccable virtuehave,onoccasion, sedition haveanyrealbearing onthemeritsofcase. virtues —northeill-informed diatribesagainstthelawof by Nobellaureatesandintellectuals highlightinghismany support —includinghigh-profile characterendorsements Unfortunately, neither thesuperlativecampaigninSen’s luminescent democracy. Ghose; sucha‘repressiveact’hadnoplaceinIndia’s against luminariessuchasMahatmaGandhiandAurobindo many lawsinourstatutebooksaren’t?),andhadbeenused sedition itself. This,itwas argued,wasa‘coloniallaw’(how broader, butessentiallysentimental,critiqueofthelaw sentencing toimprisonmentforlifequicklyturnedintoa A stridentandpersonalisedcampaignagainstSen’s an immediate bearing on the present arguments. possible here, it is useful to highlight some aspects that have Roy at a seminar in Delhi. While no detailed analysis is Syed Ali Shah Geelani and ubiquitous loose cannon Arundhati other two relate to speeches by Kashmiri separatist leader Sen on charges of sedition by a Chhattisgarh court, while the The most prominent of these is the conviction of Dr Binayak protection ofconstitutionalfreedoms. the ostensiblyconflictingobjectivesofsecurityand law ofseditioninparticular, andthewiderquestionof largely incoherent,focusinthepublicdiscourseon in therecentpast,andhavebroughtabrupt,though Three caseshavebeenthecauseofmuchconsternation from thesubstanceofenduringjustice. misdirected ethicofexpediency, bothofwhichtakeaway partisan adherencetoblindlegalformalismoralawlessand security, hasbeenconstructedoutofapolarised debateand Instead, anabsurdandcounter-productive dyad,freedomvs AJAI SAHNI the judicial process itself becomes the torment to which have installed is a system of ‘punishment by trial’, where dangerous or, in some cases, merely inconvenient. What we but simply to hold or to harass those who are thought to be credible evidence and an acceptable probability of conviction, which investigators take cases to court, not because they have the sustained denial of justice. This has created a context in system in India today is a system not for the delivery, but for Indeed, if justice delayed is justice denied, then the judicial of courts, and the inhuman protraction of the judicial process. police and investigative agencies, the laxity and susceptibility squarely in the absence of capacities and competence in the The abuse of laws — including sedition — is rooted from thecriminalstatutes. hardly beanargumentfortheremovaloftheseoffences dowry killings,crimesagainstwomen,andsoon.Thiscan convicted ofeverymajorcrime,includingmurder, rape, ordinarily thepoorandhencepoorlydefended—wrongly India’s jailscontainasignificantproportionofpeople— amount toanycoherentcritiqueofparticularstatutes. Individual instancesofabuselegalprocessdonot condemned as‘draconian’. with anyspecificclauseofmostthelawssweepingly on detailedanalysis,wouldrarelybefoundtothecase the casewithcurrentjurisprudenceonsedition,and, discretion ininterpretation.This,asalreadynoted,isnot sufficient precisionandare,consequently, opentowide of ‘overbreadth’—whereoffencesarenotdefinedwith to abuseonlytheextentthatitsuffersfromvice This, again,isnonsense.Alawparticularlysusceptible be struckdown. exceptionally susceptibletoabuseandshould,consequently, in ‘disturbed’areas,etc),thattheseareuniquelyor and organisedcrime;enablingthearmedforcestooperate range ofpurportedly‘draconian’laws(againstterrorism of sedition,andassociatedargumentsagainstawide This takesustothenextstreamofcritiquelaw extraneous factorsengineeredSen’sordeal. instances, manifestlyfalsifiedevidence.Itisclearthatpurely conviction ontheutterlycontrived,tenuousand,inseveral court; worse,nocourtcouldrationallyhavedelivereda respecting investigatorwouldhavetakenthiscaseto weak. Evenonthemostcursoryexamination,noself- elsewhere, isthattheevidenceagainsthimappallingly The scandaloftheBinayakSenjudgment,Ihavenoted beyond doubt. to inciteviolenceorpublicdisorderisdemonstrated now recognisesanoffenceonlywhereaclearintention its colonialantecedents.ThesettledlawofseditioninIndia Independence, anditscurrentavatarhaslittletodowith the lawofseditionhasbeenrepeatedlycircumscribedafter with chroniclesof‘theevilthatgoodmendo’.Crucially, been foundonthewrongsideoflaw;historyisreplete

she givesrelatesessentiallytothesheerignoranceofher find littleresonanceinKashmir’sstreet,andanyoffence but littlethatispunishablycriminal.Herprognostications much thatisprofoundly, sometimesspectacularly, irritating, Roy istheeasiertodealwith.Inhernarrative,there directive toreluctantauthoritiesregistercasesofsedition. Delhi, provokedmuchpoliticalbluster, andaneventualcourt Roy andGeelani,whosespeechesonOctober21,2010,in Sedition isthelinkthatbringsustoournext‘offenders’, far too often, outright corruption. and permeated with political prejudice, incompetence and, people; a system, moreover, that is exceptionally hidebound less than 133 policemen and roughly one judge per 100,000 prosecution. This, however, cannot happen where you have application of the laws against perjury and malicious efficiency, and decides these without delay; and by a vigorous justice system that investigates cases with integrity and Such mischief could theoretically be ended by an efficient guilty and innocent are subjected alike. exceptionalism, Indiaperforms abysmally. to whichtheruleoflawprevails, withoutthetaintof Indeed, ifthetruemeasureof democracyisthedegree subordination oflegalprocesses topoliticalexpediency. capacity andwilltoimplement theruleoflaw, andthe This, then,istheheartof problem:thelackof against mealready, thiswillbe(the)91st.” Geelani contemptuouslydeclared:“Ihave90FIRsregistered at theheightofcontroversyoverhisDelhispeech, started purelyontransientpoliticalconsiderations.Indeed, decades, andprosecutionsineachofthesearestalledor culmination, thoughtheearliestdatebacknearlytwo not oneofthesecaseshasbeencarriedtoalogicaljudicial various Pakistan-backed terroristgroups.Unfortunately, hawala transactionsandhisintimateconnectionwith multiplicity ofcasesagainsthimrelatingtoterroristfinance, to hismanyinflammatoryspeechesinKashmir. Hehasa terrorists. WhathesaidinNewDelhiwasmildcompared documented, evenasarehiscomplexlinkageswith through thestone-peltingcampaignof2010—iswidely of seditiousviolence—certainlyinhispublished‘calendars’ Geelani isanothermatteraltogether. Hisdirectincitement to enjoythefullestprotectionofherfreedomspeech. commentary isdeclaredapunishableoffence,willcontinue in goodfaith,and,unlesspeddlingfictionaspolitical seeker, with littleinterestinseriousinvestigationoractivism theme. Royiseasilydismissedasanarcissisticattention- 2001, andhadwovenalongfancifulnarrativeonthe in theterroristattackonIndia’sParliament inDecember Indian stateagenciesof‘Complicity, Collusion, Involvement’ It isusefultorecallthat,someyearsago,Royhadaccused Kashmiri MuslimshavebeenmurderedbytheIndianstate”. perversion, eveninvention,of‘facts’—thus,“68,000 critique, herhyperbolicfalsehoods,andrelentless Legislation: Counter-view

13 ISSUE 22 2011 14 ISSUE 22 2011 the provocation,advocacyand glorificationofterrorism. families” ispunishable.Laws inFrance andtheUKprohibit demean orhumiliatethevictims ofterroristoffencesortheir perpetration, orthecommission ofactstendingtodiscredit, of terroristacts“orpersons havingparticipatedintheir through anyformofpublicinformation orcommunication” hate speech.InSpain,the“glorificationorjustification, criminalise theglorificationofterrorismandpatterns Across Eur organisation isnotunconstitutional”. coordination with,oratthedirectionof, aforeignterrorist “that acriminalprohibitiononadvocacyperformedin terrorist attacks”.TheUSSupremeCourtthusconcluded, members, andtoraisefunds—allofwhichfacilitatemore makes iteasierforthosegroupstopersist,recruit lend legitimacyto…terroristgroups—that that maybeputtoviolentends.Italsoimportantlyhelps “frees upotherresourceswithinthe(terrorist)organisation and peaceful”organisationstodesignatedterroristgroups, that thesupportofarange“presumablynon-violent Law Project,deliveredonJune21,2010,whichrecognised the USSupremeCourtjudgmentinHoldervsHumanitarian well assignificantchangesinUSjurisprudence,specifically of armedanti-stategroupsintheinterveningdecades,as organisation, technology, capabilities,strategyandtactics The SupremeCourt,here,ignoresdramaticdevelopmentsin violence orincitementtoviolence”. or incitespeopletoviolencecreatespublicdisorderby not makeapersoncriminalunlessheresortstoviolence that, “merememb Clarence BrandenburgvsStateofOhio,1969),toconclude judgments datingbacktothe1960s(includinglandmark Bill ofRightsintheUSConstitution”,courtreliedon Recognising that“ourfundamentalrightsaresimilartothe of Assam,deliveredonFebruary 3,2011,isthuscrucial. The SupremeCourt’sdecisioninArupBhuyanvsState clearly definedlines. restraints arenecessarytoreininelementswhocross ‘useful idiots’,tofurthertheirradicalends,andthatlegal and overgroundnetworksofsympathisers,aswellsome terrorist andinsurgentgroupssystematicallyusefronts exercise”. Itisevident,consequently, thatextremist, do notservethecauseofpeoples’warwillbeafutile however, “anyjointactivityortacticalallianceswhich organisations focusonvarious‘burningissues’.Crucially, by workingfromwithinwithoutgettingexposed”.These those organisationsledbyotherforceswhichweutilise which areformedonabroadbasisbyourselves;and… emphasises theneedtocreate“coverorganisations…those Maoist PoliticalandOrganisationalReview strongholds anddestroydemocracyfromwithin”.The of thelawinorder“toattainaccesstotheiropponents’ sets upanumberoflegalfrontstoexploittheinterstices It isnowabundantlyclearthateveryextremistorganisation ope, the Freedom ofexpression ership ofabannedorganisationwill re areanumb er oflawsthatnow explicitly

into therealmsoflawlessness,transformingprotection democratic freedoms,wehavepushedthelimitsoflaw beyond thestatuteanditsarcaneinterpretations.Inuredto The substanceoflibe how manypeopleareslaughteredinthestreets”. fulfilled, alltheinterestsofjusticeareserved—nomatter long asthetediousritesandritualsofjudicialyagnaare protection, inabelief, asKPSGillexpressesit,“that, lost touchwiththeoriginalobjectivesofhumanrights jurisprudence hasremainedmiredinaformalismthat configuration ofresourcesanddemography. Rights imperatives ofsecurity, administrationortheavailable rigidly criticalofthestatewithoutappreciation has beenevenmoredogmatic,partisanandutopian, deepening institutionalinfirmities.Humanrightsactivism evolving realitiesoftheground,aswellfromIndia’s remains stagnantandisolatedfromthedynamic and beexplicitlyacceptedorrejected.Indianjurisprudence imitate thesetrends.Buttheirrationalemustbeexamined It isnot,ofcourse,thecasethatwemustimmediately for variousnationalandstategovernments development inSouthAsia,andhasparticipated inadvisoryprojectsundertaken researched andwrittenextensivelyonissues relatingtoconflict,politicsand Review; South AsiaTerrorism Portal Dr AjaiSahniisExecutiveDirectorofthe InstituteforConflictManagementand longer hasthecapacitytoachieveit. Very few, inIndia,seemtowant this;andthestateno implemented, withouttheconstantdilutionofexceptions. law, asetofsettled,clearlydefined regulations,inexorably two areinseparable—canariseonly Both securityandfreedom,inanyrealsense—the uncertain, malignant. state weakens,powerbecomesprogressivelyrandomised, and theresultisaprogressiveresorttoshortcuts.As and legitimateendsofgovernancethroughdueprocess, institution havemadeitimpossibletosecurethenecessary state anditsagencies.Endemicdeficitsofcapacityinevery capabilities. Itisnotpowerbutinfirmitythatbrutalisesthe of power, but ofaprogressiveerosioncapacitiesand of theIndianstateisaconsequence,notanyexcess of constitutionalgovernance.Thecumulativebrutalisation are acompletemisreadingofrealityandtheimperatives agencies tocounterrisingsecuritythreats.Bothpositions narrative demandsgreaterandimpunityforstate progressively constrainandemasculatethese.Acounter- power vestedinstateinstitutions,andhasthussoughtto denial offreedomtoanexcess,andconsequentabuse, The establishednarrativeinIndiahasattributedthe desperately, tohollowformsandprocesses. for theprotectionofourfreedomsremainstied,blindly, rights tovastpopulations.Theinstitutionalapparatus we routinelyacceptthedenialofmostrudimentary unscrupulous, thecriminalisedandviolent,evenas of rightsintoaweaponinthehandspowerful, ExecutiveEditor, Faultlines: Writings on Conflict&Resolution. http://www.satp.org rty, orofitsabsence,goeswell ; Editor, outoftherule

South AsiaIntelligence Hehas post-colonial India, and the response of the state to the crisis. Constitution of India as the history of the first media crisis in article narrates the history of the first amendment to the and expression by expanding the scope of Article 19 (2). This to strengthen state regulation over the freedom of speech amendment to the Constitution in 1951 which attempted in the US. The first amendment in India refers to the first expression, a right which has been held to be almost absolute Constitution refers to the right of freedom of speech and amendment”. The first amendment in the context of the US us is that of an apparently innocuous phrase — “the first larger stories reveal themselves. The irony that concerns IT IS ALWAYS THROUGH THE CURIOUS histories of irony that amendment were:a)addition oftheword‘reasonable’ The threesignificantadditions broughtaboutbythe or incitementtoanoffence.”(2) or moralityinrelationtocontempt ofcourt,defamation, friendly relationswithforeign states,publicorder, decency, by thesub-clauseininterestsofsecuritystate, reasonable restrictionsontheexerciseofrightconferred operation ofanyexistinglawinsofarassuchimposes “Nothing insub-clause(a)ofclause1shallaffectthe amendment theprovisionreadasfollows:Article19(2) to Article19(1)(a),namelyA The firstamendmenttotheConstitutionwasproviso state ortendstooverthrowthestate.” decency ormoralitywhichunderminesthesecurityof contempt ofcourtoranymatterwhichoffendagainst from makinganylawrelatingtolibel,slander, defamation, any existinglawinsofa in sub-clause(a)ofclause1shallaffecttheoperation was, however, limitedbyArticle19(2)whichsaid:“Nothing freedom ofspee form readasfollows:“All citizensshallhavetherightto state formativepractices”(1).Article19(1)(a)initsoriginal what UpendraBaxitermsas“constitutionalismasiteof colonial India.Italsoprovidesforusthefirstinstanceof spectral fea this configurationofthe‘nationalcrisis’hasremained — notsurprisinglyseentobeacrisisofthenation,and This crisisofmediaintheearlylife‘new’nationwas unreasonable speech Reasonable restrictionsand security andsovereigntyoverthepromotionofdemocraticinstitutions freedom ofexpressionbutcurtailedit,prioritisingthepromotionnational didnotpromote Indian Constitutionwhich,unlikethefirstamendmentinUSA, related totheRSSmouthpiece Two cases—onerelatedtotheleft-leaningjournal r thatpermeatesmuchofmediahistoryinpost- ch andexpression.”Thisfundamentalright r asitrelatestoorpreventsthestate rticle 19(2),andafterthe Organizer —ledtothefirstamendmentof Crossroads emergence oftheConstitution,andphilosophythat made, itisimportanttoprovideabackgroundthe Before webegintounderstandwhythisamendmentwas ‘public order’. of speechandexpression,finallyc)theaddition foreign states’asoneofthegroundsforrestrictingfreedom before restrictionsb)additionof‘friendlyrelationswith fostering asocialrevolutionto betterthelotofmass establishing theinstitutionsand spiritofdemocracy;and protecting andenhancingnational unityandintegrity; Constitution “maybesummarised ashavingthreestrands: in anon-contradictorymanner. Thecorevision ofthe ensure astructurewhichwould tieinalltheseconcerns According toAustin,theIndianConstitutionsought many citizenseffectively?”(4) the law, thecourtsandadministration failedtoreachso other nationalgoals—indeed,howwoulditgovernwhen and exploitation?Howwouldgovernmentachievethese society inwhichreligionandtraditionsanctionedinequality fostered anddemocraticinstitutionsstrengthenedinahuge applying theruleoflaw, would socialeconomicreformbe government andst development withoutalienatingsubordinatelevelsof to enhancenationalunityandpromoteeconomic included: “Howcouldauthoritybecentralisedenough The greatestchallengesfortheframersofConstitution these aspirations. as wellonewhichwasstructurallydesignedtoactualise articulate Constitution wasthereforeseentobebothadocumentthat centuries ofserfdomandresumesherancientname.”(3)The editorial wentontosay:“Today Indiarecovershersoulafter end ofthreeyearsdebateanddrafting,thepaper’s from nearandfar…Rejoicingsallover.” Thedaymarkedthe sovereign republic…adayoffulfilment…goodwishes on January26,1950,triumphantlyannounced:“Hailour formal Constitution.Theheadlineofthe later —onJanuary26,1950thatIndiaadopteda August 15,1947,itwasnotuntiltwo-and-a-halfyears to realiseitsgoals.WhileIndiagainedindependenceon it soughttoarticulate,andthestructurallogicadopted d thehopesandaspirationsofnewnation, and theother

ultifying localinitiative?How, while India’s FirstAmendment Hindustan Times LAWRENCE LIANG 15 ISSUE 22 2011 16 ISSUE 22 2011 Constitution. Thequestionthat thereforearosewaswhether saved bytheexceptionsprovided byArticle19(2)ofthe expression unlessitcouldbe shown thattherestrictionwas violation ofthefundamental rightoffreedomspeechand stated thatthebanwouldprima facieconstituteaclear expression asguaranteedunder Article19(1)(a).Thecourt this banwasaviolationofhisfreedomspeechand approached theSupremeCourtofIndiaandallegedthat circulation ofthejournalinthatstate.RomeshThapar 1, 1950,wherebytheyimposedabanontheentryand purported toissueanorderNoMS1333datedMarch A) oftheMadrasMaintenancePublicOrderAct,1949 Madras, inexerciseoftheirpowersunderSection9(1- declared thecommunistpartiesillegal.TheGovernmentof of theNehruviangovernment.TheMadrasgovernmenthad left-leaning journal,verycriticalofanumberthepolicies printed andpublishedinBombaywasconsidereda of anEnglishjournalcalled (7) casethepetitionerwasprinter, publisherandeditor of theserights.IntheRomeshThaparvStateMadras powers ofthestatetoi speech andexpressioninademocracywhatwerethe over theinterpretationofwhatconstitutedfreedom by thePatna HighCourt(6)andtwo bytheSupremeCourt Constitution emergedinthecontextofthreedecisions,one The firstr Between theleftandrightoffreespeech the strands? of theConstitutionincaseaconflictbetweenone from thelegislaturetojudiciary, overtheinterpretation differing interpretationsofdifferentorgansthestate, of onestrandovertheother?Howcouldyouresolve a harmoniousmanner, orwoulditrequiretheprioritisation seamless webweretoberesolved,thencoulditdonein then animpossibleprojectrightfromthebeginning?If and equalityundertheConstitution.Was thisseamlessweb by wayoflandreformsconflictswiththerighttoproperty and expression.Ontheother, thepromotionofsocialjustice exercise ofdemocraticrights,especiallyfreedomspeech national sovereigntyandsecuritybeginstoconflictwiththe the onehand,projectofnation-buildinginterms to contradicteachotherandworkagainstother. On imagination oftheseamlessweb,asthreestrandsstart precisely aboutthestrainsthatbegintoemergeinthis However, theearlyhistoryofConstitutionIndiais the framers had spun a seamless web”(5). the nation would not hold together. With these three strands, and economic reform. And without democracy and reform endangered and there could be little progress towards social a just society. Without national unity, democracy would be truly democratic unless the social revolution had established or gained at the expense of democracy. Nor could India be inextricably intertwined. Social revolution could not be sought that thethreestrandsaremutuallyinterdependentand of Indians.Theframersbelieved,andIndiansbelievetoday, eal strainontheseamlessfabricof Freedom ofexpression mpose restrictionsontheexercise Crossroads. Crossroads was state’, astheformerincludedanumberoftrivialmattersnot safety’ hadamuchwiderconnotationthan‘securityofthe Provinces. Thecourthoweverstatedthatthephrase‘public government andthelegislatureofeacherstwhile defined inArticle12asincluding,amongotherthings,the within themeaningofArticle19(2)as“thestate”hasbeen the Province,and,therefore,“thesecurityofstate” statute relatingtolawandorder, meansthesecurityof that theexpression“publicsafety”inAct,whichisa or tendstooverthrowthestate”.Thegovernmentargued relating toanymatterwhichunderminesthesecurityof the languageofArticle19(2)andbeconsidereda“law ‘public order’,thequestionwaswhetheritcouldfallunder Article 19(2)didnotcontainthephrase‘publicsafety’or any documentorclassofdocuments”.Giventhefactthat distribution intheProvinceofMadrasoranypartthereof prohibit orregulatetheentryintocirculation,sale the publicsafetyormaintenanceoforder, to the ProvincialGovernment“forpurposeofsecuring Act wassavedbyArticle19(2).Section9(1-A)authorised Section 9(1-A)oftheMadrasMaintenancePublicOrder (2) andthatthecourtsinterpreted restrictionsonfreedom the phrase‘publicorder’was notincludedinArticle19 case. Thekeyfactorinboththe decisionswasthefactthat Thapar’s caseandconcurred with thefindingsinThapar and themajorityinthiscase referred totheirdecisionin was deliveredonthesameday astheRomeshThaparcase, could beheldtoconstitutionallyvalid.Thisdecision question aroseastowhetherthisorderofpre-censorship United PressofIndiaandAmerica.The supplied bythenewsagencies,viz,PressTrust ofIndia, cartoons otherthanthosederivedfromofficialsourcesor news andviewsaboutPakistan includingphotographsand for scrutiny, beforepublication,allcommunalmatterand per theorder, theeditorof inflammatory materialswithrespecttothe Partition. As had issuedtheorderagainst Organizer left, inthiscasetheorderwasagainstfarright,as the RomeshThaparcaseorderwasagainstfar an EnglishweeklyfromDelhicalledthe 7 (1)(c)oftheEastPunj chief commis In thesecondca therefore voidandunconstitutional”. the scopeofauthorisedrestrictionsunderclause(2),andis public safetyorthemaintenanceoforderfallsoutside imposition ofrestrictionsforthewiderpurposesecuring order. Itfollows thatSection9(1-A)whichauthorises have beenconceivedgenerallyintheinterestsofpublic 19, althoughtherestrictionswhichitseekstoimposemay cannot fallwithinthereservationunderclause(2)ofArticle of thesecuritystateoroverthrowit,suchlaw and expressionisdirectedsolelyagainsttheundermining It concluded that “unless a law restricting freedom of speech necessarily asserioustheissueofsecuritystate. was themouthpieceofRSS.Thecommissioner sioner ofDelhipassedanorderunderSection se, BrijBhushanvStateofBihar(8),the ab PublicSafetyAct,1949against Organizer Organizer Organizer had tosubmit for printing . Ifin exposed theinherenttensions betweenbalancingfreedom the nationstate.Thecrisiscan bereadatvariouslevels;it in themindsofgovernment thefirstmajorcrisisof These twodecisionsoftheSupreme Courtprecipitated affecting publicorder. the twolegislations,itcouldonlyrelatetoseriousoffences in thecaseoftrivialoffences.However, inthecontextof of thephrase‘publicorder’wouldjustifyrestrictionseven the cases,andhisargumentwasthataliteralconstruction that JusticeFazl Alideliveredadissentingdecisioninboth for thepurposesofArticle19(2).Itisinterestingtonote could notbeconsideredasspeechwhichrestricted overthrowing thestate”.Merecriticismofgovernment pertained to“underminingthesecurityofstateor of speechandexpressionasbeinglegitimateonlyifthey ideal ofademocraticstate threat tothelargerabstract of ademocraticrightas democracy —viztheexercise which wouldhauntIndian it setinmotionadebate Constitution were.Andfinally to whotheguardiansof also posedthequestionas security andsovereignty. It the promotionofnational speech andexpression balancing freedomof inherent tensionsbetween nation state.Itexposedthe the firstmajorcrisisof minds ofthegovernment Court precipitatedinthe Two decisionsoftheSupreme 1951, Nehruformedacabinetcommitteetoexaminethe transport alsoneededtobeamended”(10).InFebruary affecting zamindariabolitionandnationalisationofroad over thefundamentalrights,Nehruaddedthatprovision the difficultiesgovernmentwashavingwithcourts and subversiveactivitiesneeded the Constitution’sprovisionspertainingtolawandorder immediately wrotetoAm Nehru waslividwiththeinterpretationofcourt.He laws forthecontrolandregulationofpress”(9),while decision “knockedthebottom(out)ofmostourpenal Sardar Patel, thehomeminister, thoughtthatthe The firstamendment:Bringingordertospeech larger abstractidealofademocraticstate. — viztheexerciseofademocraticrightasthreatto set in motion a debate which would haunt Indian democracy who theguardiansofConstitutionwere.Andfinallyit security andsovereignty. Italsoposedthequestionasto of speechandexpressionthepromotionnational Critics ofthebillincludedHN Kunzru whoargued that held thatevenmurderorlike offencescanbepreached.” an extraordinarystateofaffairs thatahighcourthad by thejudgeinPatna HighCourt,hestated:“Itwas fulfilled theneedofhour. Referring tothestatement 12, 1951.Nehrudefendedthe amendmentstatingthatit with theadditionof‘publicorder’wasintroducedonMay The draftamendmentwithouttheword‘reasonable’and conformity withtheConstitution’”. impossible tobringtheimpugnedprovisionsoflaw‘in view that“amendmentsshouldonlycomeifitwasfound was necessarytoamendtheConstitutionandheof reading oftheSupremeCourtdecision,didnotthinkthat it have tobe‘reasonable’.PresidentRajendraPrasad,ona etc, thattheyfeltpossiblecurbsonfreespeechdidnot security, frien But theyweresoalarmedbythedangerstonational ‘rea political repercussionsoftakingawaytheprotectionthat logic wasjustifiedonthegroundthattheyfeared not bequalifiedinanymanner. Thisslightlycontradictory restrictions onfreedomof the word‘reasonable’inotherprovisionsArticle19, Ambedkar andfeltth The cabinetcommittee,however, stronglydisagreedwith 19 shouldberetainedandevenaddedtoArticle(2). the opinionthatword‘reasonable’asusedinArticle before theword‘restrictions’,andlawministrywasof the originalArticle19(2)didnothaveword‘reasonable’ interests ofthesecuritystate’.Itistobenotedthat overthrow thestate’infavourofawiderformulation,‘in the rightoffreedomspeech.Itpreferreddropping‘to to acrime’shouldbeincludedamongtheexceptions the cabinetcommitteethat‘publicorder’and‘incitement proposed amendment.Thehomeministryrecommendedto sonable’ accordedtotheotherfreedomsinarticle. dly relationswithforeignstates,publicorder, India’s FirstAmendment at whileitwasreasonabletoretain bedkar “expressingtheviewthat speechandexpressionshould to beamended.Reflecting Crossroads

17 ISSUE 22 2011 18 ISSUE 22 2011 liberal values,fromthatofthe farlefttothatofthe and expressionthatwereideologically opposedtohis had asituationwhereNehru had tocontendwithspeech to understandourcontemporary situation.In1950,you looking atthecrisisthatprecipitated thefirstamendment monumentalist imaginations. Itisalsoperhapswellworth process throughwhichfragmentsworktheirwayinto disintegration ofthewhole,ratherthanasinevitable of theseamlesswebConstitutionwereseenas The contradictionsthatarosebetweenthethreestrands media, theConstitutionandstateformativepractices. it provedtobethebasisforfutureconflictsover ‘reasonable restriction’,and,asNehrurightlypredicted, of speechandexpression,italsointroducedtheidea public orderintoconstitutionalrestrictionsonfreedom and internalconflicts.Whileintroducingthediscourseof the firstamendmentisalsofraughtwithcontradictions As withanyprojectofstateimagination,theimpact institutions. being prioritisedoverthepromotionofdemocratic with thepromotionofnationalsecurityandsovereignty the ratherprematureendofvisiona‘seamlessweb’, of nation-buildingandthespheremedia.Itmarked kinds ofbattlesthatwouldtakeplacebetweentheproject amendment butbecauseinmanywaysitalsosignalledthe space inthishistory, notmerelybecauseitwas thefirst case. Thefirstamendment,however, retainsasignificant constitutional historyduringtheEmergencybeingaclassic alongside ahistoryofmovestoamendtheConstitution, of conflictinthehistoryIndiacanalmostbemapped significance. However, onethingiscertain—everyperiod to theConstitution,notallofwhichhavegreathistorical Over thedecadestherehavebeenmanymoreamendments Conclusion 228 to20. the firstofJune1951, Parliament passedthebillbyavoteof a splitintheCabinetandensuretwo-thirdsmajority. On The Cabinetacceptedtherecommendationinordertoavoid whether aparticularactwasreasonableornot. open upthepossibilityofcourtbeingcalledtointerpret was becausethewordanambiguousoneanditwould that thereasonwhyhedidnotlikeword‘reasonable’ In asubsequentlettertoTKrishnamachari,Nehrustated preferred nothavinganyqualificationstotherestrictions. for Nehru,asitwasclearthatgivenachoicehewouldhave The additionoftheword‘reasonable’wasapartialdefeat and expression. ‘reasonable’ toqualifytherestrictionsonfreedomofspeech a compromisegesture,Nehrusuggestedaddingtheword In responsetothevariousapprehensionsarticulated,andas delivered ascathingcritiqueoftheproposedamendment. (a). ShayamaPrasadMookerjeeoftheHinduMahasabha this wasnotanamendmentbutarepealofArticle19(1) Freedom ofexpression 10 Ibid 9 GlanvilleAustinatp42 8 AIR1950SC129 7 AIR1950SC124 because hecouldclaimfreedomofspeechandexpression’ through thepressorbywordofmouth,hewouldbefreetodosowithimpunity ‘if apersonweretogoonincitingmurderorothercognisableoffenceseither Nehru whiledefendingthefirstamendment.JusticeSarjooPrasadhadstatedthat point tonoteisthatJusticeSarjooPrasad’sstatementwouldlaterbeusedby 6 We willnotbereferring to thePatna HighCourtdecision.Butanimportant 5 Ibidatp6 4 Ibidatp14 (New Delhi:OUP, 1999)p13 3 GlanvilleAustin, Amendment ActfollowingtheIndo-Chinawar 2 Article19(2)wassubsequentlyamendedagainin1963bythe16th Cardozo LRev1183 1 SeeUpendraBaxi, Endnotes Lawrence LiangisaresearcherattheAlternativeLawForum of speechabandonsthesitepoliticsandconvertsitintoa web), andapleatothestateruleoutundesirableforms public sphere(muchliketheimaginationofseamless relationship betweenmediaandtheproperlyconstituted of desirableformsspeechpresumesapre-tailored offend ourliberalsentiments.Very oftentheassumption be alittlecautiousinourresponsestoformsofspeechthat regulation againstthe‘hatespeech’ofright.We needto intellectuals, mediapractitioners,etc,demandgreater speaks tosomecontemporarydebateswhereprogressive promotion ofanassumedpublicinterest.Thisperhapsalso the mediawasseentobeaninstrument/mediumfor of thenationoverwhatconstitutespublicsphere, perpetual siteofpoliticsandcontestationovertheform conscience. Ratherthanunderstandingthemediaasa undesirable speech,andproceedtoactwithademocratic good, hecouldthendeterminewhatwasdesirableand democratic state.Havingassumedthegreatercommon in favourofthelargerinterestorabstractnorma an exerciseofademocraticright,orpractice right. Nehru’sresponsewasaclassicalcaseofdeferring Note: ThisessaybyLawrenceLiangwaspublishedin than resolveit. site ofregulationthatwillmerelyheightenthecrisisrather Working aDemocraticConstitution:TheIndianExperience Constitutionalism AsaSiteofStateFormativePractices Sarai Reader04 (2004) , 21

, who holdthisviewbelievethatonemayrightfullyaskfor that offend,degradeorbelittlegroupsindividuals.Those ‘harm’ aroundwhichcensorshipisinvokedconcernsimages assault orotherharmfulactivities.Thesecondnotionof lead people(oratleastsomepeople)toviolence,sexual harm byinstigatingimitativeaction.Inotherwords,itcan The mostcommonlyheldbeliefisthatimagescancause impact’ ontheviewer. Whatkindofharmcanimagesdo? that, ifallowedtopass,theimagescouldhavea‘harmful basis ofasingularinterpretationtextwiththebelief in justthereverse.Censorshipisalwayscarriedouton are opentoanumberofreadings,thencensorshipbelieves IF FILMANDCULTURAL STUDIESarguethatcinematictexts wisdom ofusingcensorshipas astrategyforsocialchange. understanding ofconsent,women’s sexualpleasure,andthe debates thatprofoundlyshaped thecontemporary anti-censorship feminists,on theotherhand,initiated harm andisitselfinthat it“degrades”women.The and malesexualviolence.Pornography, theysaid, causes practice”, theydrewastraightlinebetweenpornography Using sloganslike“pornographyisthetheory, rapeisthe notions of‘harm’todemandthebanningpornography. ‘meaning’. RadicalfeministsintheUSAinvokedboth interpretable, therecanbenoconsensusaboutits it hasbeenpointedoutth Insofar as their “portfoliosofinterpretations”. expectations andwhatscholarAnnetteHillhasdescribed as construct meaningaccordingtotheirpredisposition,generic intention, are impact onbehaviour. Filmtexts,regardlessofauthorial has beennoevidencetoshowthatimageshaveadirect equal criticalscho imitative behaviourhashadgreatmediaattentionand she writes:“Thepropositionthatviolentmoviesproduce Janet Staigeraptlysumsuptheacademicpositionwhen revolve aroundscreenviolenceandsexuallyexplicitimagery. Most of the anxieties around the ‘image-causes-harm’ theory offend someone. this viewarguethatthereisnospeechdoesnot ‘offends’ groupsorcommunities.Thosewhodisagreewith the eliminationofanimage,speechorrepresentationifit The secretlifeoffilmcensorship spectatorship andtheideaofpublic may notseebutalsotheproperwayofseeing,andbuildingatheorycinema, prohibitive aspects.Butitcanalsobe‘productive’,suggestingnotjustwhatwe Conventional studiesofcensorshipinvariablyemphasiseitsinstitutionaland which theboundariesof‘prohibition’and‘acceptability’areconstantlynegotiated. The processesandpracticesofcensorshiparereallyaseriestransactionsby thenoti op en tomanydifferentreadingsasviewers larly rejection.”(1)Overtheyears,there on of‘imageistheharm’concerned, at sinceimagesarehugely

are highlysubjectivetermsthatwereboundtobe ‘degradation’, ‘objectification’and‘commodification’ judiciary. Theyarguethattermslike‘obscenity’, ‘respectable institutions’likereligion,thefamily, andthe had failedtointerrogategender-based discriminationin sexual explicitnesswithsexism/misogyny, anti-pornfeminists and sexuallyexplicitspeecharguedthatbyconflating They drewattentiontothedifferencebetweensexistspeech of censorship.TheBritishBoard ofFilmCensor’sverdict the censorsto‘decipher’meaning hasalsobeenthebasis arbitrary, even idiosyncratic. Sometimestheinabilityof heterogeneity ofrealaudience members,thisprocessremains else. Sincenogroupcanever representthediversityand who watchandinterpretthe filmonbehalfofeverybody from harmfuleffects,itisalwaysexecutedbyaselectfew While filmcensorship’savowedaimistoprotectpeople but producedintheprocessoftheirconsumption”(3). meanings, whenmeaningisnotactuallyinherentinfilm texts because thecensors“construct”filmtextsas“carriersof fixed Kuhn writesthatattemptsatcensoringareboundtofail a predictableimpact. censorship workthroughthelogicofasingularmeaning and as sayingithasnoimpactatall.Ironically, all actsof media doesno and certainlynotpredictable.Therefore,tostatethatthe mediate butinwaysthatarecontingent,non-determinate media hasconsequencesanddoesinfluence,inflect embodied gazeoftheviewers”(2).Thereisnodoubtthat narratives andthespecificattractionsofmobilised grounded inspecificspectatorialpractices,the or theoryofspectatorshipmustbe“historicallyspecific, the intersectionofboth.AsLindaWilliamswrites,anystudy exclusively byeitherthetextorviewer, butemergesat of socialandpersonalfactors.Meaningisnotproduced image andthevieweriscomplexcontouredbyavariety in spectatorshiptellusthattherelationshipbetween write articlesorevenpresentpapersatconferences?Studies words andimagesleftnoimpact,whywouldwemakefilms, But doesthismeanthatmediahasno‘impact’atall?If censorship butcounter-speech. to counterdiscriminatoryspeech,theyadvocated,wasnot interpreted differentlybydifferentpeople.Thebestway t havepredictableimpactisnotthesame Censorship For thisreason,filmscholarAnnette SHOHINI GHOSH

19 ISSUE 22 2011 20 ISSUE 22 2011 allegories andobliquesuggestions.BasedonVittoRusso’s inventive waysof‘showing’homosexualitythroughallusion, homosexuality couldbemade.Yet anumberoffilmsfound forbidden” whichessentiallyimpliedthatnoreferenceto code statedthat“sexperversionoranyinferencetoitis Hollywood filmpr Hollywood MotionPictureProductionCodethatgoverned Take forinstancethefilmsthatwereproducedunder transgressions of, the very limits it seeks to fix”. maintenance produced and re-produced in challenges to, and an “ongoing process of definition and boundary- what is “acceptably representable”. This makes censorship acts of censorship in order to maintain the boundaries of If censorship produ Resistance she says is ‘produced’ by strategies of regulation. censorship as a “play of production and prohibition”. Annette Ku interested in suggesting the proper way of seeing”. in prohibiting a particular kind of ‘seeing’, but also equally of the public”. He says that the law “is not merely interested building a theory of cinema, of spectatorship and the idea us from seeing “a wide range of ways in which the law is Lawrence Liang explains, the prohibitive approach prevents monolithic, deterministic or wholly repressive. As legal scholarpractices and discourses, its power cannot be conceptualised asfilm censorship involves a set of interrelated institutions, exertion of control or the deprivation of liberties” (4). Sinceand constitutive” and not “conceived exclusively as an externalor beneficial” but as proposing “a view of power as formative term ‘productive’ should not be understood to mean “positive Butler extends the same argument by pointing out that the only prohibitive, but also ‘productive’. Queer theorist Judith processes, practices and consequences of censorship are not of French philosopher Michel Foucault, she argues that the one reason or another, unacceptable. Inspired by the writingsexcluding from them themes, topics and images deemed for avowed objective it is to impose control on films usually by an activity on the part of the specific organisations whose its institutional and prohibitive aspects, constructing it as conventional studies on censorship have invariably emphasised Annette Kuhn’s influential work on censorship points out that objectionable.” to bemeaningless.Andifithasanymeaning,isdoubtless Seashell andtheClergyman on GermaineDulac’s1927Europeanavant-gardeclassic The ProductionCode’sprimary attemptwastoavoidbans silenced andarticulatedinHollywood filmsoftheperiod. McClaine, thefilmshowshow homosexualitywasboth Curtis, SusanSarandon,Richard Dyer, Gore VidalandShirley interviews withfilmmakers, scholars andactorslike Tony cinema. Withextensivefilmclipsfromover100filmsand in whichhomosexualityfoundexpressionHollywood Jeffrey Freidman) isadocumentary aboutthedifferentways famous book, hn invites us to understand the process of film Freedom ofexpression The CelluloidCloset oduction from1930to1968.The ces resistance, it generates, in turn, further read: “Thefilmissocrypticas (1996, RobEpsteinand after thefilmhasbeencensored.Oneofmostpopular use fakecensorcertificatesoradd‘prohibited’sequences released insuburbanorsmallertownsareoftenknownto offer bribes,giftsandfavourstoofficials.Filmsthatare and reasoning,filmmakersproducersareknownto facing anydirectattackorlitigation.Apartfrompersuasion filmmakers areawarethatitprovidesthemcoverfrom Certification) issubvertedinanumberofwaysevenas In India,theauthorityofCBFC(CentralBoardFilm films fordifferentage-groups. classification wasevolvedtodeterminethesuitabilityof in favourofaratingssystemwherebyformal further shortenedin1966andaltogetherscrapped1968 and 1960sincludingrepresentationsof“illicitsex”.Itwas relations werepermitted.Otherbarriersfellinthe1950s of drugaddiction,prostitutionandinter-racial sexual the codewasrevisedwherein‘responsible’treatments Production Codebegantocreakunderpressure.In1956, of films.Asnewermoreradicalviewersemerged,the and boycottsthatwouldaffectthecommercialprospects cannot beoblivioustothefact that‘uncensored’Hollywood circulation, itcannotextinguish thework.TheCBFCinIndia Internet downloadsandnew technologiesofaccessand commercial prospectsofafilm, butintheageofpiracy, Censorship canseverelydamage thepubliccirculationand promoting extra-maritalrelations.”(5) use oftheseevenwithwomen,vulgarlanguageand film promotessex,prostitution,drinkingandsmoking,free refused tocertifyitforpublicviewingbystatingthat:“The on sexworkers,wassubmittedforcertification.TheCBFC year, morality anddecency”Iwasnotwrong.Thatsame no doubtsthattheCBFCwouldconsiderit“againstpublic and stronglyfavoursthedecrimina discusses sexoutsidemarriage,challengesheteronormativity to theCBFC.Thefilmcontainssexuallyexplicitlanguage, (2002), onthesexworkers’rightsmovementinKolkata I neversentmyowndocumentary, their workthroughnon-formalandnon-theatricalnetworks. refuse tosubmittheirfilmstheCBFCanddisseminate the otherhand,alargenumberofdocumentaryfilmmakers telecast onnationaltelevisionandreleasedintheatres.On major cutsfoughtprotractedlegalbattlestohavehisfilms whose politicaldocumentarieswereinevitablysubjectedto more direc Some filmmakershaveconfrontedtheauthorityofCBFC the publicityoffilm. did notcausea‘censorshipcontroversy’therebyboosting meeting withCBFCofficialsregrettedthathisnewrelease ‘censorship controversy’.Onefilmproduceratarecent occasion, therearethe‘benefits’thataccruefroma to remainissufficientforthepurposesoffilm.On that evenafterextensivecutsaremadewhatisallowed and editingofextrafootage(ofmostlysexorviolence)so (and effective)strategiesofnegotiationinvolvesshooting In theFlesh, tly. IndependentfilmmakerAnand Patwardhan Bishakha Datta’s53-minutedocumentary lisation ofsexwork.Ihad Tales oftheNightFairies emptiness. It is a pyrrhic victory. Revenge begets only loss. (6) hard: his life’s mission is complete, but all he feels is a vast his shoes. Then he breaks down and cries. He weeps long and snake; he does not stop till the dacoit is a bloody mess under Thakur pounds Gabbar to death as if he were a venomous stand face-to-face, two armless warriors, two equals. And the The armless Thakur first crushes Gabbar’s arms. Then they servant Ramlal has fashioned with nails fitted in the soles. The Thakur kills Gabbar with his feet wearing shoes that the describes the original climax as follows: body. In her book on the making of the film, Anupama Chopra insult to injury, Gabbar brutally severs Thakur’s arms frombecause his the latter had captured and put him in jail. To killingadd almost all members of Thakur’s family as vendetta end of the film. In the story, killed by former police officer Thakur (Sanjeev Kumar) at the showed the ruthless dacoit Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan) being illustration. The d Bombay cinema’s biggest blockbuster, provides an excellentcontroversy around the climax of ‘acceptability’ are constantly negotiated. The censorship of transactions by which the boundaries of ‘prohibition’ and The processes and practices of censorship are really a series them watchobjectionablesequencespublicly.” watching uncensoredfilmsprivately, butwe cannothave of theCBFConcetoldme:“We donotcareifpeopleare more todowithregulationofthepublicsphere.Amember understand thatcensorshiphaslesstodowithcinemaand with itsmission?We maygain aninsightifwebeginto allowed tohitthetheatres.WhythendoesCBFCpersist line piratenetworksmuchbeforethecensoredversionsare films areavailabletoaudiencesthroughon-lineandoff- irector’s cut presented to the censor board Gabbar Singh is responsible for Sholay (Ramesh Sippy, 1975), In ‘messages’ deemed injurious to public health. gatekeepers whose job it was to protect the people from within and outside the film, the CBFC acted as guardian the film’s official climax. In asserting the rule of law both Ramesh Sippy had to shoot a new conclusion which is now All negotiations failed as the CBFC refused to budge. Finally, police when dacoits were looting and plundering the village? showed the police in a poor light. After all, where was the was not only hackneyed but (as Sippy tried to argue) also to his authorial vision. The end being suggested by the CBFC Sippy was furious as these suggestions were totally contrary arrive and prevent Thakur from killing Gabbar Singh. Ramesh demanded that the climax be re-shot so that the police could into his own hands and punish the culprit with death. They though he was no longer in service — should take the law objected to the suggestion that a police officer — even Emergency when censorship was at its worst. The CBFC especially as the film was being examined during the The censor board took serious objection to the sequence 6 See 5 ExaminingCommittee,CentralBoard of FilmCertification,August27,2002 (New York-London), 1997 4 Butler, Judith. (London-New York), 1988 3 AnnetteKuhn, Press (NewBrunswick-NewJersey),1995 Linda(ed). 2 Williams, London), 2005 1 Staiger, Janet. Endnotes Centre, JamiaMilliaIslamia Shohini GhoshisSajjadZaheerProfessorattheAJKMassCommunicationResearch Kathmandu,April16-18,2011) organised byCREA, (This isanabridgedversionofessaywrittenforCountMeIn!,aconference cinema has the ability to make speech out of silence. non-speakable. If censorship attempts to silence speech, of the prohibited and the acceptable, the speakable and the cinephilia repeatedly muddle and re-constitute the borders all unruly subjects, it resists. In the process, cinema and disciplined, controlled and punished if necessary. But like occupies the space of the unruly subject who needs to be of speakability, and also haunted by it. Cinema frequently rantings of the psychotic” are ‘produced’ by the domain speech” as in the “ramblings of the asocial” and “the status as the subject of speech.” Therefore, “impossible the norms that govern one’s speech is to consummate one’s speakability is to risk one’s status as a subject. To embody discourse”. She writes: “To move outside the domain of but through the “regulation of the social domain of speakable subject happens not just through the regulation of speech to do with the regulation of speech. The production of the norms, and that the production of the subject has everything seeks to produce subjects according to explicit and implicit Excitable Speech, Sholay: TheMakingofaClassic Excitable Speech:APoliticsofthePerformative, Media ReceptionStudies, Cinema, CensorshipandSociety(1909-1925), ViewingPositions:Ways ofSeeingFilm Judith Butler proposes that censorship Censorship by AnupamaChopra,Penguin, 2000 NewYork UniversityPress(NewYork- , RutgersUniversity Routledge Routledge 21 ISSUE 22 2011 22 ISSUE 22 2011 When is‘news’betteroffnotreported? you werethankfulfortheban ontheburningtrainvisual. of theverdict—63freed,31 convicted—begancomingin The roadoutsidetherailway station wasdeserted.Asnews noon) hurriedlysenttheirstudents homeasrumoursspread. stay openinthemorning(the judgmentwasexpectedat That dayinGodhra,schoolsthat hadoriginallydecidedto money,” heraged,invokingAllah’scursesonthem. who provokepeopletoviolence,onlysotheycanmake outside thestation;cameramenroamedinside.“Itisthey who couldcreatemischief:the matter whatthejudgmentwas. Buttherewasoneplayer was fineinGodhra.Nothingwouldhappen,hesaid,no incident wa delivered, aMuslimteavendorwho’dwitnessedtheoriginal station itself, afewhours beforethejudgmentwastobe Far awayfromModi’sdarbar, ontheground atGodhra in February 2011,andacceptable in 2002? train havedone?Inflamefeelings?Whywasthisundesirable in somedetail;whatmorewouldthevisualofburning rekindled memories; the incident would have been described to bedeliveredonFebruary 22,2011,wouldanywayhave channels reportingontheGodhrajudgment,scheduled led toan‘equalandoppositereaction’,in2002?News incident whichhehimselfclaimedwasthe‘action’that his loyalvotebank,tobevividlyremindedofthehorrifying Why didNarendraModinotwanttheHindusinhisstate, censorship, everyonecompliedwithoutamurmur. verdict onthetrainburning.Far fromprotestingthisstate have beenreallyapt—aGujaratcourtwassettodeliverits Ironically, theordercameatatimewhenits usewould rich dividendsthen,shouldnotbeusedbythemedia. massacre orderedthatthisimage,whichhadreapedsuch Nine yearslater, thechiefministerwhopresidedoverthat following thetrainburning. supporters duringthemassacreofMuslimsalloverGujarat, Parishad madeaposterofitanddistributedtoits with theGodhraincidentof2002.TheVishwaHindu dominated ourTVscreensfordaysandbecameidentified the burningSabarmatiExpressoutsideGodhrastation.It SOME IMAGESremaininthememory. Onesuchimageis peace atallcosts?Thisarticleexploresthisandotherdilemmasofmediapersons after theevent?Issomelimitonpressfreedomnecessaryinordertokeep burning SabarmatiExpressinthemediabeforeGodhrajudgment,nineyears Did itmakesensefortheGujaratgovernmenttobanuseofimage s vehementinhisassertionthateverything Freedom ofexpression media. TVvanswereparked

families hadbecomeimpoverished.AsfortheHindus,was than ahundredputbehindbarsforit,manyofwhose that someoftheirowncommunityhaddoneit),withmore train fornineyears(allthewhilerefusingtoacknowledge Muslims who’dlivedwiththedisgraceofhavingburntthat want thatimagethrustbeforetheireyes?Certainlynotthe now existedbetweenthetwocommunities,whowould Given thepeacethatprevailedandcordialrelations point spreadingthenews? that fewofthepaper’sreaders read wasn’t toldwhy, butIassumethereasoningmusthavebeen Saamna newspaper spikedanotherpiece Iwroteonthefalloutof being tooprovocative,itmade nosensetome.Recently, a I’d spentaweekmovingaroundthecity, was censoredfor for BakriId,dueafewdayslater. Whenthispiece,onwhich had dieddown,theplansfor‘revenge’thatbothsidesmade towards ShivSainiksbutalso,immediatelyaftertheviolence just theactualviolenceandpartisanshipofpolice to ThaneandMumbai,itseemedimportantreportnot the 10-da years ofr Speaking formyself, suchrealisationhascomeafter25 the peace yo great. ItwasonlywhilstwalkingthestreetsofGodhrathat banned it?Unlikely. Thetemptationwouldhavebeentoo abstained fromshowingthevisualifgovernmenthadn’t you realisedthedifferenceitmade.Would themediahave Banning asingleevocativeimage…butontheground wash offthestainof2002pogrom. as thecountry’smostsuccessfulchiefminister, butunableto curfew-free Gujarat.Thatwasimportantforthemanhailed thrown couldleadtoariotandspoilModi’srecordof Either way, arallycouldprovokeMuslims;evenstone to takeoutanyrallies,whetherfororagainsttheverdict. members hadbeenorderedbytheirownparty, theBJP, not These maynothavebeenModi’scalculations.Godhra’sVHP — woulddefinitelynothavewantedtoseethatimage. in Gujarat—thefamiliesof59whoperishedtrain there anypointrekindlingtheiranger?AtleastsomeHindus u realisedthedamageitcoulddo,andneedtokeep carryinganillustrationofthe ProphetMohammed.I eporting communalconflict.In1984,covering y-long riotsthatstartedinBhiwandi,andspread atallcosts.

Saamna

; wasthereany JYOTI PUNWANI

the newsonPage One,onaFriday —theonlypapertodo had alreadybrokenoutwhenMumbai’s appeared ontheInternet.ViolenceininteriorMaharashtra rumour —untilaReuterspictureoftheactualburning Centre. Thestorywasblackedoutandmadetobea in Afghanistan.TheBJP-led NDAgovernmentwasatthe in responsetothedestructionofBamiyanBuddhas burnt copiesoftheQuranoutsideUNofficeinDelhi, A similarincidenttookplacein2001.TheBajrangDal ahead andreportedit. from Mumbaiobliged;the the incident.ButonlytwooffourUrdupaperspublished Saamna worked upovertheincident.SincemostMuslimsdon’tread Saamna least a‘we-didn’t-mean-to-hurt-feelings’statementfrom Muslim activistsinMumbaiwerekeenonanapology, orat clearly aface-savingmeasuretoavoidanapology. While over anillustration‘thatwasnotoftheProphet’.This report sayingthatv in Nanded.Thefollowingday, This resultedinstone-throwingoutsidethe positive message.Theillustrationaccompaniedthepiece. from theQuranwhichfeaturedProphetandsentouta In aweeklyfeatureon‘faith’, When is‘news’betteroffnotreported? , theyappealedtotheUrdupressnotpublicise , theywerekeenerthattheircommunitynotget iolence hadbrokenoutinNanded

Urdu Times Saamna Saamna narratedastory and carriedafrontpage

Urdu Times Sahara Saamna went carried office It’s intere m gone totownprotestingtheincident.Thatitselfwouldhave keeping the Even if press haveblackeditout?Theanswertothatisobvious. some MuslimsdesecratedaHinduholybook,wouldthe so. HisonlyargumenttowhichIhadnoreplywas: Besides, theHyderabad-based hence hadtopublishnewsofimportancethecommunity. trouble, toldmethathispapercateredtoMuslimsand that puttingthenewsonPage Onecouldhaveincited The featur took outarallyandstonedbuses. and thequestion:‘Whatisyourresponsibility?’.Theyalso pasted posterswithapho but failedinSIMI’sstrongholdwheretheorganisation Again, Muslimleadersworkedovertimetokeepthepeace, so —alongwithanappealforpeacebyMuslimleaders. In this,themedia—barringafewUrdupapers felt itnecessarytodenyit,lestMuslimsgetprovoked. incident. Suchwasthegravityofsacrilegethateveryone and the‘secular’oppositionwereinleaguetohushup BJP whosecadreshadcommittedtheindefensibleoffence, It wasalmostasifthegovernment,ledbycommunal the BajrangDal,protestsb ade news. editorshaddecidedtoblackitoutintheinterestsof sting toseehowwhentheQuranwasburntby es editorof peace,theBJPandallitsaffiliateswouldhave Limits ofpressfreedom Urdu Times tograph oftheQuranbeingburnt, y Muslimleadersweremuted. Munsiff , whileadmitting

had alreadydone

23 ISSUE 22 2011 24 ISSUE 22 2011 Soon aftertheMNSburstonto Maharashtra’spolitical Should themediabeproudof this? motivating peopletotrustus”. to peopleacrossthestatewhat weweresaying,thereby it won13Assemblyseatsin2009,forhaving“conveyed media onthefourthanniversaryofhisparty, soonafter skilled ahate-mongerashisuncle,actuallythankedthe of collectiveboycott.Onthecontrary. RajThackeray, as violation ofthelawsfreespeech,isnotseentobeworthy by somepolitician.Abusedirectedatothercitizens,in journalists themselvesareattackedbythepoliceorabused decision toblackoutnews,itseems,isonlytakenwhen was —evenifwedon’treportit,otherswill.Acollective public humiliationoftheSikhs,butfinallyconclusion Khalistanis inPunjab.Many they wrotetotheAkalTakht condemningtheactsof announced aneconomicboycottofthecommunityunless called Mumbai’sSikhleaderstoapressconferenceand At theheightofKhalistanmovement,BalThackeray by suchutterances. ensured thatnoonemissesoutonthesensationcreated importantly, competitionbetweennewspapers has coverage; norisittaughtinjournalismschools.More never founditworthwhileformulatingnormsforsuch editors andnewswhodecidethesemattershave their rants?Noconsensushasbeenreachedbecausethe readers ofnews?Putthemontheinsidepages?Tone down demagogues shouldbereported.Ignorethemanddeprive poison spewedbytheseleadershavedebatedhowsuch leader’ and‘patriarch’.For years, journaliststroubledbythe as ‘Supremo’,‘ageingTiger’,‘feistysanyasin’,‘firebrand utterances onPage One,prefacedwithdescriptionssuch mind whattheminoritiesmayfeelreadingtheirhate-filled most rabidofHindutvaleadersaremediadarlings,never media. BlackingoutprotestsbytheBJP?Unimaginable.The such censorship,and,asmentionedearlier, norwouldthe had beenledbytheCongress,wouldnothaveenforcedany that hadMuslimsburnttheGita,government,evenifit streets atallcosts.WhataboutHindus?Onecanbesure to reflectthepolice’sattitude—keepMuslimsoff The media’sblack-outoftheburningQuranseemed whether itison present tobehave,orelse…Muslimshaveoftenwondered commissioner, theseleadershavewarnedtheMuslims such meetings,but,onoccasion,inthepresenceof fullest cooperation.ShivSenaleadersarealsocalledto off thestreets.Thelatterassurecommissioneroftheir for Muslimleaderstotellthemkeeptheircommunity situation isexpected,Mumbai’spolicecommissionersends After theriotsof1992-93,wheneveracommunallytense Why? were willingaccomplices.

Freedom ofexpression ly their

responsibilitytokeepthepeace. journalistsweresickenedatthis

the riotswereover, twoBombayHighCourtjudgesfound forced tobyapetitionfiled of mosques.TheCongressgovernmentdidnothing,until being foughtonthestreets,andcelebratingburning “boys” towipeout“traitors”inthe“dharmyudh”thatwas of theMumbai1992-93riots, writing innewspap Council. Thegovernmenthasimmensepowerstocurbsuch taken seriously. Today, nooneevenmentionsthePress concerned citizensandareprimandbytheCouncilwere There wasatimewhencomplaintstothePressCouncilby And whatistheremedyforsuchpublication? an articlelikethisthatjustifiesviolenceagainstinnocents? against northIndians.Whatmotivatesaneditortopublish and provocative,aimedatcreatinghatredamongreaders His article,titled‘MyStand,MyFight’,wasinflammatory gave thepartychiefalmostafullpagetoairhisviews. prevalent casteismcontinues tobe? news becarriedatall?Ifitisn’t, wouldwerealisehow newspaper everputsthesewords inquotes.Shouldsuch by priestsafterdalitshavetried enteringtemples.No has oftenreportedonthe‘purification rituals’performed (in fact,itisdalitswhodothis hereditaryjob)?Thepress seats theywouldhavetodothejobsthatOBCsweredoing protest? That,nowthatOBCsweregoingtotakeawaytheir out bytheupper-caste studentswhosweptthestreetsin it gotfrontpagecoverage.Whatwasthemessagesent news, shouldn’toneofthemhavebeencensored?Instead education. Whilet reservat Take coverageofArjunSingh’sannouncementon isn’t thatcensorship? community andnottothoseoftheminoritycommunities, Bukhari? Ifyougivespac in anyHindinewspapertoairhisviews?Would Imam and arabble-ro an AbuAsimAzmi,SamajwadiParty chiefinMaharashtra issued bytheDeobandandotherIslamicinstitutions.Would pour scornonDrAmbedkarandtheridiculousfatwas Shourie usedtobegivenfullpagesin lovingly aboutthe‘Tiger’sroar’?Inlate-1980s,Arun Muslims feelwhenleadingEnglishnewspaperswrite tormentor thanksthemediaforhissuccess?Whatdo What donorthIndiansinMaharashtrafeelwhentheir action againstnewspapersthatpublishhisvenom? file casesagainsthim.Whywouldsuchagovernmenttake Marathi votebank,andhadtobeforcedbythecourt government inMaharashtrauseshimtodenttheShivSena’s is gettingthesamekid-glovetreatment.TheCongress-NCP nephew, whohasfollowedhisuncle’spoliticstotheletter, they said,“letbygonesbebygones”.Now, BalThackeray’s nothing objectionableinBalThackeray’swritings;besides, Mumbai’s leadingMarathinewspaper left twodeadandmanyinnocentnorthIndiansinjured, scene withitsattacksonnorthIndiansin2008,which ions forotherbackwardclasses(OBCs)inhigher user oftheworstkind,getevenhalfapage he protestsagainstitsurelycountedas ers, butrarelyusesthem.Attheheight

e todemagoguesofthemajority by twocitizens.Longafter Saamna

wasencouragingits The IndianExpress Maharashtra Times

to

it made for gruesome reading. But I had a reason. It was these Muslims had been attacked. A friend complained that quote the post-mort related to mobs lynching lone Muslims. I made it a point to cases. Most of them had had TADA applied to them; many the 1992-93 Mumbai riots, I wrote a series on the worst riot While covering the Srikrishna Commission of Inquiry into Telegraph ( about thepossibilityofprovokingMuslimsoutsideGujarat was theQuran.ThePressCouncilobviouslyconcerned since, fromthephotographitwasn’tobviousthatbook Ahmedabad (AFP)”couldhavebeenwordeddifferently, said “73-year-old mancollectstheashesofQuran in The Telegraph anger oftheminoritycommunity. Inanothercaseinvolving Given thetensesituation,thatcouldhavearoused was okay, aslongthechild’snamewasnotmentioned. felt publicationofthephotograph(in the 2002pogrominGujarat.Inonecase,PressCouncil newspapers carriedclose-upsofMuslimchildrenburntin in reportingviolence?Readerswrotetocomplainwhen The otherdilemmajournalistsfaceis:howfarcanonego Reporting violence In therun-uptomatch,reports andpicturesofMuslims to berestrained? state censorshiphadtheprime ministertoldthemedia countries. Hewasright.Would ithavebeenconsidered the Indianmediaforsouring relations betweenthetwo the eveofmatch,Pakistani captainShahidAfridiblamed final wasanythingbutpalliative.Atapressconferenceon played bythemedia.RecentcoverageofIndo-Pak semi- Press Councilspokeaboutthe“palliative”roleneededto be complaints againstcoverageoftheviolenceinGujarat, is definitelythemedia’sjob.Butinitsdecisionson Exposing thestate’scomplicityinviolenceagainstminorities well nottosendjournaliststhem. not tocallanymore;andrequestedbythosewhoIknow sure. Ihavehaddoorsslammedinmyf participate inlong-drawn-outcourtproceedings,Iamnotso get onwiththeirruinedlives,andunwillingnessto riot victims—eventhosewholosthusbandsandsonsto Yet, havingseen firsthandthedesireofmanyMumbai’s has stillnotbeendone;allthoselynchmobshavegotaway. Would Idothesamenow, 20yearsaftertheriots?Justice out the violence against Muslims had been. needed to be shown up by describing just how well-thought- and natural retaliation” to the violence by Muslims. That lie second phase of the riots (January 1993) was a “spontaneous session, and to propagate its version that the violence in the doing its best to discredit the Commission, which was then in 1997, four years after the riots. The Shiv Sena was in power, The HindustanTimes inKolkata). , theCouncilfeltthatacaptionwhich em reports to show just how brutally wasthenpublishedinDelhi;

The HindustanTimes ace byvictims;told

The

) intervened. TheUrdupresscarriedtheallegations,somost of thosearrested.ThetorturestoppedonlyafterthePMO report allegationsofpolicetorturemadebythefamilies blasts in2006onlyoneEnglishnewspaperthoughtfitto newspapers whilereportingterror. AfterMumbai’strain There isalsotheverydeliberatecensorshipcarriedoutby are patriotic? that thepressdoesn’twanttoshowMuslimstoo the messageconveyedbysuch‘censorship’bereverse— if themediaweretoblackoutsuchpicturesornews,would publicity, wouldtheseprayersbeheld?Ontheotherhand, to provetheirpatriotism.Iftherewasnoaccompanying encounter, asectionofMuslimshasinternalisedtheneed Muslims alwayswantPakistan towinin anIndo-Pak to continuouspropagandabytheHindutvapartiesthat at all?Surelyweallknowwhatthisisabout—thanks Should thepresspublishsuchpicturesonPage One,or community thatdisplaysitspatriotismasacommunity. as theydidbeforetheKargilwar. Muslimsremaintheonly praying forIndia’ssuccessmadetheirexpectedappearance, extensively onissuesrelatedtocommunalisminIndia Jyoti PunwaniisafreelancejournalistbasedinMumbai.Shehasreported and censoringwhatisn’t. through anunconsciousprocessofselectingwhat’s‘news’ media rarelyreflectstheirconcerns,andthisoftenhappens makes youawareoftheirgrievance—thatthemainstream school. Butprolongedinteractionwiththesesections or themarginalisedisn’tsomethingtaughtinjournalism Looking attheworldfromviewpointofminority thoroughly communalisedforce. its responsibilityliesnottoreadersbutthepolice—a injured. Whereterrorisconcerned,thepressseemstothink Hemant Karkare,waskilledandanother, SadanandDate, the repeatedSOSfromitsseniorofficers,oneofwhom, of theMumbaipolicenotonlytoattackbutalso examination raiseddisturbingquestionsabouttheresponse Kasab, duringthetrialofPakistani terrorist.Thecross- cross-examination bythelawyerappointedtodefendAjmal blacked outbytheEnglishpress.Sowasalargepartof attacks whichdepartedfromtheofficialnarrativewere In thesameway, eyewitnessaccountsofthe 26/11Mumbai Muslim areas. felt bytheMuslimsthankstoindiscriminatepoliceraidsin the Englishpressonlyaddedtoalienationalreadybeing Muslims in Mumbai knew about them. By not carrying them,

Limits ofpressfreedom

25 ISSUE 22 2011 26 ISSUE 22 2011 of intolerance Cultural memoryandthepolitics of Shivaji’s rule provoked a public outcry and governmental from the toiling masses. This denial of the distinctiveness ruling classes, arguing that both lived on the surplus extortedemphasised the similarity between the Mughal and Maratha orthodox Marxist understanding of feudalism. Accordingly, surroundinghe Shivaji and his government by invoking a rather published from Pune. Ranade sought to dispel the aura (meaning ‘battleground’) — a Marat a rough translation) in the August 1, 1973 issue of Shivaji Stom’ (‘The Shivaji Hype/Cult in Maharashtra’ would Ranade,be was occasioned by his article entitled ‘MaharashtrateelThe predicament of the professor of history, Pandharinath episodes mentionedabove. elaborate answerwouldrequireacloserlookateachofthe figure intheMaharashtriancollectiveconsciousness.A more legendary warrior-kin of ChhatrapatiShivajiRajeBhosle(1627/30-1680)—the outrage trigg The shortansweristhattheyallsprangfromasenseof trajectory of cultural politics in contemporary Maharashtra? common to these acts of ‘intolerance’ that mark the chequeredcontroversial book Brigade in 2004 for its alleged complicity in the writing of a research — was vandalised by activists of the Sambhaji Oriental Research Institute — a venerable centre of Indologicalby a popular periodical in 1993; the Pune-based Bhandarkar was prosecuted for her purportedly incendiary essay published woman studying English literature at the University of Bombay furore generated by one of his polemical pieces; a young (Aurangabad) was compelled to resign following the public IN 1973, a professor of history at the Marathwada University — genuineness, butbythestyleinwhichtheyareimagined. Communities aretobedistinguished,notbytheirfalsity/ — HerbertMarcuse Heresy byitself, however, isnotokenof truth. Tolerance isfirstandforemostforthesakeofheretics… convey thatsociety’sself-image. — in eachepoch,whose“cultivation”servestostabiliseand re-usable texts,images,andritualsspecifictoeachsociety The conceptofculturalmemorycomprisesthatbody respecting popularsentiment? of expression.Buthowissuchfreedomtobereconciledwiththeimperative liberal perspectiveisquicktospotthethreatposedbychauvinistforcesfreedom public outrageagainstperceivedmisrepresentationsofitsiconssuchasShivaji?The How shouldthescholarorhistoriannegotiateacommunity’sculturalmemory, and Benedict Anderson ered bysupposedlyflagrantmisrepresentations Freedom ofexpression authored by an American academic. What is g ofMaratha(1)historyandaniconic hi left-wing periodical Jan Assman

Ranangan

Laine andhisnativeinformants gatheredmomentum. Rangataranga critical commentsonthebook, carriedbytwoperiodicals, an insidiousjokeaboutShivaji’s parentage.Inthewakeof 2003), wereresponsibleforthe book’srecklessreferenceto Shivaji: HinduKinginIslamic India who hadhelpedAmericanprofessorJamesLainetowrite scholars (manyofthe from theperceptionthatInstitute’slibrarianandsome organisation n 4, 2004,bytheSambhajiBrigade—amilitantmaratha The vandalisationoftheBhandarkarInstituteonJanuary the action contemplated by the government as “misdirected”. Michael Saldanha of the Bombay High Court, who described imminent arrest; but she was adjudged innocent by Justice enmity. A defiant Adajania refused to apologise in the faceagainst of the publisher and the author for promoting communal the editor of the withdrawal of the issue from the market, a public apology fromthe Marathi newspaper A report condemning the article and its author appeared in rulers, and the empire he created was based on extortion. administrative infrastructure was borrowed from the Mughal Shivaji sought legitimacy by manufacturing a genealogy, hisfollowing unsavoury, though not entirely original, contentions:into superhuman symbols. Her specific argument included the parties’ opportunistic homogen Group. The author’s intention was to expose the ‘nationalist’ a periodical published b April 10-16, 1993, issue of publicise his findings, however unpalatable they might seem. It a motion defending the historian’s right and obligation to During its winter session that year, the Congress adopted Indian historians, founded in 1935 — rallied in his support. Congress — the largest professional and academic body of his university post. However, his colleagues in the Indianof History pressure targeting the author of the article as well as the editor article entitled ‘M At the cen on deaf ears and the latter soon resumed his post. also pleaded for Ranade’s reinstatement. The plea did not fall Ranangan tre of the second episode lay Nancy Adajania’s , Anil Barve. Ranade had no choice but to resign and amed afterShivaji’selderson—sprang Weekly yth and Supermyth’, which appeared in the Chitralekha, m werebrahmans)associatedwithit, y the Mumbai-based Times of India Kesari , and the registration of a criminal case The Illustrated Weekly

, triggering a volley of protests, isation of historical figures a campaignagainst (OxfordUniversityPress,

of India MANGESH KULKARNI — mentioned controversies vis-à-vis the cultural politics of grooves. It would be more instructive to locate the above- excessively abstract and move monotonously in worn-out find expression in well-rehearsed arguments that tend to be politics. Though such concerns are legitimate, they often individual rights to the overbearing pressures of democratic endemic to ‘i then lead to a larger preoccupation with the contradictions deep-rooted contention between communities. This would of respecting popular sentiment, especially in the face of how such freedom can be reconciled with the imperative forces to freedom of expression. One may debate as to perspective as instances of the threat posed by chauvinist It is possible to view these cases in the familiar liberal remains inforceforallpracticalpurposes. in July2010;butasfarMaharashtraisconcerned,it sensibilities. ThebanwasfinallyliftedbytheSupremeCourt a statementapologisingforinadvertentlyhurtingpeople’s and thebookitselfwasbanned,thoughLainehadissued and thepublisherforposingathreattosocialharmony, Institute, acriminalcasewasregisteredagainsttheauthor of theShivSena.AfterattackonBhandarkar collaborating withLainehadhisfaceblackenedbyactivists withdraw thebook,andoneofscholarsaccused By late-2003,OxfordUniversityPresswascompelledto historians like James Grant Duff (1789-1858) that Shivaji Ranade (1842-1901). Ranade refuted the charge of British renowned liberal leader, judge and scholar Mahadev Govind the Maratha Power 2 counter the tendency of brahmans to treat them as shudras. — and as his descendants, their own — kshatriya status to Maharshi Shinde (1873-1944) began to emphasise Shivaji’s the non-brahman alias Mahatma Jotirao Phule (1827-1890) who founded century public in 1 been divided into four broad categories (2). of his career. For the sake of analytical convenience interpretationsthey have of the precise nature and long-term significancecertain key constructs of Shivaji, which offer different Maratha history in modern Maharashtra. The latter comprises subsequently, of Shivaji was anchored in this larger project. However, alternative to the brahmanical order. His understanding but his countercultural intervention envisioned an inclusive Shivaji. Phule himself belonged to the intermediate brahman saint-poet Sant Ramdas (1608-1682) exercised over Dharma could take pride. In the kulwadibhushan — on Shivaji, published in 1869, Phule described the latter as movement in Maharashtra. In his famous ballad ( but the reference here is to the numerous ‘lower’ castes) Bahujan Nationalist

Pustaka : This construct was first articulated by the 19th mperfectly modernised’ societies which subject : The bahujan (1891), he deplored the influence that the tellectual and social reformer Jotiba Phule bahujan locus classicus (1900) — a historical tract penned by the a shudra king in whom the peasant masses maratha leaders such as V R alias magnum opus (literally meaning ‘majority’; *** of this construct is , Sarvajanik Satya powada mali Rise of caste; ) Bhakti movement, Rajwade zealously projected Ramdas as a rule. While downplaying the importance of the ‘otherworldly’ a Hindu kingdom in opposition to the alien Mughal imperial rebel protesting against Muslim tyranny and as the founder of material on Maratha history. He viewed Shivaji as a religious1926) who collected and published an enormous amount of to the writings of the celebrated historian V K Rajwade (1864- 3 Hindutva-centric construct discussed below. this construct, even as it provided space to elements of the Tilak (1856-1920) in the mid-1890s, had already pre-figured by the renowned nationalist leader B G alias Lokamanya Shivaji public festival, launched as an anti-colonial platform light and described him as Shivaji’s “chief adviser”. The rise to power. Unlike Phule, Ranade saw Ramdas in a positive medieval saint-poets had prepared the ground for Shivaji’s consciousness. To him, the Bhakti movement propelled by the foundation; it thus heralded the emergence of a national Maratha king’s rule had a strong popular base and a spiritual was an unscrupulous adventurer. He argued that the great son ofthesoil,representing unityandidentityof resulting consensualconstruct portrayedShivajiasavaliant various elementspresentinthe earlierconstructs.The brahmans, theregnantdiscourse onShivajiamalgamated the marathasandcontinued culturalhegemonyofthe In thenewregimebasedon the politicaldominationof gained aplaceofprominenceintheofficialiconography. within theIndianfederationin1960,medievalruler regional pride.WhenthestateofMaharashtrawasformed forces andwitnessedtheinvocationofShivajiasasymbol of elicited theparticipationofawidespectrumpolitical speaking peoplefromthebilingualstateofBombay. It the 1950ssoughttocarveoutaseparatestateforMarathi- 5 intellectual inspirationtoShivaji. communist Pendse projectedRamdas asasourceof and perhapsthisexplainsthecuriousfactthateven the firstofconstructsdiscussedsofarwerebrahmans; 1973). Interestingly, thepioneeringexponentsofallexcept the writingsoffellowcommunistslikeLaljiPendse (1898- monarchical state.Theconstructalsofoundexpressionin bringing thepeasantryintodirectcontactwithacentralised, Further, hecreatedanon-hereditarybureaucracy, thereby transferred ownershipoflandtothecultivatingpeasants. the economicpoweroffeudal in propertyrelationspertainingtoland.Bydestroying claimed thatShivajih writings ofComradeShripadAmritDange(1899-1991)who 4 among the ardent advocates of the construct. (1883-1966), a prominent leader of the Hindu Mahasabha, was Subsequently, Vinayak Damodar alias Swantryaveer Savarkarcentury logically, he saw the brahmanical Peshwa regime of the 18thchampion of Hindu empowerment and as Shivaji’s guru. Quite Hindutva-centric Consensual Communist as expanding and completing the Hindu upsurge. : TheSamyuktaMaharashtraMovementof : Thisconstructisbestexemplifiedbythe : The roots of the construct may be traced Shivaji incontemporaryMaharashtra ad introducedrevolutionarychanges deshmukhs , Shivaji 27 ISSUE 22 2011 28 ISSUE 22 2011 ‘political society’ which serves as an arena for the articulation a guardian of cosmopolitanism and liberal modernity, and a disconnect between ‘civil society’ which seeks to act as ‘intolerance’ — that we have discussed so far also reveal The episodes — each involving an outburst of public especially the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party. off vehement public protests by the champions of Hindutva, campaigned for the removal of the statue, even as it sparked celebration to forces such as the Sambhaji Brigade which had — a fallout of the Laine controversy — provided cause for controlled the Pune Municipal Corporation. The incident Congress-Nationalist Congress Party combine which Lal Mahal with the backing of the Maratha-dominated the statue of Dadoji Kondadev was removed from the historic tussle was witnessed on December 27, 2010, in Pune, when importance. A particularly dramatic manifestation of this the guru and the latter as his early mentor, others (especially the Hindutva-centric version) treat the former as Shivaji’s political adviser in his younger days. While some (for example, like Ramdas and Dadoji Kondadev who served as Shivaji’s corpus clash over the status of brahman authority figures and communal tensions. Thus, different versions of the Shivaji constituted regional public sphere which is vitiated by caste flared tempers and excesses in the somewhat precariously perceived profaning of iconic figures like Shivaji leads to White immigrant communities. It is no wonder that the confront the ‘alien’ cultural norms and practices of non- hypermodern European nations gets frayed when they Let us not forget that even the famed tolerance of the advantage ofpublicreverencefortheMarathahero. tactics andfanningtheflamesofintolerancetotakeundue forces furthertheirownagendabyusingmanipulative reserves oftolerance.Quitepredictably, avariety ofpolitical draws theireofMaharashtriansandquicklydrainstheir any formofexpressiondeemedtobeadefamationShivaji Maharashtra’s self-image asapoliticalcommunity. Therefore, people’s culturalmemoryandacentralaxisofcontemporary become anintegralconstituentoftheMarathi-speaking statues, monuments,spectaclesandceremonies.Ithas channels suchasschooltextbooks,themassmedia,public This constructhasbeenwidelydisseminatedthroughvarious and justice: a truly secular and welfare state. (Shivaji, 1993)and established a state permeated with a spirit of tolerance created a nation, gave its people a cause to fight and die for faith as well as action, this extraordinary statesman and generalShivaji is one of the great national figures of India. A man of (1910-1994) articulatedtheconsensualconstructasfollows: Government ofIndia—thehistorianSetumadhavraoPagadi National BookTrust —anautonomousorganisationofthe In hispopularbiographyofShivaji,publishedbythe Maharashtra, andasabenevolentkshatriyaking. bahujan version) tend to downplay, if not deny their Freedom ofexpression *** like Maharashtra)sustainsitselfthroughstrategiesof nation (and he woulddowelltoheedErnestRenan’sobservationthata s/he remainsfaithfultothedemandsofher/hisprofession.S/ due cognisance of the community’s cultural memory, even as politics ofhistorymusttreadcarefullyandsoberly, taking A scholarventuringontotheterrainconstitutedby place in the rough and tumble world of the latter. intellectual discourse — a key feature of the former — has no society (4). Sensitivity to the protocols and nuances of refractions when they enter the fraught domain of political somewhat rarefied medium of civil society undergo strange and arguments that seem perfectly straightforward in the Sena are two poles of the region’s political society. Principles of civil society; while the Sambhaji Brigade and the Shiv striking a blow for intellectual freedom, represent the voice also Justice Saldanha’s order in the upholding the sanctity of untrammelled historical inquiry, as the Indian History Congress to the Ranade controversy, of conflicting passions and interests (3). The response of of their original direction.” ( reflections that it becomes absurd to talk of them as if they continuedand concerns, in the the simplicity primitive rights of men undergo such a varietytheir of refractionsstraight line. and Indeed, in the gross and complicated mass ofof lighthuman whichpassions pierce into a dense medium, are by the laws of naturecelebrated refracted statement: from “These metaphysic rights entering into commonhere. life,In his like critique rays of natural rights, Edmund Burke (1729-1797)4 Perceptive made the following readers will recognise the Burkean provenance of the metaphor invoked two ‘sectors’isacknowledgedbutnotaddressedinthisarticle open-ended, heuristicdevice.Thepossibilityofoverlapandosmosisbetweenthe Partha Chatterjee’sformulationoftheanalytical binary. Itisbesttreatedasan 3 Thisdistinctionbetween‘civilsociety’and‘politicalisavariationon Gail Omvedt 2 ThisexerciseisbasedonthepioneeringworkofscholarslikeDKBedekarand dominant casteclusterinMaharashtra speaking people,whiletheterm‘maratha’denotesmostnumerousand 1 Inthisarticle,theterm‘Maratha’isusedtodenotecommunityofMarathi- Endnotes Theory (Sage,2011) He hasrecentlyeditedabookentitledInterdisciplinaryPerspectivesinPolitical Professor holdingtheChairofIndianStudiesatUniversityVienna(Austria). Administration, UniversityofPune.LaterthisyearhewillserveasthefirstVisiting Dr MangeshKulkarni teachesattheDepartmentofPoliticsandPublic errors offactorjudgmentthatmaybefoundinthearticle gratefully acknowledged;however, theauthortakessoleresponsibilityforany Shantaram Pandere, JatinWagle, ShivajiMotegaonkarandSunilKankateis Note: HelpreceivedfromDKKulkarni, SandeepPendse, AshokChousalkar, wish totraversetheminefieldof‘pastcontinuous’. remind usthattherearenoeasyroadmapsforthosewho emancipatory tolerance;buttheepisodesdiscussedabove a fewsignpostsinthesearchfortheoryandpracticeof complex interweaveofcollectiveconsciousness.Theseare represented byinclusive,benign‘myths’lodgedinthe out anddrawingintellectualnourishmentfromthe‘truths’ s/he shouldovercomethehubrisofscientism,whileseeking advice ofculturalcriticslikeAshisNandyandVinayLalthat note, suchascholarmayalsowanttoconsidertheearnest commemoration eo ipso, as well Reflections on the Revolution in France asupposedly‘sub-national’community amnesia.Onamorepositive Illustrated Weekly

, 1790) case, Amnesty Internationalhadsanitisedthehistoryandpolitics the strongeststandardsininternationalhumanrightslaw, that indefend lies toitself, canitdemandthetruthofothers?”Iargued rarely inhistory, whenagreatorganisation must ask:ifit issued astatement:“A momentcomes,whichcomesbut Guantanamo Baydetainee,MoazzamBegg.Iimmediately regarding AmnestyInternational’spromotionoftheformer after anewspaperpublishedreportaboutmyconcerns ON FEBRUARY 7,2010,Iwassuspendedfrommyjobhours are fullofpassionateintensity.” “The bestlackallconviction,whiletheworst supporters andhasfailedto provide anyaccountofBeggor rights”. Amnestyhasrefused todebatetheseissueswithmy defence” hadbeendeclared “not antitheticaltohuman had becomeapartnerofAmnesty and“jihadinself- left Amnesty, over irreconcilabledifferences,Cageprisoners advocate likethemselves.Just overthreemonthsafterI embrace Begg’sviews,declaringthathewasahumanrights So, AmnestyInternationalchangedtackanddecidedto and calledforadebatewithAmnestyInternational. politics” (1).Thepetitionersraisedanumberofquestions espouse extremistandviolentformsofidentity-based this languageisalsobeinghijackedbyorganisationsthat to legitimiseare-bornimperialism.Equallydisturbingly, is beingtakenoverbytheUS/NATO allianceinits efforts “the languageofhumanrightsanddefenders human rightstoberestored.Thepetitionersarguedthat rights advocatesfromSouthAsiacallingfortheintegrityof following aglobalpetitiondraftedbythreeseniorwomen’s rights organisation.Buttheycontinuedtobeunderpressure anxious toclaimhisviewsascompa his experiences,theysaid,showingthatwerenot deny thattheypromotedhisviews.Heonlyspokeabout Amnesty International’sfirstresponsetothemediawas and organisationsbelongingtotheIslamicRight.” inexcusably alliedtothepoliticallegitimisationofindividuals the necessarydefenceoftorturestandardhasbeen Cageprisoners. Mystatementsaid:“Thetragedyhereisthat completely failedtorecognisethenatureofhisorganisation of theex-Guantanamodetainee,MoazzamBegg,and Dissent vsincitement? destroy fundamentalhumanrights? clear thatsomeofthepeoplewhoserightstheywereupholdingintendedto based politics?AreorganisationssuchasAmnestyInternationalfailingtomake conscience andindividualswhoespouseextremistviolentformsofidentity- Are humanrightsorganisationsfailingtodrawthelinebetweenprisonersof ing theabsoluteprohibitionontorture,oneof —YBYeats tible withahuman

by AmnestyInternational’sfounder, Peter Benenson,asa expression. Theterm‘prisonerofconscience’wasinvented it movedawayfromitsoriginalbriefofdefendingfree For some,AmnestyInternational hadlonglostitswaywhen Prisoner ofconscience? Cageprisoners totheirownmembershiporstaff. fundamentally underminedits analysisofArticles18and19 position inAmnesty’swork.But thewayitwasinterpreted I alsobelievewasessential(3), cametooccupyacentral or peacetime.Thisdefenceof the‘torturestandard’,which prohibition ontortureininternational law, whetherinwar the attacksbyBushadministration ontheabsolute Amnesty International also campaigned very strongly against the prisoners,ortochargethemandgiveafairtrial. relating toGuantanamowereclosetheprisonandrelease whether theyhadcommittedcrimesornot.Thedemands held inGuantanamohadextremelyunsavourypolitics, Gender Unit,wereperfectlyawarethatmanyofthepeople in thepolicydepartmentwhereIservedasHeadof sometimes pressurefrommemberstodoso.Themandarins other Guantanamoprisonerseither, althoughtherewas This badgeofhonourwasneverawardedtoBeggor competing politicalpressures. saw itselfmaintainin they angeredmanyanti-apartheidactivists,theorganisation conscience’ becauseheadvocatedarmedstruggle.Though refrained fromdeclaringNelsonMandelaa‘prisonerof So strictwasA which doesnotadvocateorcondonepersonalviolence”(2). words orsymbols)anyopinionwhichhehonestlyholdsand imprisonment orotherwise)fromexpressing(inanyformof conscience as“anypersonwhoisphysicallyrestrained(by opinion andexpression”.Benensondefinedaprisonerof and religion”,Article19guaranteeing“freedomof Rights whichguarantees“freedomofthought,conscience based onArticle18oftheUniversalDeclarationHuman article in in 1961,naminganumberofpoliticalprisonersfamous expressing theirbeliefs.‘Appeal forAmnesty’waslaunched term ofhonourawardedtothoseimprisonedforsimply The Observer mnesty International’sdefinitionthatit g itsintegrityofviewintheface Response ofhumanrightsorganisations , aliberalBritishnewspaper. Itwas GITA SAHGAL 29 ISSUE 22 2011 30 ISSUE 22 2011 Cageprisoners havebrilliantly adaptedAmnesty thought, freedomofspeech and freedomofconscience.” expose AI’sinappropriatereaction totheirfreedomof the organisation,theyremained silentanddidnotpublicly large numbersofciviliansinplanned attacks.“Beingloyalto to thestate,atatimewhenfundamentalistswerekilling which (theyfelt)assigneddisproportionateresponsibility Secretary Generalprotestingthepublicationofareport Algerian sectionhadbeenexpelledaftertheywrotetothe for thefirsttimethatthreefoundingmembersofAmnesty’s fundamentalists onAmnestyplatforms(5).Shealsorevealed Lucas arguedthattherewasapatterntothepromotionof rights abuses.Inanarticlefor nothing todowithsupporti cases ofterroristsuspects,behaveasifthesepersonshad terrorism ingeneralterms;butwhentakingupindividual this. Otherwise,organisationscanendupcondemning that humanrightsorganisationsneedtobemindfulof long warnedthatavictimcanalsobeperpetrator, and of thenetworkWomen Living Under MuslimLaws,has Marieme HelieLucas,anAlgerianfeministandfounder Victims andperpetrators Declaration ofHumanRights,alongwithmanyotherrights. to thedestructionofArticles18and19Universal purely victims,wheninfactthesepersonsarededicated Amnesty promotescertainindividualsasiftheywere website), whoadvocatesthekillingofShia.Inshort, as AlialTimimi(called“inspirational”ontheCageprisoners could bebanned.MoazzamBeggsupportsideologuessuch labelled apostates,andnormalMuslimpracticesprayers harsh, thatbytheirstandardsmostMuslimscouldbe that theversionofIslamupheldbytheir‘cases’wasso occupation. Amnestyfailedtoproducematerialsshowing fundamental humanrights.Theywerenotsimplyresisting whose rightstheywereupholdingintendedtodestroy The organisationfailedtomakeclearthatmanypeople standards onconscienceandfreeexpression. who hadbeenimprisonedincontraventionofinternational torture, withitsclassicalfocusonnon-violentprisoners the inalienablerightofeveryhumanbeingtobefreefrom International’s campaigningtechniqueseffectivelyconfused that upholdhumanrightsnorms.Instead,Amnesty should beattheforefrontofgatheringevidenceinways these individualsfacedjustice.Humanrightsorganisations counter-terrorism), theyneededtobeactiveinensuring that support victimsofterrorism(ratherthanonly for wereinvolvedwithsalafi-jihadinetworks.Inorderto evidence thatsomeindividualstheywerecampaigning without dueprocess.Theorganisationcouldhavegathered imply thatthedetaineesshouldhavebeendeclaredguilty through “anarrativeofinnocence”.Idonotmeanto Amnesty’s campaigningactivitiespromoteddetainees of theUniversalDeclarationHumanRights(4). Freedom ofexpression ng terrorismorotherhuman Co mmunalism Combat, Helie website appearstoworkwithinhumanrightsstandards(9), by aproperlyconstitutedcourt.Sowhileonesectionofthe rather thansimplyaffordingthemfairtrialandpunishment that theirgoalwastoobtainthereleaseofsuchprisoners, Careful examinationoftheCageprisonerswebsiteshows was condemnedforeithertheirideologyoractions. planning massiveattacksoncivilians(8).Neitherofthem pleaded guiltyandisserving30yearsinaBritishprisonfor ‘mastermind’ of9/11andhiscolleagueDhirenBarotwho time ofmydisputeincludedKhaledMohammedSheikhthe conscience’ (7).Detaineeswhowerehighlightedatthe senior memberofalQaeda(6),wasstyleda‘prisoner were defending.AbuMuhammadal-Maqdisi,avery either asreveredscholarsorprisonerswhomthey sympathies inthechoiceofpeopletheyhighlighted, called ‘IslamicFocus’, whichshoweddistinctsalafi-jihadi of theirideologicalstance.Gonenowisthesection website toremovesomeofthemoreobviousmarkers my complaint,theyhavefinallymadechangestotheir International’s techniques.Following intensescrutinyafter terrorism policiesintheUKand Europeanmainlandhaveled they arebeingcriminalised.Thus, theywrite:“Counter- campaign groupsthatsupport “communities”thatclaim Cageprisoners usesimilarlanguage todescribegrassroots means nothingbutpromotion ofrealIslam”(12). Hamza said:“Itispartofadirtywaragainstterrorismwhich murder andracialhatred.Askedabouthisextradition,Abu Hamza isservingaseven-yearsentenceforincitementto convicted of“allegedincitement”.Thereaderisnottoldthat pro-jihadi pr imprisoned afterafairtrial.WhenAbuHamza,notorious between detaineeswhohaveneverbeenchargedandthose No atte freedom ofreligionandexpression(11). it isobligatorytowagewar, constitutesanattackonthe but thewiderangeofpeopleagainstwhom(inhisopinion) He stateshisoppositiontothekillingof“unarmedcivilians”, against unbelievers,hypocrites,oppressorsandevil-doers. means war, which includeswaragainst jihad simplyasaformofspiritualorintellectualstruggle.He Muslim Brotherhood,heisclearthatdoesnotmean of everyMuslim.Writinginajournalassociatedwiththe Moazzam Beggalsobelievesthatjihadistheobligation a punishableoffence. theocratic state.Notmeetingthisobligationshouldbecome towards theirtheo-politicalgoals—thefoundingofa not simplyanactofcharity, butaformofreligious support abandoning them”(10).Supportingprisonersinthiswayis brethren aroundtheworld,andpunishmentfor the obligationsofMuslimstowardstheirunjustlydetained fatawa for theirfaith.SupporterssuchasImamsareaskedto“give obligation to‘Free thePrisoners’whoareseenassuffering others aremoreclearlydedicatedtoimposingareligious (legalverdicts)explainingtoyourcongregation mpt ismadebyCageprisonerstodistinguish eacher, wasinterviewed,heissaidtohavebeen shaytan ordesires, views onjihadandtheobligationtofreeprisonersappear discrimination againstwomenandminorities(15).Begg’s of atheocraticandfascisticstatepractisingsystematic about eightmonths.Itclearlysupportsthefoundation Ways To SupportJihad knowledge ofAwlaki’sviews(14).Yet Awlaki’swork claimed thattheyhadbeencensoredanddeniedany Awlaki message,whichwasputonlinelater. Cageprisoners concerted protests,thedinnerwentaheadwithout a messagetoRamadandinneratTown Hall.After conducted interviewswithAwlakiandinvitedhimtosend Cageprisoners havelongbeenAwlakienthusiasts,having Inspire, in alQaedaandwritesforanewonlinemagazinecalled to AnwaralAwlakiwhohasemergedasaseniorvoice Nowhere isthisclearerthaninCageprisoners’relationship Dissent vsincitement? to dissent’. narrative ofinnocencewhichelidesterrorismwiththe‘right ‘dissent’ and‘incitementtokill’.Theytooarepromotinga But Cageprisonersdonotdiscussthedifferencebetween people accordingtotheiridentityratherthanacts. indeed legitimateconcernsrelatingtothesurveillanceof communities andanyformofdissent”(13).Thereare to innumerablepiecesoflegislationthatseekcriminalise for bringingAwlakitostand trial. Instead,theymerely would notgivehim.CCRcould havesupportedaprocess as arespected‘cleric’,title that mostMuslimscholars hiding. ButCCRwassilentabout allthis.Theytreatedhim and acartoonistcalledMolly Norriswhohashadtogointo death listswhichincludeSalman Rushdie,AyaanHirsiAli with explosivesinhisunderpants.Awlakihaspublished Abdulmuttalab, the‘Christmasbomber’,toblowupaplane attempt byFaisal Shazadtoblow upTimesSquare,andby that Awlakihadinspiredbombingsandattackssuchasthe However, shepointedoutthattherewasmountingevidence was clearthat argued h (a UScitizen)onahit-listfordroneattacks.Bennoune by CCRchallengingtheUSgovernmentforputtingAwlaki US, publiclyvoicedherconcernsregardingacaselaunched the Board of the Centre for Constitutional Rights (CCR) in the Karima Bennoune,ahumanrightslawyerandmemberof beliefs andactivitiesishighlighted. the silenceofhumanrightsadvocatesregardingAwlaki’s seems tooccuronlywhenheisdirectlycriticised,and clearly statedontheirwebsite.ThedistancingfromAwlaki calls (16).B has issuedcallstoattackcivilians.Theysaytheyopposesuch Cagep supporting, andwhattheycontinuetosupport. “not antitheticaltohumanrights”,thisiswhattheywere Amnesty Internationalsaidthatjihadinself-defence was to derivefromthesamesourcesasAwlaki’s.When risoners havebeenforcedtoacknowledgethatAwlaki alQaeda’sEnglishlanguagepropagandaorgan. er viewontheBoardbeforeshewentpublic.She ut theirpositiononthekillingofciviliansisnot sheopposedextra-judicialexecutions(17). , hadbeenavailableonlinefor 44 claim appearstohelpdistanceAwlakifromresponsibility, attempted bombingbyUmarFarouk Abdulmuttalab.This mentioned oncewithregardtoitsresponsibilityforthe Qaeda intheArabianPeninsula (AQAP).AQAPitselfisonly claim thatthereisnoconfirmationAwlakipartofAl Square” (18).TheCageprisoners‘briefing’quotesa Yemeni people…”, “SomeonetriedtoblowupsomepeopleinTimes well established.“NidalHassanissaidtohavekilled13 language iscarefullyused,evenwherethefactsare that isclearlycomposedtorespondcritics.Distancing There isapieceonAwlakitheCageprisonerswebsite done bytheKKK?” And iftheydid,wouldbesilentaboutthegraveharms if thesonfacedabusesathandsofUSgovernment? man. Would aprogressivehumanrightsgroupdothat,even Dragon oftheKu KluxKlanwhoclaimshissonisagood representing, withoutcomment,thefatherofGrand of himatall.Bennounefeltthatthiswas“tantamountto to claimingthattherewerenogroundsforaninvestigation developed acaseagainstthedroneattack,whichamounted endangering someonebyextreme andfalsestatements. plots couldberegardedasorders tokillratherthan Awlaki’s deathlistsandhisinvolvement inmanyterrorist actual physicaldangerofaviolent response”(20). misinformation andfalsehoods (thatplace,thatperson)in “intentional repetitionofprovocative,incendiary, emotional rights, ofwhichtheywere“vigorousdefenders”andan threats. TheydistinguishedbetweenFirstAmendment right-wing hostGlennBeckandthensubjectedtodeath News aboutanacademicwhohadbeenattackedbythe inciting violence.InJanuarythisyear, theywrotetoFox understand thedistinctionbetweenspeakingfreelyand free speech.Butitseemsthatinothercases,CCRdo was protectedbytheFirstAmendmentthatguarantees that CCRwouldconsidertheinstigationofacrime US hasstrongfreespeechprotections,anditispossible all evidencethathewasimplicatedinseriouscrimes.The By 2010,CCRconstructedtheircaseforAwlakibyignoring the Algerianfundamentalistpoliticalparty, theFIS(19). human rightsbodies,andtolitigateagainsttheleaderof fundamentalism, toresearchandpresenttheircase were virtuallyaloneintheirsupporttothevictimsof were supporti values. Inthe1990s,whenmosthumanrightsorganisations stand thatseemedtohaveturnedawayfromitslong-held of here statement wascitedbyKarimaBennouneinherexplanation (unbelievers) isacentralelementofourmilitarycreed.”This of statementsbyAwlakisuchas:“Hatredthe case broughtbyCCRandACLU, willyoufindanydiscussion Nowhere intheCageprisonersdocument,orlegal ‘briefing’ thathewritesforthealQaedajournal. stances arenotanalysed,norwouldyoudiscoverfromthis as ifhewerenotpartofAQAP. His philosophical orpolitical xtreme disquietatthestandtakenbyCCR—a ng Algerianfundamentalists,CCRassociates Response ofhumanrightsorganisations kuffar

31 ISSUE 22 2011 32 ISSUE 22 2011 spread ofextremisminBritishprisonsfrom materialsfoundonCageprisoners 8 Acounter-extremism think-tank,QuilliamFoundation, basedareportonthe articles.php?id=27293 7 middleeast/30jihad.html?_r=1&hp in internalsectariandebates. himself usesUSmilitaryandscholars’assessmentstobolsterhisposition 6 WhileCageprisonersnevermentionsalMaqdisi’spoliticalaffiliation,Maqdisi Suppressing Dissent’,at 5 MariemeHelieLucas,‘ConscientiousObjection:AmnestyInternationalP world-order-conversation-with-gita-sahgal http://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/deniz-kandiyoti/conflict-and-custom-in-new- conversation-with-gita-sahgal http://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/deniz-kandiyoti/soft-law-and-hard-choices- concentrated onsomerightsandnotothers,pleasesee,‘SoftLaw 4 For alongerdiscussionofhowwesternhumanrightsorganisations have http://www.human-rights-for-all.org/spip.php?article1 3 SeeGitaSahgal’sstatementonAmnestyInternationalandCageprisonersat benenson/page.do?id=1101201 2 http://www.human-rights-for-all.org/spip.php?article15 1 GlobalpetitiontoAmnestyInternationalrestoretheintegrityofhumanrights. Endnotes human rights fundamentalism, amplifiessecularvoicesandpromotesuniversalityin salafi-jihadis. SheisaFounderoftheCentreforSecularSpace,whichopposes after makingpublicherdisquietaboutAmnestyInternational’spromotionof former HeadoftheGenderUnitatAmnestyInternational,whichsheleft Gita SahgalwasaFounderMemberofWomenAgainstFundamentalism and org/IMG/pdf/Claudioletter-2.pdf dated February28,2010, Amnesty’s adinterimSecretaryGeneralClaudiaCordone on thisissuemaybereadatthefollowinglink:Aletterby Amnesty International’scounter-arguments andposition author, andnotnecessarilythatof Note: ThisarticlebyGitaSahgalreflectstheopinionof Begg istheirhero.Whatadistancetheyhavetravelled. Gandhian leader, KhanAbdulGaffarKhan.Today, Moazzam anniversary, Peter Benensonlitacandleforthegreat it hasbecomeclearthatisdoingjustthat.Onits10th forth”. By2011,AmnestyInternational’s50thanniversary, at the“destructionofanyrightsandfreedomsset group orperson”hasanyrighttoengageinactivitiesaimed Universal DeclarationofHumanRightstellsus,“nostate, free speechandfreedomofreligion.AsArticle30the ‘defensive jihad’areattackingfoundationalprinciplesof Those defendingAwlakiandsupportersofso-called boasted ofhowlittletheplothadcost(21). postal bombsthatwerecarriedonplanestoEuropeand assassination lists.Recently, theyclaimedresponsibilityfor explosives aswellproducingorderstokillthrough English-speaking readerswithrecipesonmanufacturing is ampleevidencethatalQaedapublicationsareproviding movements, includingHindutvaandalQaeda,believesthere Professor ChetanBhatt,anexpertonright-wingreligious See ‘TheFirmnessofaPrisonerConscience’, http://www.amnestyusa.org/about-us/the-forgotten-prisoners-by-peter- Freedom ofexpression http://www.siawi.org/article1775.html http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/30/world/ . And ‘Conflict and Custom in the New World Order’, http://www.human-rights-for-all. Infochange Agenda. http://old.cageprisoners.com/ , HardChoices’,

ersists in

guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/nov/19/human-rights- 17 KarimaBennoune,‘WhyISpokeOutonAnwaralAwlaki’, rights-us-constitution-and-civil-liberties?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487 rights, 16 VictoriaBrittainandAsimQureshi.AreplytoKarimaBennouneonalAwlaki’s http://cryptome.org/anwar-alawlaki/09-0105.htm 15 ThislinktoAwlaki’swebsiteand 777&Itemid=37 14 towards orcommissionofviolence of terrorism,northedistinctionbetweendemocraticdissentandincitement terrorist groupsoperate.Neitherorganisationhasacknowledgedtheexistence as bansonparticulargroups)thebroadercommunitieswithinwhich campacc.org.uk/ 13 12 Edition 1,Summer2008 11 MoazzamBegg,‘Jihad andTerrorism, aWar ofWords’, 10 9 Seeforinstance, www.quilliamfoundation.org/index.php/component/content/article/582 websites. See‘UnlockingAl-Qaeda:IslamistExtremisminBritishPrisons’,at Terror’, March23,2011 21 ProfChetanBhatt,inaugurallecture,‘TheVirtuesofViolenceandtheArts silencing-glenn-beck-misinformat org/newsroom/press-releases/update%3A-ccr-appeals-fox-news-president-help- Beck MisinformationCampaignAgainstProgressiveProfessor, 20 UPDATE: CCRAppealstoFox NewsPresidentforHelpinSilencingGlenn FIS, 19 SeereportsofcivillawcaseagainsttheleaderAlgerianIslamistparty awlaki 18 usa?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487 http://www.pureislam.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id= http://www.cageprisoners.com/the-issues http://old.cageprisoners.com/articles.php?id=24793 http://www.cageprisoners.com/get-involved/item/15-volunteering http://www.cageprisoners.com/cases/middle-east/yemen/item/1126-anwar-al- http://apic.igc.org/docs97/alg9703.htm http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/nov/23/human- , whichpurportstohighlighttheimpactofanti-terrorlaws(such http://www.cageprisoners.com/about-us 44 Ways toJihad andthewebsite was availableonlineat Arches http://www. http://www. http://ccrjustice. , Vol 2, http:// , Freedom gagged silent over, or denyingorsuppressinganymentionofits exaggerate thewrongsofoppositeside,whileremaining to itsadvantage.Eachsidetriesbesthighlightand the interestsofeachsidetotiltinformationasymmetry interest betweentheseparatistsandstate,itsuits a secessionistmovementinthevalleycreatesconflictof its scopeisalwaysahottopic.Anditeasytoseewhy: in aconflictzonelikeKashmir, freedomofexpressionand or anartistoffendsthesensibilityofsomegroups.However, content, amoviecensoredforpoliticallyincorrect example whenabookisbannedforitscontroversial public debateatthenationallevelonlyoccasionally. For THEISSUEOFFREEDOM ofexpressionenters IN INDIA, and intheirlatchingontoissues concerningtheMuslim in theKashmiriMuslimmajority’s romancewithPakistan, Presently, thisoutward-looking impulsemanifestsitself a centrifugalpushtoconnect withtheoutsideworld. The centripetalpullofanisland mentalityisoffsetby free speech. standards coveringagamutofsocialaspects,including conditions favourablefortheevolutionofuniquelocal property inthevalley. Thus,thevalleyofKashmir possesses Indian citizensfromotherstatescannotpurchaselandor grants specialautonomousstatustoJammuandKashmir, times, thankstoArticle did notallowoutsiderstoenterthevalley. Inmodern polymath Al-BirunimentionsthattheinhabitantsofKashmir external world.The11thcenturyMuslimscholarand Kashmir hasalwaysbeenrelativelyinsulatedfromthe and culturedistinctfromsurroundingregions.Historically, place surroundedbymountainranges,enjoyingaclimate Geographically, theKashmirvalleyisarelatively isolated these at universallyacceptablestandards.Iintendtoextrapolate free speechpeculiartothevalleyposechallengesinarriving the abuseofthisright.Apartfromthis,certainaspects of whatisallowedunderfreespeech,andconstitutes outright fabrications.Also,therearenoclearlysetstandards tends tobehalf-truths andone-and-a-half-truths, ifnot As expected,muchoftheinformationcirculatedinvalley own wrongs. people space to protest democratically will lead to protests in less desirable forms other narratives. This is equally true for the state, which must realise that not allowing is counterproductive. Any lopsided perspective is far from ‘free’ if it closes itself to free speech, and what constitutes the abuse of this right. Information asymmetry There are no clearly set standards in the Kashmir valley of what is allowed under peculiarities. 370oftheIndianConstitutionthat

The beginningsofinsurgency secessionism inthevalleyisconstructed. region inIndiaisthereligio-regionalcomplexaroundwhich together withthespecialfeatureofbeingaMuslimmajority incur fierceresponsesinthevalley. Thus,itsuniqueidentity world. ControversialissuesinfarawayMuslimcountriescan uncontested claimsandunsubstantiated ‘facts’tofindtheir around toprotest,itisnotunusual forhatespeeches, of otherregionsthestate. Becausethetargetsarenot abusive politicaldiscoursewith non-Muslimsandpeople they haveanyframeofreference aboutsustaininganon- today havenomemoryofamulticultural Kashmir, nordo came toanabruptend.ThenewgenerationofMuslims of multiculturalismthataninfluentialminorityhadoffered of thevalleybecamelargelyhomogenousandvestiges Following theexodusofPandits in1990,thedemographics to flee from the valley in order to survive. and in leading newspapers (1). All these events forced them cases, threats were issued via loudspeakers fitted in mosques them of consequences if they did not leave the valley. In some from various militant them were gratuitously murdered, and threatening messages movement and were considered traitors by default. Many of Muslim militants and their Pakistani handlers to support this Pandits, being the Hindu minority, were not expected by the could a whiff of an allegation of being an informer or militants became imperative. A witchhunt ensued wherein valuable, and reciprocally, secrecy about the identity of the stakes involved, information about militants became ideological support from the local Muslim populace. Given militants roamed the streets freely, with full emotional and The government was in complete disarray while armed which resultedinanarmeduprisingthevalley1989. and extendedarmstrainingweaponstolocalrebels, advantage ofthedisenfranchisementKashmiriMuslims by variousvalley-basedMuslimgroups.Pakistan took of theMuslimUnitedFront, anewpoliticalpartyfloated a riggedelectionin1987resultedanunexpecteddefeat Secessionism didnotfindsupportamongthemassesuntil get someone gruesomely killed to ‘set an example’. groups were sent to them, warning Public expressioninKashmir SUALEH KEEN mukhbir

33 ISSUE 22 2011 34 ISSUE 22 2011 of editorialcontrol. government in1996thatthepressgainedsomesemblance in counter-insurgency andtheresurgenceofanelected staff intimidatedandmurdered.Itwasnotuntilsuccesses Television andradiostationswerealsotargetedtheir fighters’ ensuredthatnobodywasfreetochallengethem. but waslimitedtotheseparatistsidebecause‘freedom newspaper. Thisreducedfreespeechto‘free-for-all’ speech, anything publishedonthefrontpageofanyvalley-based During thosedays,anybodywithawoodenpistolcouldget encounters, spuriousnews,andpropagandistliterature. figures ofthenumberarmedpersonnelkilledin newspapers readlikejihadi of editorsandjournalists.Thereafterformanyyears,local control ofthelocalpressthroughintimidationandmurder years oftheinsurgency, militantsalsotookimmediate In additiontomurderingallegedinformersintheearly Terror, presscontrolsandconspiracytheories way intolocalnewspapersandcommondiscourse. Freedom ofexpression

tabloids withexaggerated

different accounts in public and in private. for the survivors (2). It became characteristic for people to tell interviewer regarding which account would be less dangerous gunmen, attempted to reach a consensus right in front of the in the Chattisinghpora massacre of 2000 by unidentified bereaved families of the 35 Sikhs (another minority), killed hesitated to reveal the identity of the killers. In one case, that the families of victims, when questioned by journalists, the conflict. The fear psychosis created by this dilemma meant masses, as they could not risk taking a committed stand in This resulted in self-censorship and doublespeak among the Supporting one side meant invoking the wrath of the other. Non-combatant Kashmiris were caught in the crossfire. perfunctorily dubbed a militant or a militant sympathiser. crime in areas they controlled. Anybody they killed was local militants, in turn indulged in extortion, abduction and insurgents, who were pulled from the ranks of surrendered fake encounters, custodial deaths and rape. The counter- kill. These powers were rampantly misused, resulting in draconian laws, providing them impunity and a licence to The state gave the armed forces special powers under In contrast,Jammu-basednewspapers, inadditiontobeing people forthepasttwodecades. forces, whichhavehelddraconian powersoverthelivesof the constantharassmentofcommon peoplebythearmed and everysphereoflife,aspread inadvertentlyabettedby into educationalinstitutions,thejudiciary, trade unions and advertisements.Presently, separatism has permeated depend uponthestateforrevenuethroughtendernotices of greaterautonomyforthestate.Besides,newspapers soft-separatist tendenciesintheirpoliticalpromulgation the ‘mainstream’valley-basedpoliticalpartiesespouse statements. Thebipolarcontentisencouragedbecause balance betweenseparatistopinionsandofficial Srinagar-based newspaperstendtomaintainasloppy Jammu as a counterpoint to the valley’s Islamist separatism. exacerbated by the flourishing of Hindu right-wing parties in and those from the Jammu region. The regional divide is with a neat dichotomy between valley-based newspapers nationalistic aspirations have resulted in regional polarisation, to remain in the Indian Union. Exclusive secessionist and for Kashmir, while people of the remaining regions prefer majority of people in the valley support independence to establish current attitudes in the state, an overwhelming According to a recent survey (4) conducted by Ipsos MORI Regional warofwords damaged byseparatists. speak outagainsttheseshutdownslesttheirshopsbe shutdowns enforcedbyseparatists.Shopkeeperscannot no matterthattheeconomyismostdamagedbyprotracted local economytoenslaveKashmiriswiththeirbankingloans, wherein Jews,capitalistsandIndiansschemetoruinthe a recentnewspaperarticle(3)thatpropoundedtheory stereotypical ‘enemies’suchastheJews,exemplifiedby Muslim insurgents.Therearealsoinsensitivereferencesto is shownasbeingresponsibleforsubsequentdeathsof shifts theblametoPandit victims whose‘absence’ called) andthesecessionistmovement,additionally Mujahideen (asthearmedinsurgentswereeuphemistically exodus. Itaimstoremovethecommunaltaintfrom disengagement’ fromcollectiveresponsibilityforthe genocide ofMuslims”.Thistheoryisanexample‘moral of Indiatoleavethevalleycleargroundfor Muslims —“thePandits wereinstructedbytheGovernment Pandits —nowa‘consensualtruth’amongmanyvalley According toaconspiracytheoryabouttheexodusof popular theory being declared the truth. mindspace. People made whimsical selections, with the most theories, ranging from the plausible to the bizarre, vied for made the ground fertile for conspiracy theories. A myriad such of reality. The conflicting motives of numerous vested interestsfearlessly, resulted in misattribution of culpability and coupleddistortion with the common people’s reluctance to speak Misinformation spread by the separatists and the state, other separatist leaders make similar speeches frequently is a selective application of charges, given that Geelani and at a conference held in New Delhi on October 21, 2010. This and novelist Arundhati Roy for making anti-India speeches of sedition against Kashimiri separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani A New Delhi court recently ordered the police to file charges Endemic stateofsedition criticised Kashmirileadership(5). of aJammu-basednewspaperwhoseJune29theditionhad headed bya Kashmir-based party, sealed theoffice and press on June29,2010,theGovernmentofJammuandKashmir, for thesettlingofpersonalscores.Inamidnightcrackdown forces. Thisvitriolicregionalconfrontationcreatesoccasions Jammu-based papersexhibitsolidaritywiththearmed of draconianlawsandthearmedforcesingeneral, general consensusinthevalleyisagainstcontinuation discriminate againstotherregions.Asaresult,wherethe based politicalpartieswhichareseentopursuepoliciesthat highly criticalofseparatists,arewarydominantvalley- which facenumerousproblems onadailybasisalwayswant explained bythefactthatlocal populationsinconflictzones The perceivedlackofconcern bytheIndianmediacanbe suspicion of the Indian media in the present milieu? of opinions and analyses. What then explains the continued given ample coverage to Kashmir and accommodated a range from Kashmir. In the past few years, however, the media have only intermittently focused on sensational ephemeral news strife, the Indian media tended to look the other way and the ‘people’s movement’. Indeed, for over two decades of exaggerating the role played by Islamism and Pakistan in while highlighting the transgressions of separatists and is perceived to whitewash any wrongdoing by the state, The nationalist Indian media, as it is called in the valley, an impression propagated by valley-based journalists. has enforced a ‘media embargo’ on the Kashmir issue, In Kashmir, it is generally believed that the Indian state Hostile mediaphenomenon impression ofdiscriminatingagainstKashmiriMuslims. such, thestateneedstotakeextracareandnotgive feeling ofbeing‘occupiedbyaHindumajoritynation’.As from gatheringforprayersinmosquesreinforcesthenative mobilisation ofmassesinthevalley, butpreventing people and Friday sermonshave a longpoliticalhistoryinthe allowing suchfreedominotherregionsandstates.Mosques of assemblyforpublicgatheringstoKashmiripeople,while Also, thestateneedstoreconsiderdenialoffreedom and addressing the root cause of the widespread alienation. clear call for violence, the an entire population. Unless the alleged seditious speech is a the valley are ‘guilty’ of it? It cannot press charges against a governme in the valley with wide media coverage. Besides, how does nt tackle sedition when a majority of people in Public expressioninKashmir government is better off ignoring it 35 ISSUE 22 2011 36 ISSUE 22 2011 believe wereresponsiblefortheir exodus.Thus,interactions between Pandits andKashmiriMuslimswhomtheformer bravado ofbeingoutrange. Therehasbeennoclosure anonymity, overcompensation afteralongsilence,andthe a web-basedplatformtends to beloudduerelative this virtual‘reunion’havebeen mixed.Conversationon each otherforthefirsttimesince1990.Theresultsof estranged KashmiriMuslimsandPandits interactedwith The Internetalsobecamethemediumthroughwhich of speechandthosewhowanttoseeksecessionpeacefully. police shoulddistinguishbetweenrealviolatorsoffreedom support groupshavecomeunderthepolicescanner, butthe excessive forceagainstprotestors.Facebook stone-pelting of abusinghumanrights,shieldingtheguilty, andusing to thestateasfiction,especiallywhenhasahabit adding tothespiralofviolence.Facts canbeasdamaging in pitchedbattlesbetweenstone-peltersandthepolice details ofthevictims,enragedmassesfurther, resulting police firings.Eachuploadedphotoandvideo,showinggory that leftmorethanahundredKashmiriciviliansdeadin The Internetplayedacriticalroleduringtheunrestof2010 videos can contribute to manipulating public opinion. content also means that rumours, propaganda and spurious However, the absence of control and validation of web-based prevent the state from sweeping such cases under the carpet. video of an incident of police brutality directly to YouTube can Indeed, the ability of local ‘citizen journalists’ to upload a information asymmetry towards their preferred stance. an opportunity to counter official narratives and tilt the East and North Africa. The Internet gives ordinary Kashmiris exemplified by their role in recent uprisings in the Middle potential for a revolutionary movement are obvious, as opportunities and challenges for public expression. Their The advent of social networking websites has created new Facebook face-off visualise thelaw-and-ordersituationholistically. sentiment anddevelop‘localitis’wherebytheyareunableto police duetowhichtheyempathisewithanti-state Also, valley-basedjournalistsareoftenharassedbythe a largeanddiversecountry. other myriadissuesandnon-issuescoveredbythemediaof between issuesconcerningthelocalsofKashmirandall between secessionistandnationalisticperspectivesbut The competition,inthiscase,isformediaspace,notjust have abiasedviewaboutsituationswheretheycompete. see theworldthrougheyesoftheirownsideandthus Media Phenomenon’(6)accordingtowhichpeopletend deficit’ isreferredtobysocialpsychologistsasthe‘Hostile the valley. Perhaps eventhatwillnotbeenough.This‘trust the mainIndiannewspapersisgoingtosatisfypeopleof nothing lessthandedicatingafullpagetoKashmirdailyby coverage ofsomecelebrity’swedding.Itwouldseemthat their problemstobeconsideredmoreurgentthan,say, Freedom ofexpression journalists’ touploadavideoof the abilityoflocal‘citizen their preferredstance.Indeed, information asymmetrytowards official narrativesandtiltthe an opportunitytocounter Internet givesordinaryKashmiris for publicexpression.The opportunities andchallenges websites hascreatednew The adventofsocialnetworking The flight towards polarised online forums with lopsided Groupthink seeing thingsfromtheother’s perspective. Pandit platforms breakoutofthe‘groupthink’trapandstart But thatisonlypossibleifthevariousexclusivelyMuslimand moderation andsensitivitytowardsthepainof‘other’. up emotionsandtosharepersonalgriefwillengender and closure.Ihopethattheopportunitytoventpent- a commonculture,therenewaloffriendships,catharsis, However, theNetalsoenabledanexpressionoflovefor heartburn forboth,andhavereinforcedstereotypes. between thetwohavegenerallybeenabusive,causefor public opinion can contributetomanipulating propaganda andspuriousvideos also meansthatrumours, validation ofweb-basedcontent the absenceofcontroland cases underthecarpet.However, the statefromsweepingsuch directly toYouTube canprevent an incidentofpolicebrutality demonstrations donotsway the nationalistmedia.Ifittakes peacefully andnotpeltstones, theyreplythattheirpeaceful When wetellKashmiriyouth theyshoulddemonstrate journalistic principlesintheface of‘nationalinterest’. Kashmiri. TheIndianmediaare alsoguiltyofviolating decades-long apathytowards themiseryofcommon The Indianmediashouldalsointrospectabouttheirtwo- standards to their narrative and their actions. potential performance, and apply universally-accepted introspect, analyse the differences between actual and solidarity of people around the world, separatists should is whether or not the world agrees. If they are to earn the the group about a certain mode of protest; what matters movement. It does not matter if there is unanimity among anarchists is not going to win support for the secessionist getting the stone-pelting ‘Intifada’ endorsed by non-Kashmiri Kashmir retract his fatwa that stone-pelting is un-Islamic, or to anticipating a global response. Making a grand mufti of standards, but local standards are misleading when it comes forces may appear ‘non-violent’ in terms of relative local After an armed uprising, pelting stones at the armed Conclusion politics iscalledatraitor, evil,impotent,orstupid. Kashmiri Muslimsorshowsanaversionforright-wing Any memberwhoexpressesadesiretoreconcilewith community, allofwhomareterroristsortheir supporters. of thesegroupsseeahomogenousKashmiriMuslim contaminated byhardlineHinduright-wingers.Most Groupthink alsoexistsinPandit Facebook groups of pelting stones on roads. There are many such examples. that she had voiced her wish to see children in schools instead group ‘Bekaar Jamaath’ (literally, ‘Idle Group’). Her fault was an interview with her was posted on the Kashmiri Facebook with dire physical consequences after an article featuring On August 22, 2010, a Kashmiri woman artist was threatened lickers of the state, vested interests, biased communalists, etc. Non-conformists are dubbed traitors, Indian agents, boot- censor ideas that deviate from the assumed group consensus. pressurise questioning members to conform and to self- members who shield the group from dissenting information) It is often observed that ‘mind guards’ (self-appointed very issue that is of utmost concern to them. out-group. They end up with incomplete information about the contingency plans objectively, or listen to perspectives ofalternative the solutions to the conflict, to examine risks and ‘online stone-pelters’ are unable to survey and re-evaluate oppose the group. As a result of this lack of introspection, disowns responsibility for actions, and stereotyping those who their assumptions, indulging in self-righteous behaviour that and unanimity, ignoring or rationalising any challenges to case of groupthink (7), resulting in illusions of invulnerabilitysituation. Separatist Facebook groups suffer from a severe perspectives of the freedom struggle has led to a curious their grievances.Ifthestateprovidedeasilyaccessible people. Time-boundactionshouldbetakentoresolve to proactivelyseekfeedbackandcomplaintsfromthe open grievanceredressalcellsineverycornerofthevalley proactively sought.Towards thisend,thestateshould Facts, nomatterhowbitterandembarrassing,shouldbe who usepeacefulmethodsofseekingindependence. selectively tosettlepersonalscores,orbyharassingpeople The stateshouldnotabuseitspowerbyapplyinglaws democratically willleadtoprotestsinlessdesirableforms. must realisethatnotallowingpeoplespacetoprotest other narratives.Thisisequallytrueforthestate,which and biasedperspectiveisfarfrom‘free’ifitclosesitselfto Information asymmetryiscounterproductive.Anylopsided and hasaidedthecycleofviolence. way forstentorianandviolentmethodsofpublicexpression, media isagainstthenationalinterest.Thishaspaved we cansaythatthehardnessofhearingnationalist abuses ofpowerinapurportedly‘inseparablepartIndia’, over ahundreddeathsforthemtostartpayingattention 7 For more information on groupthink, see Israelis. Eachgroupthoughtthebroadcasts werebiasedtowardstheotherside Ross andLeppershowednewsbroadcasts abouttheMiddleEasttoArabsand Massacre’, Biased Perception andPerceptions ofMediaBiasinCoveragetheBeirut 6 Vallone RP, RossL,andLepperMR(1985),‘TheHostileMediaPhenomenon: July 4,2010. 5 ‘Police HarassestheFamily of Paths-to-Peace.aspx http://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/2551/Kashmir- Associate Fellow, AsiaProgramme,ChathamHouse,May2010. 4 ‘Kashmir:Paths toPeace’, RobertWBradnock,King’sCollegeLondonand greaterkashmir.com/news/2010/Dec/31/why-jews-love-our-hartals-19.asp 3 ‘WhyJewsLoveOurHartals’. 9669C8B63&pagewanted=all http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F00E2DD1138F932A05751C1A 2 ‘A KashmiriMystery’byBarry Bearak, leave thevalleywithin48hoursin 1 HizbulMujahideen,amilitantoutfit,publishedanultimatumtotheP Endnotes Ladakh as a platform to promote dialogue company. works as a marketing communications professional in a Pune-based software Sualeh Keen is a Kashmiri writer, poet, graphic artist, bringing thatlinesharplyintofocus. and violationofthatfreedom.Attentionshouldbepaidto Finally, thereisafinelinebetweenfreedom ofexpression alienated feelingsofthepeopleKashmir. lend itstature,andgoalongwaytowardsassuagingthe is culpablethedutyofaresponsiblegovernment.Itwill result invalley-wideagitations.Acceptingblamewhereit the streetstoregistertheirprotest,andlocalissueswouldn’t communication channels,peoplewouldn’tneedtotake

He Journal ofPersonalityandSocialPsychology

created the Facebook group Moderate Voice of Jammu, Kashmir and http://www.thenorthlines.com/newsdet.aspx?q=33854 Public expressioninKashmir Greater Kashmir Early Times The DailyAftab The NewYork Times

between various stakeholders of the state Editor’. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupthink , December31,2010. edition ofApril14,1990

The NorthLines and cultural critic. He , 49,577-585.Vallone, , December31,2000.

, Jammu, http://www. andits to 37 ISSUE 22 2011 38 ISSUE 22 2011 foregrounded inamannerdesigned toassistthestatein of crimes.Archivesandtextbooks ofhistoryhavebeen denies thefactthatstate itselfwastheperpetrator tacitly recognisesthepastvictims ofrepression,itrobustly 1930s and’40s,remains truetoday. Evenifthestate authority oftheirinfallibility. Thiswasthecaseduring that thisiscomplicatedbytheinsistenceofthosein the criminalityofStaliniststate.Theyareawarehowever, and honestsocietycanbebuiltonlyafteracknowledging freedom ofexpressionarguethatagenuinelydemocratic past byRussiancitizens.Thoseaffectedthelimitson current slewofmeasurestocurbhonestenquiryintothat uncovering ofthedarkStalinistpast(1986-2000)asby by occasionalboutsofstategenerosityinpermittingthe The decadessincethenhavebeendominatedasmuch illegality ofprotest;andtheimmobilityruralresidents. prolonged suppressionofconsumerdemand;theeffective a systemofprisoncamps(theGULAG);thedeliberateand as theKGB;incarcerationandexecutionofmillionsin only) thepervasivefearofcitizensbeforestate‘organs’such socialism, predicatedupon(tonamethecardinalfeatures legitimisations forcreatingasuperiorsocialorder, viz country’s leader, thesystemamountedtoaseriesof known asStalinism.Eponymouslydesignatedafterthe The 1930sand1940swereimpregnatedbyaphenomenon Soviet Unionbyitsresidentssincetherevolutionof1917. remain inimicaltoafullexplorationofthehistory This essaywillseektoidentifysomeoftheforcesthat acclaim inRussiatoday. market”, remainsanaptaspirationforhistoriansseeking heroin addicts:wesupplytheessentialrawmaterialfor are tonationalismwhatpoppygrowersinPakistan areto British historianEricHobsbawmin1992,that“historians and politicallycompliantcitizenry. Theremarkbythe in fosteringRussianstatehoodandnurturingapatriotic the manipulationofhistoricalpastasakeyingredient scientific socialism,thenPresidentPutin’scolleaguesregard viewed historicalmaterialismasanideologicalpillarof observed inothersocieties.IftheSovietauthoritieshad rigour; ofmakingthepastservedifferentendsthan geared tobolsteringpoliticalobjectivesoveracademic Communist Party andtheSovietstatein waysthatwere HISTORY INTHESOVIETUNIONwasnurturedbythe History andthestateinRussia Out, darkspots: would ‘createpatriots’ratherthan‘smeartheMotherlandwithmud’ Russia’s attemptstomouldausablepastandconstruct‘positive’historythat Soviet historythatstartedin1986underthebannerof Under thePutinregimethereisareversalofexercisetoinfuseauthenticityinto Freedom ofexpression

considerable capitalonhandintheformofhistorians as ‘bourgeois’scholarship.Sovietscholarshipbeganwith integrity. Muchofitwasrepudiatedafterthe revolution research andmarkedbyanimpregnablescholarly historians whoseworkwasgroundedinmassivearchival Imperial Russiaboastedofaneruditecommunity diminishing andfalsifyingknowledgeofhistoryinRussia. reliable andpedagogicallysuitable wastobecondensed. within whichallthatwaspolitically knowable,doctrinally unique. Theywereintendedto serveasmasternarratives played arolethatwassodistinctive astobearguably for secondaryschools.Histories oftheCommunistParty in biographiesofStalin,histories oftheParty, ortextbooks official distillationsbrewedby Party historiansandbottled the historyoftheircountry, wassubstantially limitedby Public knowledgeoflandmarkevents,turningpointsin society”. people, buttheystilllackedthehistoryofpeopleand now hadahistoryofbossesthatwasbeingwrittenforthe used tohave“ahistoryofbosseswrittenforbosses,but Party member, pointedoutatthesameroundtable thatthey historical actors”.VladimirAlexandrovichKozlov, asenior of examplesinourhistories;theydonotappearasreal any people…individu beings… Therearecertainnamestherebutaren’t — laws,lo Everything youmightwantinahistoricalnarrativeisthere said that“Soviethistoricalworksaresadlydepopulated. a prominentRussianhistorianoftheBolshevikrevolution, Soviet andAmericanhistorians,Pavel Vasilievich Volobuev, in MoscowJanuary1989thatbroughttogether15 the leadershipandParty faithful.At a roundtablediscussion History writingtraditionallyconcentratedontheactionsof works wentoutofcirculation. executed andotherscompelledtoemigratewhiletheir fabricated, morethan100historianswerearrested,some in late-1929andby1931,aftersecretpoliticaltrialswere work wasnotinterferedwith.Purgesofhistoriansbegan the firstaftermathofpeace,from1921,theirscholarly chose toremaininthecountryafterrevolutionand trained undertheoldregime.Manynon-Marxisthistorians glasnost. gical development…exceptindividualhuman This articleexplores al peopleareonlymentionedbyway ARUP BANERJI perspectives onhistorythatwere atdiametricvariancewith The Yeltsin regime(1990-1999)wascommitted to outside thecity. problem inMoscow, theprocessofdestructionwasshifted space. Whensmokefromthe burntdocumentscauseda dossiers amonth”underthepretextoflackstorage and ’50swereactuallybeingdestroyedattherateof5,000 Monde destroyed inthe1960sand1970s.InAugust1987, million fouryearslater. Morethan25millionfileswere in 1945,30.7million1950,68.11955andnearly88 estimated that8.7millionfileswereslatedfordestruction who haddisappeared.Aseniorofficerinthearchivessystem or dangerousweredestroyed,particularlyaboutpeople the policeauthoritiesregardedasunnecessary, unimportant scrutiny. ThroughouttheSovietdecades,documentsthat of holdingsthattestifiedtoapastbes academic institution.Therewastheperiodicdestruction of InternalAffairs(thenotoriousNKVD)ratherthanbyan The systemwasadmin political reliabilitythantheacademicmeritofscholar. Access totheS textbooks. exam wasrestoredthefollowingyear, butnottheold in amonstrouslydistortedandunrecognisableform”.The inquisitive teacherspr of instruc announced thecancellationofexamdescribedlevel exams in1988.Thefrontpagearticle to cancelthesecondaryschoolhistoryandsocialscience to pulpschooltextbooksonthehistoryofUSSRand of theStateCommitteeonPublicEducationinMay1988 be meaningless.Thisavermentwasimplicitinthedecision of Stalinism,hadbecomesocorruptedanddebasedasto the formerofficialtreatmentofSoviethistory, especially Gorbachev in1985,Sovietauthoritiesacknowledgedthat and itslessons.WiththeaccessiontopowerofMS a finalopportunitytopresenttheirownversionofhistory those whosoughttoshapethesocialenvironmentwith beyond secondaryschool,thehistorycurriculumfurnished Since, asinIndia,mostSovietcitizensdonotstudyhistory Bolshevik enemieswithintheParty. Bolsheviks, whoinduecoursewouldturnouttobeanti- a justificationof‘true’Bolsheviksagainstthe‘deviator’ Bolsheviks againsttheworld,butwithgreatercare,as to weigheverylinenotmerelyasajustificationforthe and communication.ThosewhowroteParty historieshad of 1938and1962)setthetoneforresearch,conclusion demise oftheUSSRin1991,thesehistories(principallythose representing theentireSovietpast.From the1930suntil of theCommunistParty wasthemostsignificantformof merely oftheParty astheirtitlesproclaimed.Thehistory for researchintothehistoryofSovietUnion,andnot They weretoinspireimitationandserveasthetouchstone reportedthat“thelegalarchivesofthe1930s,’40s tion asbeingsopoorthat“eventhebestandmost oviet historicalarchivedependedmoreonthe esented thehistoryofourhomeland istered bythePeoples’ Commissariat t removedfrom Izvestiya that Le anyone whowantsitrestoredhasnobrain”.Accounts regret thecollapseofSovietUnionhasnoheart,but expressed inpronouncementslike,“Anyone whodoesnot “totalitarian state”.Hewanted,however, tostrikeabalance, had beenabusiveandthattheSovietUniona in officialideasabouthistory. HeacceptedthatStalin’srule Continuity, notrupture,wastobecometheguidingprinciple legacy andthedenigrationofUSSR’sachievements. Putin rejectedYeltsin’s repudiationoftheSoviethistorical that wasrudelyinterruptedbytheWorld War in1914. towards aliberalorderandprosperouseconomy, aprocess the lastyearsofTsarism recastasaperiodofadvance new RussianFederation. Leninwasturnedintoavillainand negative interludebetweentheRussianEmpireand Leninism. TheSovietperiodwasdistancedasalargely of theSovietstate,CommunistParty andMarxism- generated bythepassingawayofmaligncompound hand ofuniforminterpretation.Therewastheexhilaration in placeofthedialectic,pluralityinsteaddeadening those ofthejustdepartedSovietpast:de-communisation of thepast. with amissionstatementofnormalising the‘excesses’ is thecontinuingendeavour to infusehistoricalnarratives strategic choicesmadeendogenously. Mostcritical,however, pressure upon a besieged and beleaguered Soviet Union; not of vasturbanslums,werethe consequencesofwestern industrialisation, theuprootingofvillagesandcreation 1940s, namelyforciblecollectivisationandacceleratedheavy Secondly, themodesofeconomicadvancein1930sand the breakingofeggsenroutetoconfectingomelette. necessary, “mistakes”and“darkspots”werebearablecosts, Federation. SincethesurvivalofSovietUnionwas production ofhistorytextbooksinPutin’sRussian In 2008,RaymondAronidentifiedguidelinesforthe their innercourage. somehow humiliatesthemselves,forcesthemtoconfront of Russiansbelievethatcondemningthecrimespast around todayasmuchthefactthatasubstantialnumber society. Itisnotthattherearesomanycommitted Stalinists most Russiansfeelthattheissuedividesratherthanunites past. Therearefewwhowanttodiscus Russia isyettocometermswiththecrimesofitsSoviet known astheTerror andthePurges.Butfactisthat state torecogniseitscriminalityinwagingthecivilwar historians andpeoplewithinformedopiniontoforcethe represented thebeginningofattemptsbyfictionwriters, or transparency, andintegralinvestigation. That period history thatstartedin1986underthebannerof enormou the Putinregimearetantamounttoareversalof Permissible interpretationsofthe Sovietpastunder Soviet past. dismissive, ignorantanddisinterestedinterestinthe of howhistoryisheardintheclassroomtodayreflecta s exerciseininfusingauthenticityintoSoviet Rewriting historyinRussia s thesubjectwhile glasnost

, 39 ISSUE 22 2011 40 ISSUE 22 2011 Medvedev in1988that17-18 millionpeoplemighthave accepted estimatebytheesteemed RussianhistorianRoy people andthedeportednationalities. Thisignoresawidely the largestdemographics:collectivised peasants,ordinary leadership andmembersofthe intelligentsia—ignoring the rangeofitsvictimsnarrowed totheParty andmilitary (the oldSovietGreatTerror), itsvictimsto786,000,and In thistextbooktheTerror hasbeenlimitedto1937-38 Motherland withmud”. this waythatteachersmustteachhistoryandnotsmearthe as somethingtoinstilprideinone’scountry. Itispreciselyin as adepressingsequenceofmisfortunesandmistakesbut make the firsttextbookin whichRussian history willlook not of itschapters,Pavel Danilin,proclaimed thatitsgoalis“to for aschooltextbookshouldbepos are partofthecountry’sbrightfuture…generaltone the growingyounggenerationandmakethemfeelasifthey teaching ofhistorywillbuildoptimismandself-assurance in their pastandpeople.Agenerallypositivetoneforthe the childrenwholearnfromitwithhorroranddisgustabout this statement:“Itiswrongtowriteatextbookthatwillfill the ‘positivehistoryman’,Filippovearnedmonikerfor of Russianhistory. Knownincer Moscow foradoptionasthestandardhighschooltextbook of highschoolhistoriansandteacherssocialsciencesin Alexander Filippovwaspresentedtoanationalconference History ofRussia,1945-2006:ATeacher’s Handbook for amorepatriotichistory, atextbookcalled the polkaorder taking foreign In 2007,Putinattackedsomehistorytextbookauthorsfor people inpeacetime,fromtheearly-1920sto1953. and thathadcondemnedthewarregimeledonits the legitimacyandbenefitsofSovieteconomicdevelopment amount of historian, appearedcompletelyuninformedaboutthelarge the demiseofSovietUnion,Zagladin,aprofessional in the20thCentury by NikitaZagladin, and thewaronChechnya.Itwasreplacedbyatextbook treatment ofsubjectslikethePurges,SecondWorld War and thatitwasunbalancedinappropriateinits natural contemptforourpastandtheRussianpeople”, publishing departmentsaidthatthebook“elicitscontempt, Yelena Zinina,headoftheeducationministry’stextbook ministry’s listofapprovedtextbooksattheend2003. against Chechnya.Thebookwastakenofftheeducation subjects likethePurges,GULAGandMoscow’swar “populating” ofhistoryandafrankdiscussioncharged no rightanswers—onlydifferentinterpretations”;the language; theauthor’sbeliefthat“inhistorythereare Among thereasonsforitspopularitywereaccessible Igor Dolutskii, school studentshadusedahistorytextbookwrittenby Since 1993,half-a-million 10thand11thgradehigh glasnost Freedom ofexpression moneyandso“naturallytheyaredancing National History, 20thCentury ed bythosewhopaythem”.Afterhiscall The HistoryofRussiaandtheWorld -inspired researchthathadchallenged . Writingmorethanadecadeafter tain quartersinMoscowas itive.” Theauthorofone , for10years. The Modern by Russian Lands’ centuries: ‘Old Routes:NorthIndianNomadsandBankersinAfghan,Uzbek commercial relationsbetweenSouthandCentralAsiainthe17th19th Writing HistoryintheSovietUnion:MakingPast Work; Recent writingsbyhimincludeabookonRussianandSoviethistoriography: appeared in1996as on archaeologicalactivitytheSilkRoutes. HisresearchearlySovietUnion has writtenonagriculture,privatisationandthemilitaryinpost-SovietRussia Dr ArupBanerjiteachesRussianandSoviethistoryattheUniversityofDelhi. He New Delhi:SocialSciencePress,2008 intention tomouldausablepastandharnessthepublished Danilin’s outburstwasresonantofanolderRussian does notwork,thenclearitbyforce.” teach Russiahistory. Itisnecessarytoclearthefilth,andifit Russophobe shit-stinker be ventilatedoutofteaching…itisimpossibletoletsome either itwillbeventilatedoutofthemoryouyourself nonsense thatyoucarryinyourmisshapengoateedheads, in thewaythatisneededbyRussia.Andastonoble the childrenbythosebooksthatyouwillbegivenand history teachersthus:“You mayoozebilebutyouwillteach Striking anevenmorestridenttone,Danilinthreatened free workers. there wereonly2.6millionprisoners,but40.4 its contribution”totheeconomy:itpointsoutthatin1950 warn childrenagainstanyviewsthatseekto“exaggerate economic successes,theGULAGismentionedonlyonce,to before 1937.Afterseveralpagesdevotedtocelebrating been arrested,andatleast10millionofthemperished the author’s Note: Additionalinformationonthesubjectsdiscussedinthisessayisavailable perilous inRussiatoday. should teachchildrentothink”.Independentthoughtis argues that“schoolhistoryshouldnotcreatepatriots,it democracy’ intheRussianFederation todaythatDolutskii in thepasttobuildaprofoundlyunrepresentative‘sovereign written”. Itisinprotestagainstthisembeddingofthefuture This isthepointofviewfromwhichRussianhistorymustbe anything thatthemostdaringimaginationcouldconjure. superlative, andwhenitcomestoherfuture,isabove that “Russia’spastwaswonderful,itspresentismorethan up byTsar NicholasIin1826,informedRussianhistorians Department ofHisMajesty’sChancery, thesecretpoliceset von Benkendorf, thefirstheadofnotoriousThird product totheneedsofnation-building.CountAlexander Writing HistoryintheSovietUnion:MakingPastWork Writing Merchants andMarketsinRevolutionaryRussia,1917-30. (govnyuk) orjustanyamoraltype, andastudyof ,

Repression andresurgenceinTibet upon thoseeventsandtried to placethemwithinthe Tibetan plateauinthespring of2008.Ourfi lmtouched uprising againstChineserule thateruptedacrossthe situation wasinTibet,particularly afterthewidespread too intheUS.Itwasareminder tousofjusthowbadthe had publiclytriedtostopascreening ofourfi lm, andthat of thematter. Butthiswasthefi rsttimeChineseoffi cials fi lm,DreamingLhasa asked, behindthescenes,nottoscreenour2005feature the directorofToronto InternationalFilmFestival was interference withourfi lmsinthepast,mostnotably when surprise. We hadexperiencedsomeinstancesofChinese the audacityofitsactionatPalm Springscaughtusby very farinthePeople’s RepublicofChina,butnonetheless, political perspective.”Suchsentiments,ofcourse,don’tgo should ornotplay, basedontheirownculturalor of onecountryorcommunitytodictatewhatfi lms we that helaterissued,said:“We cannotallowtheconcerns MacDonald politelyrejectedtheirrequest.Inastatement repercussions onSino-Americanrelations. amounted tosomethinglikeseditionandcouldhaveserious part ofChina,andhinteddarklythatscreeningthefi lm him thattheUSgovernmentrecognisedTibettobea therefore shouldnotbeshown.Further, theyreminded him, wasfullofliesbecauseitcontradictedthisviewand Tibet hadalwaysbeenapartofChina.Ourfi lm,theytold fi rstreadhimastatementthatpurportedtoexplain why Springs thenextdaytomeetMacDonaldinperson.They Not deterred,agroupofChineseoffi cialsdroveinto Palm and hadalreadybeenannounced. entertained asthefi lmhadbeenselectedonitsownmerits explained totheconsulatethatitsrequestcouldnotbe as tohowrespond.Thedirector, DarrylMacDonald, — letaloneaforeigncountryandwasinitiallyatloss before experiencedsuchdirectinterferencefromanyquarter remove itfromtheprogramme.Thefestivalhadnever been askedbytheChineseconsulateinLosAngelesto screen thereinafewdaystimeandthefestivalhadjust Clouds: Tibet’sStruggleforFreedom Film Festival inCalifornia.Ourfi lm,TheSunBehindthe received apanicemailfromthePalm SpringsInternational IN EARLY-JANUARY, 2010,mypartner RituSarinandI recording, sellingandlisteningtosongsconsideredsubversive fi gureshavebeenarrested,andeveryformofdissentisbeingtargeted,including joined theprotests,over60Tibetanwriters,bloggers,intellectualsandcultural away frompoliticalactivism.Now, schoolchildrenanduniversitystudentshave from monasteriesandnunneries,withintellectualseducatedpeoplestaying Before theTibetanuprisingof2008,resistancetoChineseruleemanatedmainly . Hedeclinedandthatwastheend , wasscheduledto that hadbeenprogrammedandpublicisedwereabruptly of theconsularoffi cials,twostate-fundedChinese lms fi The dayafterMacDonaldrefusedtobowthedemands wherever necessarytoenforcethis. no Tibetissuetobeginwith)andwaswillingputpressure issue thatchallengeditsoffi cialline(whichisthatthere determined tosuppressandrefuteanyversionoftheTibet context ofTibet’songoingstruggleforfreedom.Chinawas Public expressioninTibet pulled outofthefestival. The offi cialreason given bytheChinese given bytheChinese distributors of distributors of the fi lmswas the fi lmswas that thetwo that thetwo directors directors had had TENZING SONAM 41 ISSUE 22 2011 42 ISSUE 22 2011 Internet to express their anguish. crackdown. Bloggers took to the Tibetan people in the wake of the identity and the suffering of the on the reassertion of Tibetan intellectual activity that focused an upsurge of cultural and artists and singers. It catalysed searching by Tibetan intellectuals, of nationalism and soul- deaths — provoked a resurgence aftermath — detentions, torture, The 2008 uprising and its brutal from Chinese rule some openly called for freedom terms about the implications, and Writers wrote in uncompromising the Dalai Lama return to Tibet. the desire of all Tibetans to see the need for Tibetan unity and Popular musicians sang about entirely differentmagnitude in Tibet. and thepunishmentfortransgressing themareofan China, therestrictionsonpersonal andpoliticalfreedoms is summaryandharsh.Butas badasthesituationisin Liu Xiaobo,thefateofthose who daretoprotesttooloudly have seenfromthemuchpublicised caseofNobellaureate matter. InChina,therearelimitstofreespeechandaswe not surpriseusthatthetwodirectorshadnochoicein but tostandtogetherwithourfilmcompany.” Itshould it comestoTibetandpolitics,wedirectorshavenochoice film they’retalkingabout.”Buthewentontoadd:“When Hollywood Reporter being shown.Oneofthedirectors,LuChuan,latertold voluntarily withdrawntheirfilmsinprotestagainstourfilm Freedom ofexpression : “Ihaveabsolutelynoknowledgeofthe and Chinainthepast—China’sclaimsofhistorical current situation.Whateverthe that question,wehavetogobacktherootsof Why doesTibettouchsucharawnerveinChina?To answer creating astiflingatmosphereoffearandsuspicion. of informersandspiesinfiltrateseveryaspectTibetanlife, Chinese nowoutnumberTibetans.Moreinsidiously, aweb the demographicssomuchthatinmajorurbancentres, massive migrationofsettlersfromthemainlandhasaltered at theexpenseofTibetan.Andinpasttwodecades,a heritage arediscouraged.Chineselanguageispromoted cultural festivalsthatcelebrateTibet’suniqueidentityand controlled andun seen ashotbedsofanti-governmentactivity, arerigorously deployed inthemaincitiesandtowns.Monasteries,long and openlyintimidating.Armedpolicethemilitaryare in therestofChina.Securitypresenceisoverwhelming sense ofheightenedcontrolandoppressionthatisabsent movements aretightlyregulated.Thereisanimmediate to theregionneedspecialpermitsvisitandtheir A distinctsetofrulesappliestoTibet.For instance,travellers Tibetan peopleintheDalaiLama, andthefailureof coupled withthecontinuing faith anddevotionofthe raises doubtsaboutthecolonial natureofitsrule.This, questions thelegitimacyofChinese presenceinTibetand existence oftheDalaiLamaand hisgovernment-in-exile challenge internationallyand inTibetitself. Thevery people ofitsrighttoruleTibet,itfacesaverydifferent But althoughChinahassucceededinconvincingitsown countries withfullaccesstoanyinformationtheywanted. king. This,despitethefactthattheywerealllivinginfree him ofwantingtorevivehisoldprivilegesasaslave-owning for instigatingtheunrestandviolenceinTibet,accused on histravels.Theycalledhimaliar, heldhimresponsible US andEuropecameoutinfullforcetodogtheDalaiLama Following the2008protestsinTibet,Chinesestudents exception ofasmallminority, theywholeheartedlybelieveit. is itingrainedintheircollectivepsychethat,withthe the historyallChinesegrowuplearning,andsopowerfully and thatthepeopleofTibetarehappyunderitsrule.Thisis liberated itandbroughttoenlightenmentcivilisation, and cruelsocietyruledbyadespoticDalaiLama,thatChina China sinceatleastthe13thcentury, thatitwasabackward The officialChinesenarrativeisthatTibetwasapartof in Tibet. that aquestionmarkhangsoverthelegalityofitsauthority terms isverystrong.Chinaunderstandsthisandknows First World War, Tibet’sclaimtosovereigntyincontemporary world todaycameintoexistenceonlyaftertheendof consideration thefactthatmajorityofcountriesin all theconditionsofamodernnation-state.Ifwetakeinto People’s LiberationArmyinvaded thecountry, Tibetfulfilled Tibet anddeclaredindependence,1950,whenthe the 13thDalaiLamaexpelledallChinesepresencefrom overlordship aredebatableatbest—between1911,when der strictsurveillance.Religiousand relationship betweenTibet

hold overTibet.For thefirsttime,protestsspreadfar Lama wasforcedtofleeIndia andChinaconsolidatedits revolt againstChineserulesince 1959,whentheDalai in recentTibetanhistory, thelargestandmostwidespread The 2008uprisingchangedthis. Itwasawatershedevent continues towritefearlesslyagainstChineseruleinTibet. self-imposed exileinBeijing,anddespiteofficialharassment for writing sympathetically about the Dalai Lama. She lives in Literature as aneditorwiththeChineselanguagejournal was Woeser, apoetandwriterwhowasworkinginLhasa and evenapprovedofChinese this influentialsegmentofTibetansocietytacitlyaccepted away frompoliticalactivism,leadingmanytobelievethat intellectuals andeducatedTibetans,bylarge,stayed to forceTibetansdenouncetheirspiritualleader. The purpose todayistoinculcateasenseofpatriotismand that doesnotexistanywhereelseinChina.Itsprimary re-education campaigns,aCulturalRevolution-erapractice (TAR). Monksandnunswereforcedtoundergopolitical Tibet andwhatChinanowcallsAutonomousRegion the DalaiLamawerebannedinwhatusedtobecentral were putinplacetokeepthischeck.Photographsof more ordinarysectionsofsociety, andrepressive measures rule emanatedfrommonasteriesandnunneries,orthe Before theeventsof2008,mostresistancetoChinese in Chinaitself. level ofrepressionthatisfarworsethanwhattakingplace has setouttoaccomplish,andwhyTibetansinTibetfacea linguistic, culturalandreligiousidentity. This isthetaskit targeting, dilutingandeventuallydestroyingitsunique efface allsenseofTibetan-nesswithinTibet,andthismeans Lama. ButbeyondtheDalaiLamahimself, Chinamustalso of reincarnationanddictatewhowillbethenextDalai allows ittotakecontroloftheTibetanBuddhisttradition afterlife aswell:theCommunistParty haspassedalawthat of oneChi who mustbefoughtonallfronts,andfought,inthewords therefore heistheforemostenemyofstate,someone Lama remainsthebiggestobstacletoachievingthisand Tibet notsolongagowasanindependentnation.TheDalai craves isbywipingoutanymemoryortraceofthefactthat The onlywayChinacangainthelegitimacyitsodesperately Dalai Lama,whomtheyseeasasymboloffreeTibet. geography, andstrengthenedbythepeople’sbeliefin by markeddifferencesinlanguage,culture,religionand of separatenessfromtherestChina.Thisisbolstered after theChineseoccupation,continuetofeelastrongsense against theCommunistParty —Tibetans, eventhoseborn never beanissue—whatevergrievancestheymighthave Han Chinese,forwhomallegiancetothemotherlandwould is precariousandcouldonedaydisintegrate.Unlikemost that itliveswiththeperpetualfearitsholdonTibet Chinese governmenttowintheirheartsandminds,means , whenshewasremovedfromherpositionin2003 nese official,tothedeath.And,itturnsout,in rule. Aprominentexception Tibetan become inertbecauseoffear. Everything andeveryonehas to move,speak,think. have madeusunableorafraid sentenced, massacred.They seized, arrested,condemned, been beaten,struggledagainst, series ofcampaigns,wehave conquered bydictators,ina “Ever sincewehavebeen openly calledforfreedomfrom Chineserule. about theimplicationsof 2008uprising,andsome return toTibet.Writerswrote inuncompromisingterms unity andthedesireofallTibetans toseetheDalaiLama anguish. Popular musicianssangabouttheneedforTibetan crackdown. Bloggerstookto theInternettoexpresstheir the sufferingofTibetanpeopleinwake that focusedonthereassertionofTibetanidentityand catalysed anupsurgeofcultural searching byTibetanintellectuals,artistsandsingers.It deaths —provokedaresurgenceofnationalismandsoul- The uprisinganditsbrutalaftermath—detentions,torture, source ofinstability. to China,whichuntilthenhadfocusedonTAR as apotential traditional TibetandnotjustTAR. Thiswasdeeply disturbing itself duringtheseprotests,inanareathatincludedallof expression ofpan-Tibetan nationalismthatmanifested as LanzhouandBeijing.Andunprecedentedtoowasthe schoolchildren anduniversitystudentsincitiesasfaraway people fromallwalksoflifewereinvolved,including Szech demonstrations tookplaceintheTibetanareasofQinghai, beyond theconfinesof TAR. Indeed,someofthelargest imprisoned fornearlytwoyears was subsequentlyarrestedand himself attheendofbook, years.” Tagyal, ashepredicted been goingonformorethan50 These inhumanmethodshave wan andGansuprovinces.Unlikepreviousprotests, Public expressioninTibet andintellectualactivity 43 ISSUE 22 2011 44 ISSUE 22 2011 Tibetans withinandwithout Tibet willsoonre-unite Let Tibetansfromthethreeprovinces enjoyandcelebrate! A whispersaidthatHisHoliness istoreturn The phonecallwasfromcentral Tibet The telephonerang,the rang Telephone Rang coming outofTibettodayisthefemalesingerLhakyi’ssong, activities”. Anotherexampleofthekindforthrightlyrics 15 monthsofre-educationthroughlabourfor“separatist Dhondup wasarrestedinJanuary2010andsentencedto That timewasterrifying That timewasterrifying is whentheearthdestroyedpeople’slives. is wheninnocentTibetansweretortured The yearof2008 Hey! singers. In his album, of the better known of this emboldened new generation of Dhondup, a popular singer from Qinghai Province, is one openly, knowing fully the consequences of their actions. Tashi situation, now shook off the yoke of their fear and sang and allusive language to refer to him and to the political composed veiled trib Tibetan food, and so on. Popular singers, who had in the past speaking onl culture and solidarity through non-provocative actions like Lama’s birthday — it pledged to Called Lhakar — White Wednesday, a reference to the Dalai clampdown, a new people’s movement emerged in Tibet. Towards the end of 2008, in response to the security government and to wage a campaign of civil disobedience. and state workers to stop cooperating with the Beijing In his book, Shogdung called for the Tibetan intelligentsia ways even more dangerous than what had gone on before. it into launching a new wave of resistance that was in many intelligentsia th Its hard-line policies in Tibet were alienating even the This was a new phenomenon that China was witnessing. subsequently arrestedandimprisonedfornearlytwoyears. Tagyal, ashepredictedhimselfattheendofbook,was methods havebeengoingonformorethan50years.” everyone hasbecomeinertbecauseoffear. Theseinhuman unable orafraidtomove,speak,think.Everythingand condemned, sentenced,massacred.Theyhavemadeus we havebeenbeaten,struggledagainst,seized,arrested, have beenconqueredbydictators,inaseriesofcampaigns, indictment ofChineseruleinTibet.Hewrote:“Eversincewe apologised forhisearlierstatementsandmadeafierce a book, impediment tomodernisation,henowself-published in officialjournalsandfordenouncingBuddhismasan Previously seentobecomplicitwiththestateforpublishing the pennameShogdung,isaprimeexampleofthischange. The well-knownTibetanwriter, Ta

The LineBetweenSkyandEarth y in Tibetan, wearing Tibetan clothes, eating Freedom ofexpression at had hitherto remained silent, and provoked :

utes to the Dalai Lama and used symbols Torture Without Trace

promote Tibetan language, gyal, whowritesunder

, inwhichhe

, he sang:

beginning oftheuprising2008,newshascomeout Even asIwritethis,onthethirdanniversaryof intellectuals and cultural figures have been arrested. in Tibet. Since 2008, over 60 Tibetan writers, bloggers, December 30, 2010, there are 831 known political prisoners Centre for Human Rights and Democracy estimates that as of causing “disturbances”, or leaking “state secrets”. The Tibetanpolitical activities most commonly include inciting “splittism”,security” laws. The charges against Tibetans arrested for questionable interpretations of China’s “endangering state of dissent or expression of Tibetan identity by resorting to TAR. The current wave of repression in Tibet targets any formand the ban on photographs of the Dalai Lama extends beyond government officials are now subject to political re-education; playlists. Along with monks and nuns, schoolchildren and ban is enforced by random checks on mobile ringtones and selling and listening to any song considered subversive. The illegal activities in Tibet has been widened to include recording,tantamount to a call for insurrection. Since 2008, the net of For Beijing, such expressions of support for the Dalai Lama are Dharamshala documentary, including thefeaturefilm, White CraneFilms,hisfilmcompany, hasmadeseveralfilmsonTibetanthemes, Delhi andtheUniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley’s GraduateSchoolofJournalism. invasion ofTibetandhewasborninDarjeeling. HestudiedattheUniversityof Tenzing SonamisaTibetan filmmakerandwriter. HisparentsescapedtheChinese http://highpeakspureearth.com) into English,canbefoundontheHighPeaks PureEarthwebsite: (A collectionofblogs,articlesandmusicvideoscomingoutTibet,translated it alivebuttotakeunchartedterritory. Tibetan struggle has begun, and it promises not only to keep savvy andinternationallyaware,thenextphaseof with bothTibetanandChinesecultures,thatisInternet- up underChineseoccupation,agenerationthatisfamiliar resistance. Ledbyagenerationthatwasbornandbrought a renewed,morefocusedanddeterminedwaveof the uprisingof2008provedthemwrong,andsparked they hadcrushedalloppositiontotheirregimeinTibet, throughout Tibet.JustwhentheChineseauthoritiesthought This thenisthespiritofresurgencethatspreading still beinthefrontline.” people seethetruesituation.Ifithappensagain,Iwould will befortheTibetanpeople;itmakemoreand protests tocome.Themoreoccur, thebetterit harder thanbefore,thisisareasonwhytherewillbemore future, andeventhoughtheyalsomadetheirlives sealed intheirhearts.TheygaveTibetanshopeforthe Tibetan people’snationalconsciousness,whichhadbeen “The 2008protestswereasuccess.Theyrevealedthe article onherblog,inwhichshewrites: people. Andjustrecently, Woeser haspublishedyetanother March 14inprotestagainsttheongoingsufferingofhis remote cornerofSzechwanProvince,self-immolated on Tibet thatPhuntsokJarutsang,a21-year-old monkina The SunBehindtheClouds Dreaming Lhasa (2009).Heiscurrentlybasedin (2005)andtheaward-winning

striking governmentemployeesin1980madeitclearthat women werenotspared.Thesackingofaround40,000 injuries and,inatleastonecase,death.Evenpregnant dozens ofsuchincidentsinwhichstrikerssufferedgrievous police. In1981,thecivilrightsmovementdocumented on strikingworkersand same stormtrooperswereusedtoconductbrutalassaults (JSS), supposedlyatradeunionaffiliatedtotheUNP. These were carriedoutbythugsoftheJathikaSevakaSangamaya Subse were carriedoutatthebehestofUNPbypolice. Kandy andelsewhere.Investigationsshowedthatthese there werepogromsag (UNP) wereswepttopowerintheJuly1977elections, month afterJRJayawardeneandhisUnitedNationalParty of expressionbeganinthelatterhalf1970s.The began in Attacks ontherightsofTamil-speaking peopleinSriLanka Historical background element offreedomexpression. language withoutbeingvictimisedcansurelybeseenasan about governmentpolicies.Andtherighttouseone’sown in electionsarewayswhichcitizensexpresstheirfeelings their companyorcountry, whilecampaigning andvoting express theirdissatisfactionwiththeprevailingsituationin strikes andpicketscanalsobeseenaswaysinwhichworkers in e-magazines,blogs,YouTube andSMSmessages.Indeed, slogans inpeacefuldemonstrations,andexpressopinions make speeches,holdupbannersorplacardsandshout not onlyfreedomofthepressbutalsoto ‘freedom ofexpression’inabroadsense,asencompassing I SHOULDCLARIFYatthestartthatproposetouse government apparatus(including vehicles,personneland disenfranchising hersupporters. Moreover, theentire him intheOctober1982presidential election,andeffectively preventing herfromstanding orevencampaigningagainst Bandaranaike, hismainrival, of hercivicrights,thus attacked. In1980,Jayawardene divestedSirimavo The righttocampaignandvoteinelectionswasalso of expressionworkingclassdissatisfaction. the regimewouldnotcountenancelong-establishedmodes Assaults onfreedomofexpression of Chineseexpertswasexposed been blocked,andastateplantosetupanInternetfilteringsystemwiththehelp attacked, webjournalsfocusingoncorruptionandhumanrightsviolationshave freedom ofexpressionhavebeendashed.Severaloutspokenjournalists Any hopesthattheendofcivilwarinSriLankawouldinauguraterenewed quent massacres,mostnotablythoseofJuly1983, 1956,butthewholesaleclampdownonfreedom ainst Tamils inJaffna,Colombo, picketers withthecollusionof to disenfranchisethemselvesbycancellingtheelections. who hadalwaystakenelectionsseriously, apparently voted carried outareferenduminwhichthepeopleofSriLanka, victory inthegeneralelectionsthatweretofollow, he Freedom Party (SLFP).Inordertoforestallanopposition there wasamarkedswingtowardsBandaranaike’sSriLanka Despite allthis,hegotonly52.91%ofthevotescast,and state-controlled media)wasusedtocampaignforhim. black uniforms;hisdeadbody, showingsignsoftorture, 1990, bytwomeninpoliceuniform assistedbyothersin his homeinColombotheearly hoursofFebruary 18, activist andactorRichardde Zoysa. Hewasabductedfrom by themurderofprominent journalist, author, humanrights journalists whowerecriticalof theregimewasexemplified Jayawardene isAlreadyHere’,wassealed.Theassaulton and hadaneditorialentitled‘TheDictatorshipofJR newspaper, seized bythepolicein1982,whileCommunistParty by aBuddhistmonkorganisation,Voice oftheClergy, were 20,000 pamphletsopposingthereferendumbroughtout expression inthemoretraditionalsense.For example, All thiswasaccompaniedbyassaultsonfreedomof people beingkilledeveryday, atitsheight. the generalelectionofFebruary 1989,withoverahundred closed downduringpolling.Theviolencecontinuedinto officers shotdead,andalargenumberofpollingbooths to travelinorderreachpollingstations,votersand looked on,treesfelle monitoring howballotpapersweremarkedwhilethepolice being capturedandstuffed,armedthugsatpollingbooths included UNPsupportersvotingseveraltimes,ballotboxes throwing andotherviolence.Measurestakenonpollingday and oppositioncampaigningwasdisruptedbybomb- when oppositioncandidateswereabouttohaveameeting, detained orshotdead,curfewsweresuddenlydeclared even worse.Oppositioncandidatesandorganiserswere in Ranasi The presidentialelectionsofDecember1988,whichresulted opposition strongholds. voters, whowerephysicallypreventedfromvotingin referendum, accompaniedbyextensiveintimidationof This resultwasachievedbymassivevote-riggingatthe nghe PremadasaoftheUNPcomingtopower, were Aththa, whichalsoopposedthereferendum d acrossroadswhichvoterswouldhave Public expressioninSriLanka ROHINI HENSMAN 45 ISSUE 22 2011 46 ISSUE 22 2011 who wasalsoafoundingmember ofUniversityTeachers for Thiranagama wasadoctor, lecturer, feministandauthor case ofRajaniThiranagamaexemplifies itsmodusoperandi. and sentmanyothersintoexile toescapesuchafate.The and murdertosilencecritics claimed thousandsoflives Tigers ofTamil Eelam (LTTE). Itsuseofdetention, torture destruction offreedomexpressionwastheLiberation The othermajornon-stateorganisationresponsibleforthe collaborated withstatesecurityforceshuntingtheJVP. up armstodefendthemselves,andsome—tragically parties, likeChandrikaKumaratunga, fledabroad,sometook the CP. Terrorised anddesperate, somemembersoftheleft the SLMP(killedinFebruary 1988), andGeorgeRajapakseof prominent amongthemwereVijayaKumaratunga, leaderof Several membersofthesepartieswerekilledbytheJVP, Samaja Party (NSSP),andSriLankaMahajanaParty (SLMP). Sama SamajaParty (LSSP),CommunistParty (CP),NavaSama it. Thisincludedmembersofthemainleftparties:Lanka previous proposal,theJVPtargetedallthosewhosupported went furthertowardssatisfyingTamil grievancesthanany solution totheethniccrisisthatwasfarfromperfectbut Jayawardene andRajivGandhiin1987,proposingapolitical of Tamils. AftertheIndo-LankaAccordwassignedbyJR Daya Pathirana, whowassympathetictothegrievances Colombo University-basedIndependentStudentsUnion, in late-1989.In1986,theJVPmurderedleaderof 1987 untilitwascrushedfollowingWijeweera’sexecution The second,despitebrutalstaterepression,carriedonfrom JVP insurrectionin1971wascrushedrapidlybythestate. authoritarianism, wasequallyintolerantofdissent.Thefirst a mixtureofsocialism,Sinhalanationalismandextreme Sinhalese militantorganisationwithanideologythatwas Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)ledbyRohanaWijeweera,a of therighttofreedomexpression.TheJanatha It wasnotjustthestatethatresponsibleforviolations Non-state actorsviolatingfreedomofexpression were issueddeaththreats. Instead, DrSaravanamuttuandherlawyerBattyWeerakoon magistrate conductingtheinquiry, buthewasnotarrested. Ronnie Gunasinghe.Herlawyerinformedthepoliceand to identifyoneofthepoliceofficerswhocarrieditout, Saravanamuttu, witnessedhisabductionandwaslaterable in January1990.DeZoysa’smother, DrManorani part intheproduction,LakshmanPerera, haddisappeared satirised PresidentPremadasa.Amunicipalcouncillortaking He Doing?’thatwashighlycriticalofthegovernmentand involved instagingaplay, ‘WhoisThisManandWhat carrying outextra-judicialexecutions.Furthermore, hewas accused thespecialtaskforce,apolicecommandounit,of entitled ‘SriLanka:NearingaHumanRightsApocalypse’,he killings ofstudentsinsouthernSriLanka;onesucharticle, De Zoysahadpublishedarticlesdescribingdeathsquad of Colombo. later washeduponthebeacharound12milessouth Freedom ofexpression

to disenchantmentwiththeLTTE andwithdrawalofany of itspolicies,eventhosethatwereuniversallyhated,led were ignoredorcrushed.Thisrefusaltoacceptanycriticism policy ofconscriptingchildrenintothearmedstruggle, northeast controlledbytheLTTE, especiallyagainstits Protests byTamil civiliansinthepartsofSriLanka’s Prabhakaran, waswhatultimatelyledtoitsdownfall. of freedomexpressionunderitsleaderVelupillai It canbearguedthattheLTTE’s ruthlesssuppression about whatwasreallyhappening. from whichitwaspossibletoobtainaccurateinformation violations in the civil war: one of the exceedingly few sources but continuedtoproduceunbiasedreportsofhumanrights cycling homefromwork.UTHR-Jwasforcedunderground, September 21,anLTTE gunmanshotherdeadwhileshewas including Tamil militantgroups.Afewweekslater, on rights violationscommittedbyallpartiestotheconflict, Broken Palmyra, academics fromtheuniversityjointlypublishedabook, Human Rights (Jaffna) (UTHR-J). In 1989, she and three other toe theLTTE linewereSarojiniYogeswaran, Tamil United cases ofTamils who were eliminatedbecausetheydidnot controlled areasincludingColombo. Amongthehigh-profile of thenorthandeast,buteven Tamils ingovernment- continued unabated,affecting notonlythepopulation this period,theLTTE’s assaultsonfreedomofexpression However, itisimportanttorememberthatthroughout virulently anti-Tamil. the majorityofSinhalesepeopleareinherentlyand of SriLankadonotvaluefreedomexpression,orthat important torecordit,lestitbethoughtthatthepeople reined in.Itistruethiswasonlyabriefreprieve,butit assaults onfreedomofexpressionbythegovernmentwere justice forTamils. Therefollowedadecadeduring which led byherwereswepttopoweronaplatformofpeacewith 1994 ChandrikaKumaratunga andthePeople’s Alliance(PA) in thepresidentialandparliamentaryelectionsatend of In 1993,Premadasawasblownupbyasuicidebomber, and A briefreprieve casualties. crush theLTTE in2009,withtensofthousandscivilian hardline President Mahinda Rajapaksa to come to power and elections of2005,enforcedbyviolence.Thisiswhatenabled compounded bytheLTTE’s boycottofthepresidential marked thebeginningofendforLTTE. Butitwas fight againstthe Thiswasprobablythemistakethat LTTE. escaped, andlaterteamedupwiththegovernmentto Some ofthosesupporterswerekilled,butKarunahimself launched amilitaryassaultagainsthimandhissupporters. on board,PrabhakaranthreatenedKarunawithdeath,and commander, KarunaAmman.Insteadoftakingthecriticisms ranks oftheLTTE, andin2004,wasvoicedbyhiseastern with Prabhakaran’sgoalsandstrategyevenpenetratedthe popular supportitmayoncehaveenjoyed.Dissatisfaction whichcataloguedandcriticisedhuman

The

renewed freedomofexpressionwererapidlydashed. Any hopesthattheendofwarwouldinaugurate government thatkillsme.” especially thelast…WhenfinallyIamkilled,itwillbe been myhonourtobelongallthosecategories,andnow journalists havebeenharassed,threatenedandkilled.Ithas armed forces—and,inSriLanka,journalism…Countless practitioners tolaydowntheirlivesforartsavethe was adeathforetold:“Nootherprofessioncallsuponits which waspublishedposthumously, made it clearthatthis dead onJanuary8,2009.Thesewordsinhislasteditorial, Lasantha Wickrematunge,editorofthe The casethatreceivedmostpublicity, perhaps,wasthatof their lives. and beatensomercilesslythattheybarelyescapedwith and campaignerforpressfreedom,wereabducted secretary oftheSriLankaWorking Journalists’Association of theSriLankaPressInstitute,andPoddala Jayantha, years injail.DefencecolumnistKeith Noyahr, NamalPerera under thePreventionofTerrorism Actandsentencedto20 senior journalistJSTissainayagam,whowaslatercharged Thirteen journalistswerearrestedanddetained,including without anydisciplinaryactionbeingtakenagainstthem. and openlyattackedmediapersonsverballyphysically Ministry ofDefence,whilegovernmentministersrepeatedly Iqbal Athaswassubjectedtosustainedattacksbythe abroad duetothreatstheirlives.Defencecorrespondent 14 mediaworkerswerekilled,sevenabducted,and25fled journalists aremostatrisk.Between2005andmid-2008, once moreintotheranksofthosecountrieswhere Under theRajapaksaadministration,SriLankadescended The Rajapaksaregime the bloodyfinaleofwarinevitable. could havenegotiatedajustpoliticalsettlement,andmade eliminated alargeproportionofthemenandwomenwho spoke outforpeacewithjusticeTamils, theLTTE August 12,2006).BysystematicallysilencingTamils who political activistandhumanrightsadvocate(killedon 2005); andKetheeswaran Loganathan,author, journalist, distinguished diplomatandlawyer(killedonAugust12, 29, 1999);Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, alsoa internationally renownedscholarandlawyer(killedonJuly (killed onMay17,1998);NeelanTiruchelvamoftheTULF, Liberation Front (TULF)politicianandmayorofJaffna the arrestandincarcerationof SarathFonseka afterthe candidate SarathFonseka, numerouspollingirregularities, of violenceagainstthecampaign ofthemainopposition machinery tocampaignforMahinda Rajapaksa,theuse reminiscent ofeventsinthe1980s. Theuseofgovernment had beenintroducedbythe17th amendment,wereeerily presidency andnullifyinglimitstothepresident’spowerthat Constitution, abolishingthetwo-termlimittoexecutive early-2010 andthepassageof18thamendmentto Indeed, thepresidentialandparliamentaryelectionsin Sunday Leader,

shot

political leaders”:clearlynottopicsthattheregimewishes “human rightsabuses,corruptionandmalpracticesof Withanaarachchi explainedthathiswebsitefocuseson Borders, LankaNewsWeb editor-in-exile Chandima remained blocked.InaninterviewwithReportersWithout Sri LankaGuardianwereblockedtemporarily. TamilNet since July11,2009,andLankaeNews,InfoLanka and violence.LankaNewsWeb wasrenderedinaccessible have targetedwebsitesandwebjournalistswithcensorship Internet. Consequently, attacksonfreedomofexpression 1980s buthasbecomeextremelyimportanttodayisthe A meansofexpressionwhichwaslargelyabsentinthe regime wereseizedbycustoms. attacked, andforeignpublicationswitharticlescriticalofthe time, journalistsinSriLankacontinuedtobethreatenedand of Jayawardene’sandPremadasa’sregimes.Atthesame the requiredprocedure,couldallhavecomestraightout constitutional amendmentwasrushedthroughwithout had votedforhimas‘traitors’,andthewayinwhicha presidential electionsanddenunciationofthosewho publications includetwonovels book being and globalisation.Shehaswrittenextensivelyontheseissues,hermostrecent workers’ rights,women’stherightsofminoritiesinIndiaandSriLanka, Rohini Hensmanisanactivistandindependentscholarworkingonissuesof Sri Lankashouldremaininthespotlight. important thatviolationsoffreedomexpressionin behest oftheregimeinpower. Thismakesitallthemore of thesecrimes,makingitclearthattheyweredoneatthe No actionhasbeentakenagainsttheperpetratorsofany UK withhisfamilyafterreceivingthreats. Senadheera, hadalreadybeenforcedtoseekasyluminthe trial ofSarathFonseka. Thewebsite’s editor, Sandaruwan secretary ofdefenceandthepresident’sbrother, duringthe challenging thetestimonygivenbyGotabayaRajapaksa, night ofJanuary30-31,2011,afteritpublishedanarticle arson attackdestroyedtheofficesofLankaeNewsduring armed menontheVoice ofAsiagroup’soffices.Another case. InJuly2010,therewasanarsonattackbyadozen More thanayearlater, noprogresshasbeenmadewithhis Prageeth Eknaligoda,workingforLankaeNews,disappeared. On January24,2010,politicalanalystandcartoonist Development Programme. World Bank,whichfundsSriLanka’s Telecommunications plan wasabandonedonlyafterbeingdenouncedbythe and makeInternetwebsiteregistrationarequirement.The Internet filteringsystemwiththehelpofChineseexperts LankaNewsWeb reportedaplanbythestatetosetupan to seediscussed.InFebruary 2010,the Workers, Unions,andGlobalCapitalism:LessonsFrom India. Public expressioninSriLanka Sunday Times and

Her 47 ISSUE 22 2011 48 ISSUE 22 2011 to whatviewsshallbevoiced largelyintothehandsofeach from thearenaofpublicdiscussion, puttingthedecisionas designed andintendedtoremove governmentalrestraints medicine inasocietyasdiverse andpopulousasours.Itis “The constitutionalrightoffree expressionispowerful “beyond borders”. songs,discovering aRamandKabir who singKabir’s and finallytoPakistanwhereshemeetsleadingqawwals travels totheWagah border separatingIndiaandPakistan I drawtheline,wherebuildmywalls,”shesays.She to pushmequestionthebordersofmyidentity—where seems moves toUttarPradeshandMadhyaPradesh.“Kabir Panth atDamakhedainChhattisgarh.Thenthefilmmaker ticket collector, andamahantoftheDharamdasiKabir by Muslimsbelongingtotheweavercommunity, bya train birthandlifearenarrated the differentversionsofKabir’s film takesviewerstoRajasthanandthenBenareswhere that permeatesallandresidesineachbody. Fromthere the husband ofSitaorthekillerRavanabutalsolight RamisnotonlythesonofKingDashrath, how Kabir’s folksingerPrahladTipanyadiscusses village, popularKabir then movestoMalwaincentralIndiawhereLunyakhedi Ram residesineachbodyneeds“thistemple”.Thefilm December 6,1992,askingthemwhy, saysthat whenKabir of thedemolitionBabriMasjidthattookplaceon film beginsinAyodhya,whereshopkeepersstillsellVCDs teachings ofthe15thcenturypoet-philosopherKabir. The filmmaker ShabnamVirmaniaroundthelegacyand Had Anhad November 5,2009,whilegrantingthefilmaV/Ucertificate. Central BoardofFilmCertification(CBFC)byitsorderdated (FCAT) upholdingthreeofthefourexcisionsorderedby May 28,2010,oftheFilmCertificationAppellateTribunal Anhad The petitioner, producersofadocumentaryfilm S Muralidhar. Certification. ThejudgmentwasdeliveredbyJustice Art, DesignandTechnology versus theCentralBoardofFilm judgment ofMarch9,2011,inthecaseSrishtiSchool THE FOLLOWING areexcerptsfromtheDelhiHighCourt ‘Dissent isthequintessenceofdemocracy’ choices withoutbeingcontrolledbythestate think autonomouslywhilereactingtothespeaker/filmmaker, andtomakeinformed censorship inIndiaandmakesastrongcasefortherightofviewer/readerto a documentaryonthelegacyofKabir, outlinesthebroadprinciplesgoverning The March2011judgmentoftheDelhiHighCourtoncensorship (Bounded-Boundless), challengedanorderdated is partofaseriesfourfilmsmadeby Freedom ofexpression *** Had

“ California 403US15[1971] which ourpoliticalsystemrests. with thepremiseofindividualdignityandchoiceupon and inthebeliefthatnootherapproachwouldcomport produce amorecapablecitizenryandperfectpolity of us,inthehopethatusesuchfreedomwillultimately of sociallifeandnotonlyinits idealform,andthelineis literature includewithinthemselves acomprehensiveview to putthembeforesociety. Therequirementsofartand forever fromhumanthought andmustgivescopefortalent upon suchhumanrelationships asbannedintotoand of itsfoiblesalongwithwhat isgood for creativearttointerpretlifeandsocietywithsome allowance infavouroffreedomthusleavingavastarea that wesetforourcensorsmustmakeasubstantial the morallyhealthycannotvieworread.Thestandards and themostdepravedamongstusdetermineswhat to alevelwheretheprotectionofleastcapable standards mustbesoframedthatwearenotreduced of artisticqualityandsocialpurposeinterest directions vastareasofthought,speechandexpression to himsothathedoesnotsweepwithinthetermsof established bypriorratiocination.Butdirectionisnecessary cannot b “Th and p including priorrestraintisjustifiedunderourConstitution” A Tale ofFourCities 1971 SC481 by theSupremeCourtwas of India.Onetheearlycasesonfilmcensorshipdecided in lightofArticles19(1)(a)and(2)theConstitution Act, 1952(CA),theGuidelinesunderSection5-Bthereof Court hasinterpretedtheprovisionsofCinematograph censoring ofdocumentaryandfeaturefilms,theSupreme 6.1 Intheseveraldecisionshandeddowninvolving Broad principlesgoverningcensorship The FriendsofVoltaire your righttosayit. I disapproveofwhatyousay, butIwilldefendtodeath e taskofthecensorisextremelydelicateandhisduties roceeded e thesubjectofanexhaustivesetcommands . Thefilminquestionwasadocumentarytitled toexplain(AIR,p498): ” (AttributedtoVoltaire inSGTallentyre, . Thecourtheldthat“censorshipoffilms Had Anhad [1907]) K AAbbasvUnionofIndiaAIR ) ” (JusticeHarlanin , . We mustnotlook . Our Cohen v be conveyedbyscenesrevealing themachinationsofselfish equally deep,strong,lasting and beneficialimpressioncan in thefilmcanstirupcertain feelingsinthespectator, an of violence,somenuances expressionorsomeevents 6.4 Itwasfurtherobs of view.” minds, norofthosewhoscentdangerineveryhostilepoint courageous men,andnotthoseofweakvacillating the standardsofreasonable,strongminded,firmand p 778):“…theeffectofthewordsmustbejudgedfrom Shukla vProvincialGovernmentAIR1947Nag1 the observationsofJusticeVivianBosein partition ofthecountry. TheSupremeCourt agreedwith the violence,killingandlootingthattookplaceduring challenge wastothetelecastofafilm 6.3. In (emphasis also haveimportanceandprotectionfortheirgrowth.” things ideashavingredeemingsocialorartisticvaluemust legs ineverything,itcannotbehelped.Inourschemeof way, asitiswronglysaid,aFrenchman seesawoman’s than whatanaveragepersonwould,inmuchthesame value. Ifthedepravedbeginstoseeinthesethingsmore life withouttheredeemingtouchofartorgeniussocial to feelembarrassedordisgustedatanakedportrayalof to bedrawnwheretheaveragemanormoralbegins Ramesh vUnionofIndiaAIR1988SC775 added) erved (AIR,p781):“Ifsomescenes Tamas Bhagwati Charan which depicted that(AIR, , the the viewsofothers.Intoleranceisasmuchdangerousto for restrictingexpression.We must practisetoleranceto of governmentpoliciesandoperationsisnotaground the quicksandofconvenienceorexpediency. Opencriticism restriction mustbejustifiedontheanvilofnecessityandnot only forthepurposesmentionedinArticle19(2)and freedom underArticle19(1)(a)canbereasonablyrestricted ransom byanintolerantgroupofpeople.Thefundamental legitimate andconstitutionallyprotectedcannotbeheldto was explained(SCC,p599):“Freedom ofexpressionwhichis 6.6 In violence orfanaticismshowninthefilm.” be obsessed,overwhelmedorcarriedawaybythescenesof of peaceandco-existencethatpeoplearenotlikelyto “capable ofcreatingalastingimpressionthismessage 6.5 Itwasheldthat“viewedinitsentirety”thefilm transcend thebarriersinreligion.” scenes showingcomradeship,helpandkindnesswhich interests, scenesdepictingmutualrespectandtolerance, the backdropoffilm.The openingplatereads:“ 9. Therearethenplatesthat appear onthescreenexplaining India andPakistan. myriad answersonbothsides ofthehostileborderbetween song andpoemintothepolitics ofreligion,andfindsa the screen,followedbytext:“ — Ram.Thequestion“ repeatedly invokedthewidelyreveredHindunameofGod Kabir hadaMuslimnameandupbringing,buthispoetry defied thebounda Kabir wasa15thcenturymysticpoetofnorthIndiawho 8. Thefilm The firstexcision the CBFCandaffirmedbyFCAT requiretobeexamined. provide the backdrop against which the excisions directed by 6.8 Thebroadprinciplesenunciatedintheabovedecisions permissible inlaw.” them toshowthattherestrictionsarereasonableand therefore, heavilylieontheauthoritiesthatseektoimpose authorities thatseektoimposethem.Theburdenwould, with suspicion,therebythrowingaheavyburdenonthe exercise oftherightandare,therefore,boundtobeviewed in thattheyarethenatureofcurbsorlimitationson (a), suchrestrictionsa on theexerciseoffundamentalrightunderArticle19(1) restrictions, albeitreasonable,areallthesamerestrictions It washeld(SCC,pp664-665):“Butsincepermissible Article 19(1)(a)hadtobeinterpretedstrictlyandnarrowly. that therestrictionsinArticle19(2)onfreedomunder D Shah(1992)3SCC637 6.7 In democracy astothepersonhimself.” S RangarajanvPJagjivanRam(1989)2SCC574 Life Ins openswiththestatementonscreenthat urance CorporationofIndiavProfManubhai ries betweenHindusandMuslims. ” High Courtjudgmentoncensorship re boundtobeviewedasanathema, Who is Kabir’s Ram? Who isKabir’s , theSupremeCourtunderscored This filmjourneysthrough ” appearson For , it 49 ISSUE 22 2011 50 ISSUE 22 2011 incorrect. DuringShriRam’stimes therewasnoIslamand CBFC. Guideline2(xii)isnot applicable becauseitisfactually the wordshavetobedeleted. Itisalsorecommendedby reference to“militantRam”and suchsimilarideas/words, arise. Therefore,whereverincluding inthetitlecardthereis Ram” stokingill-willbetween HindusandMuslimsdoesnot and Hindireligionareveryold.Thequestionofa“militant “17. ItiscommonknowledgethattheChristian,Islam order: FCAT whilediscussingthisexcisionobservedinpara17ofits Ram” onthegroundthatitviolatesGuideline2(xii).The 13. TheCBFCorderedtheexcisionofwords“militant of historyandpolitics,intertwined too.Andtheirstoriesbegan tounfoldthroughthefog Kabir Muslim hatredinIndiatoday. Butthen,IfoundaRamin away fromRam……t wasaturning mystic poettoday?MaybeturningtoKabir Whatmademewanttosearchfora15thcentury Kabir? as text.Itreads:“ 12. Thefil The secondexcision excisions thathavebeenupheldbytheFCAT. petition isthereforeconcernedwiththeotherthree that extentallowedthepetitioner’sappeal.Thepresent has disagreedwiththeCBFConaboveexcisionandto 11. BytheimpugnedorderdatedMay28,2010,FCAT states arenotstrained”. (xvi) requiresittoensurethat“friendlyrelationswithforeign anti-national attitudesarenotpresented”andGuideline2 which promotecommunal,obscurantist,anti-scientificand 2 (xiii)requirestheCBFCtoensurethat“visualsorwords religious orothergroupsarenotpresented”.Guideline to ensurethat“visualsorwordscontemptuousofracial, Guideline2(xii)requirestheCBFC under Section5-B(2)CA. Broadcasting (I&B)byaNotificationdatedJanuary7,1978, Government ofIndiaintheMinistryInformationand Guidelines 2(xii),(xiii)and(xvi)formulatedbythe Islamic stateofPakistan” shouldbedeletedasitviolates the words“MuslimslivinginIndiaandneighbouring 10. OneofthefirstexcisionsorderedbyCBFCwasthat north India poetry ofKabir, apopularmysticpoetof15thcentury that thisfilmunfolds,insearchofthe“Ram”invoked neighbouring IslamicstateofPakistan.Itisinthisbackdrop votes indivisiveoppositiontoMuslimslivingIndiaandthe invoked bycertaingroupstoconsolidateHinduidentityand the epicRamayana.InrecentIndianpolitics,Ramhasbeen was thelegendarykingofAyodhyainancientIndia;hero of themostpopulardeitiesinHindureligioustraditions.He two communitiesintheIndiansub-continent.Ramisone Hindus havestokeddivisivereligiouspoliticsbetweenthe centuries, fundamentalistforcesamongstMuslimsand mmaker’s narrationappearshereafteronscreen .” Freedom ofexpression In 2003,IsetoutinsearchofKabir. Why hat militantRamusedtostokeHindu- .”

A non-fictionfilmprovidesthe expression inArticle19(1)(a). to thefreedomofspeechand different facetsareintegral form andholdopinions.These discuss, toagree,disagree, ignore, toengageindialogue, debate, towitness,react, disseminate, toargue, The righttospeak, neither theCBFCnorFCAT keptthisprincipleinview. coming totheconclusionthey didonthesecondexcision, They oughtnottobeviewed inisolation.Itappearsthat in afilmhavetobeviewed thecontextofwholefilm. 15. Inthefirstplace,law isclearthatwordsorvisuals using theword‘Ram’insteadof“militantRam”. suggested that“thesamemeaningcanbeconveyedby As regardstheexcisionofphrase“militantRam”itwas what hasbeenobservedintheimpugnedorderofFCAT. counsel fortherespondent,onotherhand,reiterated discussed hereafter. MrAshishKumar Srivastava,learned placed onalargenumberofjudgmentswhichwillbe what thecentralthemeoffilmis.Reliancehasbeen the filmhastobeviewedasawholeinorderunderstand the contextinwhichsaidwordsoccur. Itisurgedthat CBFC, andtheFCAT whichupheldit,failedtoappreciate for thepetitionerthatindirectingsecondexcision 14. IthasbeenurgedbyMrJawaharRaja,learnedcounsel Serial No2standsdecided.” and returnedtoAyodhyaassoonhiswifewasfreed. Ravana tosavehiswife.LordRamawasnotamanofwar Shri Ramwasamanofpeaceandforcedtobattlewith participate inadiscussion ideas, tobeprovoked,and suspend disbelief, toreceive the viewer, withouthavingto democratic spacethatpermits Ram” isreplacedby“Ram”,the sentencewouldread:“May Hindu-Muslim hatredinIndia today,” thephrase“militant a turningawayfromRam…that militantRamusedtostoke little sense.Ifinthesentence, “MaybeturningtoKabirwas by wayofcensorship.Thirdly, theexcisionorderedmakes does notonthatscorealone becomevulnerabletoexcision put forthaviewwhichmaybeunacceptabletoothersbut the Constitutionprovidesdemocraticspacetoacitizen speech andexpressionasenshrinedinArticle19(1)(a)of we hate. who agreewithusbutfreedomforthethoughtthat principle offreethought— imperatively callsforattachmentthananyotheritisthe “…if thereisanyprincipleoftheConstitutionthatmore in from thefamousdissentofJusticeOliverWendell Holmes for thatmattertotheCBFCorFCAT. To recallthelines of viewirrespectiveits“acceptability”tothevieweror the issueiswhethershehasarighttoexpressherpoint may agreeordisagreewiththefilmmaker’spositionbut Lord Ramwasandwhathedidunnecessary. One in para17oftheimpugnedorderFCAT about who others ofRamtojustifyactsviolence.Theobservations of thefilmmakerasregardsth called upontodecidethetenabilityofunderstanding obviously cannotbesustained.Secondly, theFCAT wasnot are “contemptuousofracial,religiousorothergroups” conclusionthatthesewords the FCAT thentheCBFC’s intriguing. IfGuideline2(xii)isnotapplicableasheldby 17. Onthesec court equallyapplytowordsandvisualsinafilm. 16. Theratioofthesaiddecisionwouldinviewthis (emphasis added) shall havetobeclearedofthechargelevelledagainstit.” offending passagesareconsideredinthislight,thebook would bethereactionofcommonreader a passageandwemusttryseewhat,reasonably, the bookasawhole,wemustnotignorecontextof mind. Butsuchaprocessisimpermissible.We mustread out ofcontextsupplyinflammatorymattertoawilling sentence there, a word similarly, may if strained and torn A passagehereorathere,sentence enmity andhatredbetweenHindusMuslimsinIndia. advocate generalreliesarecapableofpromotingfeelings take theviewthatseveralpassagesonwhichlearned observed (AIR,p82):“We find ourselveswhollyunableto offending passagesinthecontextofentirebook.He then was)underscoredtheimportanceofconsidering the ban.Speakingforcourt,ChandrachudJ(ashe communal hatred.TheBombayHighCourtstruckdown allegedly distortionsofhistoryandpromotedfeelings which purportedlycontainedpassagesandwordsthatwere novel Court concernedthevalidityofbanonMarathi a decisionrenderedbyFull BenchoftheBombayHigh Gopal VinayakGodsevUnionofIndiaAIR1971Bom56 United StatesvSchwimmer279US644(1929)(at655 Gandhi-hatya AniMee ” Theconstitutionalframeworkofthefreedom ond excision,theFCAT’s approachis not freethoughtforthose authored bythepetitioner e projectionbycertain . Ifthe , ) : upheld bytheFCAT bysimplystatingasunder in para18 up to“… words beginningwith“ relating tothedemolitionofBabriMasjidand 18. Thethirdexcisiondirectedisoftheentirevisuals The thirdexcision be excisedviolatesGuideline2(xii)islegallyuntenable. The conclusionthatthephrasewhichhasbeenorderedto says soonthereafter:“ clear thatshedoesnotsubscribetothisviewpointwhen projected Ramtostokereligioushatred.Infact,shemakesit view ofRam.Itishercommentonhowcertainothershave the words“militantRam”donotrepresentfilmmaker’s and inthebackdropoffilmwhenviewedasawhole, CBFC. Inanyeventinthecontextofentiresentence, renders itmoreobjectionablefromthepointofview not onlymutilatesthemeaningofsentencebutperhaps Ram usedtostokeHindu-MuslimhatredinIndiatoday.” This be turningtoKabirwasaawayfromRam…that perceived harmresultingfrom thespeechordepiction. from restrictingthefreedom is fargreaterthanthe (supra) theburdenisonstate toshowthatthebenefit Insurance CorporationofIndia vProfManubhaiDShah (2) havetobenarrowlyconstrued. Asexplainedin absolute, butthe under Article19(1)(a)oftheConstitutionmaynotbe 23. The 2 (xvii)havebeenviolated. explain whytheyconcludethatGuidelines2(xiii),(xv)and CBFC northeFCAT haveintheirimpugnedorders caredto danger tolawandorderishardlysufficient.Neitherthe public orderisindeedaheavyone.Mereapprehensionof “jeopardise the bu “promote” communaloranti-nationalattitudes.Likewise, the wholefilm.Whensoviewedtheyhavetobeshown be viewedinisolation.Theyhavetoaspartof state. Thevisualsandwordspresentedinthefilmcannot communal oranti-nationalattitudesisdefinitelyonthe the visualsandwordspresentedinfilm“promote” order isnotendangered”.Theburdenofshowingthat Guideline 2(xvii)requirestheCBFCtoensurethat“public security ofthestateisnotjeopardisedorendangered”and attitudes”. Guideline2(xv)requiresittoensurethat“the communal, obscurantist,anti-scientificandanti-national film doesnotpresent“visualsorwordswhichpromote 22. Guideline2(xiii)requirestheCBFCtoensurethat communal andanti-nationalattitudes.” the CBFCimpugnedorder. Thewordsandvisualspromote of Guideline2(xiii),(xv),(xvii),indicatedatserialno3in entire chapteronAyodhyasincethereisgrossviolation to BabriMasjiddemolition.Theappellantwoulddeletethe in upholdingthedeletionofwordsandvisualsrelating of theimpugnedorder:“18.Thetribunalhasnohesitation rden onthestatetoshowthatfilmasawhole freedom ofthecitizen’sspeechandexpression thakathse milenge s thesecurityofstate”orthatit“endangers” restrictionsthereonunderArticle 19 High Courtjudgmentoncensorship But then, I found a Ram in Kabir too. But then,IfoundaRaminKabir Hamare PurvajKe JanmBhumi ”. Theaboveexcisionhasbeen Life …”

” 51 ISSUE 22 2011 52 ISSUE 22 2011 operates atdifferentlevelsof speechandexpressionofthe A deconstructionofthosesequences showshowthefilm any ofthethreeguidelines— 2(xiii),(xv)and(xvii). on theBabriMasjiddemolition donotinanymannerviolate in thebackdropoftelevision screenshowingtheVCD (visuals andwords)concerning theconversationsinAyodhya 25. When suitable fortelecastiserroneous.” and theviewtakenbyappellantsthatfilmisnot judged initsentiretyhasathemeandmessagetoconvey have nohesitationinsayingthatthisdocumentaryfilmif cater totheprurientinterestsinanyperson.Therefore,we certain evilsprevalentinoursocietyandisnotseekingto present situationthedocumentaryfilmisseekingtoportray conveyed justbywatchingcertainbitsofthefilm.In purported tobeconveyedbywayofafilmcannot film asawholeandnotinbits,anymessagethatis approach tobetakenhereislookatthedocumentary 24.3 Itwasfurtherobserved(AIR,p.3353):“thecorrect an offence.” affect publicorderoritislikelytoincitecommissionof are evil.Therecannotbeanyapprehensionthatitislikelyto to thesame.Theyaremeantconveythatsuchsocialevils film bynostretchofimaginationcanbesaidtosubscribe whole. Therearescenesofviolence,socialinjusticebutthe portions ofthefilminisolationbutonehastoviewitasa the filmmakercannotbegatheredbyviewingonlycertain riots. Itwasobserved(AIR,pp3350-3351):“Themessageof to portraythemiseriesofinnocentvictimscommunal communal violencebuttheattemptoffilmmakerwas High Courtandobservedthatthefilmnodoubtdealtwith the SupremeCourtconfirmeddecisionofBombay of DoordarshanvAnandPatwardhanAIR2006SC3346 the SupremeCourt.In his writpetitionagainstwhichDoordarshanappealedto Father, Son and HolyWar the PrasarBhartiBoardnottoscreenhisdocumentaryfilm approached theBombayHighCourtagainstdecisionof 24.2 DocumentaryfilmmakerAnand Patwardhan decisions willbediscussedhereafter. directions concerningdocumentaryfilms.Someofthese by thehighcourtsinadjudgingvalidityofcensorship which havebeenreferredtoearlier. Theyhavebeenfollowed a largenumberofdecisionstheSupremeCourt,some visual offendsanyoftheguidelineshasbeenreiteratedin a wholebeforeadjudgingwhetherparticularsceneor 24.1 Thebroadprinciplethatthefilmhastobeviewedas the mostsqueamishamongus?” debate tothepointwhereitisgrammaticallypalatable asked: “Surelythestatehasnorighttocleansepublic Justice Harlanin interest outweighstheharmtofreedomofexpression. legitimate speechandthatthebenefittoprotected The statehastoensurethattherestrictionsdonotruleout Had Anhad Freedom ofexpression Cohen vCalifornia is viewedasawhole,thesequences Director General,DirectorateGeneral . TheBombayHighCourtallowed (supra)pertinently

, while reactingtothespeakerorfilmmaker, andtomake discussion. Thisrightoftheviewertothinkautonomously to receiveideas,beprovoked,andparticipateina permits theviewer, withouthavingtosuspenddisbelief, (a). Anon-fictionfilmprovidesthedemocraticspacethat to thefreedomofspeechandexpressioninArticle19(1) form andholdopinions.Thesedifferentfacetsareintegral engage indialogue,todiscuss,agree,disagree, to argue,debate,witness,react,ignore, of speechandexpression.Therighttospeak,disseminate, partly withtheother. Involvedherethenaredifferentfacets or disagreeingwithonetheotherpartlyand silently withtheprotagonistsandfilmmakerbyagreeing to alloftheaboveanddialoguingordiscussingalbeit the conversation.Thenwehaveviewerwhoisreacting the filmmakercommunicatestoviewerherreaction the viewergetstowatchthisinterplay. Atyetanotherlevel, filmmaker entersintoaconversationwiththespeakerand those speakinginfrontofthecamera.Atanotherlevel, the film(andfilmmaker)capturespointsofview protagonists, thefilmmakerandviewer. Atthefirstlevel, is abystanderandletsusview anexchangebetweentwo freedom ofspeechandexpression. Attimesthecamera 27. determines thespecificcontent ofcensorshiplaws.” practices, andtheimaginedgaze ofthecitizen-viewer viewer tobecomeacitizenthroughparticularspectatorial subject” hesays:“Thetaskofcensorshipistoteachthe the rightsofboth“citizenviewer”and“speaking a particularview.” Recognising theneedtoacknowledge prohibiting aparticularview, but alsoaboutcultivating plays animportantpedagogicrole,whichisnotjustabout spectatorship… itcreatesaworldofreceptiontheory, which you howshouldseethefilmandalegaltheoryof that thelawasinterpretedbySupremeCourt“teaches 25 publications/sense-and-censoribility visitedonFebruary Censoribility’ (at This thoughtisechoedinanessaytitled‘Senseand of truedemocracy, whichisno should think;nothingconstitutesagreatercontradiction should knowwillultimatelydeterminewhatthecitizen arrogating foritselfthepowertodeterminewhatcitizen for thecourt,JusticeLandaupointedout:“A sovereign of Israelreve not presenttheprobleminitsentirety. TheSupremeCourt for disallowingthesaidportion, an evictionfromtheSomailsuburbofTel Aviv. Thereason justification ofcensoringaportionshortfilmshowing (at 2416),theIsraelSupremeCourtwasexamining 26. In discussed. the decisionsofIsraelSupremeCourtwhichwillnowbe and expression.Thisaspecthasbeenbroughtoutinsomeof also constitutesanintegralpartofthefreedomspeech informed choices,withoutbeingcontrolledbythestate, , 2011)bylegalscholarLawrenceLiang.Hepointsout Had Anhad IsraelFilmStudiosLtdvGerry(1962)IsrSC152407 rsed thedecisionofcensors.Speaking brings totheforemanyof facetsofthe http://www.altlawforum.org/law-an-media/ t “directedfromabove”. inter alia , wasthatitdid

“the Gujaratviolenceisalive issueandascaronnational foment communaldisharmony. TheCBFCfurtherheldthat gruesome communalviolence, which,theyfeltwould weighed withtheCBFCandFCAT wasthatthefilmdepicted film forexhibitionandtheFCAT confirmedtheorder. What CBFC AIR2005Bom145 formed thesubjectmatterof and livesaretornasunderinriotsthestateofGujarat couple — a Hindu boy and a Muslim girl — whose friendship Gaya met withjudicialdisapproval.Thefeaturefilm the CBFCtoordercutsinotherdocumentaryfilmshave of thestateandpublicorder. Similarreasonsadducedby by theCBFCisonaccountoffilmendangeringsecurity 30.1 Revertingto very heartofdemocracy.” we liveinademocraticstate,whichthisheartbreakisthe arresting anArabyoungsterbreaksmyheart.Nonetheless, the GermansoldierarrestingachildandIsraeli Army smugglingobjectsonmybody. Theparallel between and Icrossedfencesbo the Holocaust.ImyselfwasachildduringHolocaust, offend thefeelingsofthosewithpersonalexperience the feelingsofJewishpublic,andiscertainlyliableto to observe:“ whether theplayreflectsreality, ordistortsit.”Hewenton negatived thebanheld:“Itisnoneofboard’sbusiness Nazi occupation”.JusticeBarakspeakingforthecourtthat and explicitcomparisonbetweentheIsraeliregime offence tothefeelingsofJewishpublicbyimplied outburst of“negativefeelingsagainstthestate”and“severe and falseimageofthemilitaryadministration.Itfearedan military ruleonthegroundthatitpresentedadistorted described eventsintheoccupiedterritoriesunderIsraeli the stagingofaplay (1987) IsrSC41(1)421 scenes ofrecall.In does notinvitecensorialinterventiontoobliteratethe tensions overtheeventsbeingrecalled.Yet, thatbyitself collective memoryofthathistoricalevent.Itmayrevive event. Therecallmaybeimperfect.Itcontradictthe are inonesensearecallingofthememoryanhistorical 28. Thescenesandvisualsthatconstitutethethirdexcision it isdisagreeabletosomecannotbejustified. “policing” outofapointvieworvisualmerelybecause space fordialogueanddiscussionofacontentiousissue,the all healthydemocraticpractices.Aslongasthefilmprovides appreciate thepointofview“other”asisessentialto opinion orhasanoppositepointofviewareallableto or theonewhohasalreadyformedanopinionno required tobeprovidedsothatthelessarticulateviewer conclusions. Thisispreciselythedemocraticspacethat other timesstepsbackandletstheviewerdrawherown or voicesherownopinionontheissue.Thefilmmakerat in conversationandelicitsthepointofviewspeaker protagonists. Atothertimesthefilmmakerherselfengages which depictedthetravailsoflifeayoung Indeed, thepassageinplaymayoffend Had Anhad, Laor vFilmandPlaysCensorshipBoard Ephraim ReturnstotheArmy thecensorboardrefusedtopermit . TheCBFCrefusedtocertify the rders guardedbytheGerman F APictureInternationalv the thirdexcisionasdirected Chand Bujh which absolutely nogroundforpreventingtheexhibitionof ‘live issue’anda‘scaronnationalsensitivity’canfurnish violence whichtookplaceintheStateofGujaratisa observed asunder(AIR,pp149-150):“To say thatthe 30.3 AsregardsdepictionofviolenceinGujarat,itwas portrayal ofviolence”. of communalviolencecannotbeexpectedtoeschewa what iscontroversial.Afilmwhichsetinthebackdrop deal withcontroversialissuesnecessarilyhavetoportray frowned upon”.Itwasthenobservedthat“(f)ilmswhich down onthefreeexpressionofopinionmusthencebe for theircourage.Anyattemptbythestatetoclamp of socialnorms.Democracyisfoundeduponrespect unquestioned assumptionscontributetothealteration quintessence ofdemocracyandthat“thosewhoquestion of theCBFCandFCAT. Itobservedthatdissentwasthe 30.2 TheBombayHighCourtreversedboththedecisions situation”. sensitivity. Exhibitionofthefilmwillcertainlyaggravate equivalent ofa‘sparkinpowderkeg’.” be inseparablylockedupwiththeactioncontemplatedlike to thepublicinterest.Inotherwords,expressionshould The expressionofthoughtshouldbeintrinsicallydangerous should haveproximateanddirectnexuswiththeexpression. danger shouldnotberemote,conjecturalorfarfetched.It and thecommunityinterestisendangered.Theanticipated the situationscreatedbyallowingfreedomarepressing expression demandsthatitcannotbesuppressedunless as under(SCC,p595):“Ourcommitmentoffreedom argument inthesaidcase,SupremeCourtobserved v PJagjivanRam or theFCAT. Inthiscontextthedecisionin order isnotbasedonanymaterialavailabletotheCBFC 33. Theconclusionthat cinematographic theme.” would beledtodisharmonybyafreeandopendisplayof democratic societybymakinganassumptionthatpeople The viewofthecensordoesnocredittomaturitya however grimisamaturedemocracy.it be.Ours,webelieve, can onlybepromotedbyintrospectionintosocialreality, aggravate thesituation.Oncontrary, stability insociety to conjecturethatafilmdealingwiththeissuewould debate inthepressandmediaitisimpermissible State ofGujarathasbeenthesubjectmatterextensive on eventsinsociety. Theviolencewhichtookplaceinthe film. Nodemocracycancountenancealidofsuppression

(supra) isapposite.Rejectingasimilar High Courtjudgmentoncensorship Had Anhad endangers public S Rangarajan 53 ISSUE 22 2011 54 ISSUE 22 2011 a groupofanthropologistsand humanrightsworkershad mindless mainstreammedia. Much laterIwouldlearnthat issues wereoutofsightand out ofmindfortheblindand in newspapers, andinAndhraPradesh’s Telegu media,and where IwasresidinginBijapur. Itwasnews inthelocal Singaram, afairdistancefromtheforestguesthouse freelancer. Nineteenadivasishadbeenmurderedat It wasJanuarywhenIfirstreachedDantewadaasa up thestory. wasn’t nationalnewseventhoughthelocalpresspicked a youngbabyhadbeenshotdeadbytheCRPFinCherpal of existinginacivilwarforfouryearswasn’tnews.That the MaoistsandSalwaJudum,dailyanxiety murdering, rapingofadivasis,thefratricidalviolence estimated 60,000-200,000people,theburning,looting, 2009, theemptyingof6 pundits hadanythingmuchtosayabouttheplace.In where the‘armyhadtobesentin’,ormedia where Arundh jawans werekilled,whereacivilianbuswashitbyanIED, 2010. In2009,Dantewadawasn’tyettheplacewhere76 Dantewada 2009wasaverydifferentplacefrom 15, 2009. forces. Thatwasmyfirstpublishedstory. ItwasNovember whose fingershadbeencutoffbymembersofthesecurity photograph showedKatamSuresh,an18-month-oldbaby would beprintedafewdayslaterastheleadstory. The combing operationinthevillageofGompad.Thestory the ‘jungle’,andwroteastoryaboutaftermathof I lefthisoffice,wenthome,packed,tookthefirstbusto That’s allIwantedtodo. write thetruth,”hesaid.“Marryme,”Isaid,overjoyed. towards corporatisminmymind.“Thatyouneedtojust shuddered. Theword‘professionalism’hadstrongleanings professionalism,” herepliedcurtly. “And thatmeans?”I Indian Express not asafreelanceranymorebutreporterfor my editoraweekbeforeIheadedbacktoDantewada, mean thatIneedtofulfilmyroleasareporter?”hadasked “SO WHAT ISTHISINMYCONTRACT?Whatdoes it really The wardogma getting beaten up by the police for reporting on the burning of a village? boy whose leg was filled with shrapnel from a Maoist grenade? Or in a police van are conducting an autopsy on her son whom they shot dead? Or across from a young standing between a crying mother and the barbed wire across which state officials zone of Dantewada, where everything seems to depend on where you stand. Are you A reporter debates the meaning of neutrality, objectivity and truth in the conflict Tehelka. That’swhereitended.Maoism andtribal Freedom ofexpression . “Thatyouhavetoshowsomelevelof ati Royhadgonewalkingwithcomrades, 44 villages,thedisplacingofan The New

that I’dneedalittle‘get-through-the-checkpoint’presscard. into themoresensitiveareasofBastardistrict,Iwaswarned ‘truth’ tothepublicconsciousness.ButbeforeIwasallowed I washopingtotakeenoughpictureshelpbringthe the SalwaJudum.Theirresponsewassilence. editors ontherealitiesofDantewadaandatrocities gone toDelhiattendameetingwithlargenumberof to uprootthetribalsfromtheir lands? Judum arejuststate-backed vigilantes whosesolepurposeis has neverdoneanygoodin60 years?OrthattheSalwa interests? OrthattheMaoists dogood,andthegovernment Maoists arebad?Orthestate isonlydrivenbycorporate the status-quotendtotread. Whatcertainties?Thatthe landmines thatnaïveidealistsandcareeristapologistsfor it seems.Theblack-and-whitebinarycertaintiesarelike The moreIdelved,th killed ayoungwoman’sfather… desolate, unlivedinandempty. You askwhytheMaoists is nowafearedsoldier;youaskwhyhisvillage people’ isstabbedbytheMaoists.You askwhyanorphan ask whyateacherwhoasks,‘Whyar wonder ifthat’sthewholestory. You knowit’snot.You their adultsonsafterthey’vehadtoomuchtodrink.You You endup sympathising withfatherswhocutthenecksof whose facehasbeenslashedwithaknife,andwonderwhy. that existswhenyousitquietlyandlookatthewoman knife’s edgeof‘steppinginto’awarisfainthumanism no individualglories.Theonesimplebasistoholdtheentire no nationalistdirges,developmentgospels,humanrights, I knowthereare ground. I spentmonthsinDantewadarunningmybootsintothe one waswillingtogiveittimeandagoodpairofboots. almost anywhere.Thetruthwasinstantlyavailable,provided press. However, in2009,anyonewithapresscardcouldgo district wereoutofboundsforthegeneralpublicand identify P-R-E-S-S,” saidalocaljournalist. Largeareasofthe don’t takekin “Many cadresoftheMaoistpartyareilliterate,andthey dly tostrangers.Buttheyhavebeentaught no universaltruths,feebleideologies, e moreIrealisedthatnothingiswhat e youkillinginnocent JAVED IQBAL don’t appearonTVtosaywarisbad,yetweneed business, andbusinessisdevoidofsentiment.Deadjawans not allowyoutohumaniseanyaspectofconflict. War isa war theonlysolutiontoatrocity?Thestateandmediado or thekillingof76jawans.Doatrocitiesjustifyatrocities?Is newspaper ismetwithcitationsoftheJnaneswarimassacre mention oftheburningvillagestoaseniorsub-editor citizens. Themainstreammediahappilypropagateswar. A fuel anti-warsentimentinanyonebutasmallminorityof goes on;theunimaginableterrorincentralIndiadoesnot irrelevance whensetagainstthebloodshed.Andwar time apoliticianopenshismouth,statementsreekof are socutofffromtherealitiesofhumansuffering.Every the powerstrugglesinupperechelonsofsocietythat You reportthedetails,caringlittleforabstractpoliticsor burning ofavillage? van gettingbeatenupbythepoliceforreportingon filled withshrapnelfromaMaoistgrenade?Orinpolice they shotdead?Oracrossfromayoungboywhoselegwas state officialsareconductinganautopsyonhersonwhom between acryingmotherandthebarbedwireacrosswhich A lotdependsonwhereyoustand.Arestanding myriad shatteredcrystals. To lookatDantewadaclearlyonehastothrougha gunned downonApril12,2009, inafakeencounter the policetoreleasebody of theirsonwhowas The parentsof19-year-old Channu Mandaviwaitfor A journalisthasfewchoices.Writewhatthestatewantsyou with impunity. arbitrary arrestshavebeenandcontinuetobeperpetrated Jaitapur, JagatsinghpurandSompetawherepolicefiring as Narayanpatna,Lohandigud state againstislandsofpopularresistanceinplacessuch this isclearerincentralIndia,andtheactionsof country hasneverquiteriditselfofitscolonialpast.All for millionsofIndiansneitherhaseverexisted,the as theterm‘democracy’.We noticequiteeasilythat The word‘r violence. Butpowerisstructuralviolencetoo. contributes tothedownwardspiralofviolenceandcounter- structural violence,andthebreakdownofdemocraticspace the contextofdynamicspower. Yes thereisindeed for Maoistterrorappearshallowespeciallywhenreadin While stateatrocitiesareoverwhelming,thejustifications avenge ourdeadjawans. all, weareademocraticnation.Dissent,ifvoicedsharply will besympathetictotheconcernsofpeople;after and believethatthegovernmentrestofcountry who lives in the war zone. Write the truth, publish the report to writeandstayalive,especiallyifyou’realocaljournalist evolution’ isascasuallyusedandambivalent Notes fromDantewada a, Kalinganagar, Kashipur,

55 Javed Iqbal ISSUE 22 2011 56 ISSUE 22 2011 working inthe‘developingworld’? Thesame‘developing propagate awar?Arethesethe ethicsrequiredofjournalists who usethephotographofa girlwithaseverednoseto and normsenforcedbythe more ethicalconstraints.What maywesayoftheethics been aroundlongerandisa more legitimateprofessionwith As formainstreamcorporatejournalism,prostitutionhas caveman wasstealinghisfoodandcallingit‘development’. belong tothefirsttimeacavemanwonderedwhyanother years orso.Truth andthedemandfortruthareolder. They Journalism’s onlybeenaroundforacoupleofhundred of truth? do? Orarethosethenaturaldemandsofnature status-quo. Isthatwhatconflictjournalismissupposedto very convenientespeciallyifyoudon’twanttochallenge the destruction andbottlesofbeer—nothingbutajob.That’s home, chewonthefatoflife,andcall‘it’—death,war, As ajournalist,you’resupposedtowalkaway, go don’t havetodie. The adivasisdon’thavetolosetheirforests,andthesoldiers without realisingthatmuchofitisunnecessarytragic. suffering isalltoorealandinevitable,buttogothroughlife the so-calledgreatergoodofsuperpowerIndia.Human the nameofprofit,developmentandbig(fake)picture: I havebeendocumentingtheendofanentirecommunityin After a point it’s not about writing the truth but living with it. The warcontinues… to intervene,helpendthewar. Thatispurefantasy. in apositionofpowerandmotivatedtostopthem, that newsofatrocitieswouldleadsomebodyfaraway, questioned themythofconflictjournalism—belief of thegreatestcrimesincountry. Ofcourse,Ihadalways committed byboth sides, Ihavefound myself witness toone After monthsofreportingonatrocityafter the firstEnglishdailyjournalistsworkinginarea. Chidambaram. AfterOperationGreenHuntIbecameoneof It’s donewondersformycareerthough.Thankyou,Mr wipe outtheNaxalitesandthenbringdevelopment. powers-that-be, culminatedinaministerdeclaringthathe’d to thepublicconsciousness,andattentionof state overthepastfiveyears.Allattemptstobringtruth consent-seeking namefortheactionsofChhattisgarh people inDantewada,itinitiatedOperationGreenHunt—a attention towhatthestateofChhattisgarhwasdoingits In 2010,whenthecentralgovernmentfinallystartedtopay become pointlessandhavetobethrownout. there isnosuchthingasjournalism.Thentherulebooks else thejournalistbelievesthatifthereisnodemocracythen debate, andleadtoaneventualvictoryforthepeople.Or enough, willdrawinoppositionparties,generatepublic Freedom ofexpression Time magazinesoftheworld,

follow theinheritedethicsofcorporatejournalismwithout adivasis cangovernthemselvesornot,buttheyhappily Our mediahasn’tthematuritytothinkaboutwhether himself onthestreetsofTunisia, theyareeatingtheirwords. Declaration. Now, thankstoonestreetvendorwhoburnt been sayingthatabouttheMiddleEastsinceBalfour Bank, theIMF, theUN,andforeignintervention.They’ve govern itselfwitho this intoanarrativethatsaystheThirdWorld cannever detail ofbloodymayhemandunimaginablepoverty. Fitall Rwanda, writeaboutamillionrapes,murders,andevery downer, humanity’shellhole.GototheCongo,go To ethic toviefor. apart bypredatordronesdon’tseemtowinawards.An Photo oftheYear evenasphotographsofchildrenblown Bibi, unsurprisingly, wontheWorld PressPhotoawardfor wars world’ thatistryingtoexistagainsttheveryforceswhose has alsowrittenextensivelyonpeople’s movementsandslumpoliticsinMumbai undivided BastardistrictofChhattisgarh, andpeople’smovementsinOrissa.He from November2009toApril2011,documenting stateandMaoistatrocitiesin Orissa, MaharashtraandAndhraPradesh. Heworkedfor Javed IqbalisajournalistwhohasbeenreportingontribalissuesinChhattisgarh, Truth is,Idon’tknow. protest, towriteandkeepwriting? is themessageonlypurposeofajournalist?To write,to where actsofterrorarefarmorevitriolicthanwordslove, is calledaspade,thatroserose?Inworld When weneednotwordsbutactionstoensurethataspade Does ajournalistonlysubsistwithinwordsandimages? contradiction ofanti-warreporting. war, andthey callitapeople’swar— thisisthestrangest atrocities areusedbythe‘other’sidetopropagate propaganda. Onebecomesonlytooawarethatreportson social transformation.Truth istoooftenpackagedas hatred patriotism;andtherearethosewhocallrevolution encounters, pogromsriots,genocidedevelopment,and ambivalent language—therearethosewhocallmurders stricken withterrorandfear. Andweareatlove-warwith the messageofmessengers,inaworldthatisalready profession iftruthhasbeentransgressed.Whenwaris I can’tlivewiththetruththatjournalismisabullshit both media)lookedatashumanbeings. to theworld.Nowherearecombatantsonbothsides(by the pressarecausesofinsurgencyeverspelledout the ground,andthey’redefinitely a jokebecausethey’re much ado:neutrality, dista them they , theThirdWorld isavicariousfrenzy, theultimate propagate?ThephotographofadefacedAisha ut thehelpofWest, theWorld not nce andobjectivity. Andthatis neutral, they’retoodistantfrom not objective.Nowherein The NewIndianExpress their

analyst, whiletheanalystsfor thereportsonAzerbaijan, 10? Iwasonlytoohappytoidentify myselfastheIndian two pointsfromtheprevious pilotexerciseheldin2009- also downgradedthescoreof InternetfreedominIndiaby for tryingtoslowlyencroach uponourInternetfreedom,I did IcriticisetheIndiangovernment andvariousauthorities Should ItakecomfortinthefactthatasanIndiannotonly publicly astheauthorofhisreportforfearrepercussions. was badbecameevidentwhenhedeclinedtobeidentified of intimidation and surveillance in general. That the situation abysmal levelofInternetfreedominhiscountryandthefear allowed torevealhisidentity. Junaidstartedrecountingthe my Pakistani colleague.Letmecallhim Junaid,asI’mnot great interestandIwascloselyfollowingeachwordof For anIndian,anythingthathappensinPakistan isof the socialnetworkingtoolFacebook. website YouTube, thephoto-sharingapplicationFlickr, and to variousWeb 2.0applications suchasthevideo-sharing order orcourtdecisions—blockedaccessseveraltimes pointed outthatinrecentyearsthey cyberspace andthesharingofinformationonline.He — theauthoritieshadadoptedvariousmeasurestocontrol Parvez MusharrafandnowunderPresidentAsifAliZardari past threetofouryears—undertheruleofthenPresident level ofInternetfreedominhiscountry. Hesaidthatinthe The Pakistani analystwasclearlyupsetatthedeteriorating and invitedexperts. a countryscoreinconjunctionwithFreedom Houseofficials country analysthadtogiveabriefingandarriveat on the state of Net freedom for various Asian countries. Each freedom thathadbeencompiledaspartofalargerreport each countryperformedonvariousparametersofInternet We hadgatheredtoreviewaratings exerciseonhow of Internet freedom. Opposite me was the analyst for China. Pakistani analyst who had done considerable work in the fieldanalyst for India. As it happened, seated next to me was theIndonesia, present at the meetings were analysts from Pakistan, China, House, gathered at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur. Among those Internet and digital freedom published by USA-based Freedom analysts working on ‘Freedom on the Net-2011’, a report on IN THE LAST WEEK OF JANUARY 2011, a group of country Virtual democracy? or sovereigntyofIndia,friendlyrelationswithforeignstates,publicorder”? proposes tobanonlinecontentthat“threatenstheunity, integrity, defence,security government tocontrolNetfreedomandpushthroughthenewITnotificationthat compared to12,000inPakistan? Orworryabouttheincreasingdesireof Should Indiacelebratethefactthatwehaveonly11officiallybannedwebsites Malaysia, South Korea and Thailand. I was the had —viagovernment are thetopthreefreecountriesonNet,Freedom does not look very good. While Estonia, the US and Germany The situationworldwideasfarfreedomontheNetgoes was publishedinApril2011. and Zimbabwerequestedanonymitywhenthefinalreport Pakistan, Rwanda,SaudiArabia,Tunisia, Venezuela, Vietnam Bahrain, Belarus,China,Egypt,Ethiopia,Indonesia,Malaysia, that cyberattacks,politicallymotivatedcensorship,and growing andhavebecomemorediverseglobally. And House reportfoundthatthreatstoInternetfreedomare The stateofNetfreedom KETAN TANNA 57 ISSUE 22 2011 58 ISSUE 22 2011 blocked havecontentwhich is perceivedas‘anti-military’, the Pakistani analyst,websitesthatarecomprehensively other instancesoftheblocking ofwebsites.Accordingto affected alargenumberofusers. Therehavebeenseveral Politically motivatedcensorshipandblanketbanshave notably Facebook, duetotheir“blasphemous”content. The Pakistani authorities have blocked access to various sites, to slide down to 26th position with even Kazakhstan above it. flattering if we look at the global rankings. Pakistan has Thatreason India is below Nigeria and above Malaysia is not too Internet freedom, India ranks 14th and Pakistan 26th. itself to Pakistan and India. In terms of world rankings fromon Nepal, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka, so this article confinesdeteriorating scenario? Unfortunately, we did not have Whereanalysts do India and South Asia figure in this frayed and cases cut off access to the Internet entirely. to politically and socially controversial content, and in extremeused their control over infrastr turmoil. In 12 of the 37 countries examined, the authoritiesthreat to free online expression, particularly in times of connectionpolitical to inter limit access: Governments exploit centralised Internet infrastructure to of independent news outlets and human rights groups. to restrict users’ access to information, including the websites sporadic but rather the result of an apparent national policy relevant content. In these countries, website blocks are not found to engage in substantial online blocking of politically is growing: Politically motivated censorship and content manipulation countries covered. websites. Suchattackswerereportedinatleast12ofthe37 eavesdrop ontheircommunications,andcripple technical attackstodisruptactivists’onlinenetworks, Governments andtheirsympathisersareincreasinglyusing Cybe user was detained because of online communications. democratic states (and India), at least one blogger or Internet online writings. In 23 of the 37 countries, including several people increasingly face arrest and imprisonment for their online journalists, human rights activists as well as ordinary Bloggers and ordinary users face arrest: imposed totalbansontheseservicesortheirequivalents. examined, theauthoritiesconsistentlyortemporarily part oftheircensorshipstrategies.In12the37countries governments havestartedtargetingthenewplatformsas applications likeFacebook, YouTube andTwitter, many In responsetothegrowingpopularityofInternet-based Explosion insocialmediahasmetwithcensorship: Key findingsof‘Freedom ontheNet-2011’include: the diverseandgrowingthreatstoInternetfreedom. government controloverInternetinfrastructureareamong r attacksagainstregimecriticsareintensifying:

A total of 15 of the 37 countries examined were Centralised government control over a country’s Freedom ofexpression national Internet traffic poses a significant ucture to limit widespread access Bloggers,

Technology hasstatedthatthelistincludes: websites inIndia.TheDepartmentofInformation and Societymanagedtogetalistof‘officiallybanned’ In April2011,anRTIactivistfromTheCentreforInternet Websites bannedbytheGovernmentofIndia anti-state/social websiteshavebeenblockedfromaccess”. by September2010“morethan12,000blasphemousand submitted totheLahoreHighCourtduringacourthearing, interest, tojustifytheirblocking.Accordingadocument information thatmightbeprejudicialtothenational of thepenalcode,whichallowsgovernmenttorestrict after itslaunch.ThePakistani authoritiescitedSection99 website focusedonBaluchistan,approximatelyoneyear blocked Lal-Masjid Washington-based World SindhiInstituteandthewebsite Sindhi politicaldissidents.For example,thewebsiteof censored isinformationdisseminatedbyBalochiand ‘blasphemous’, or‘anti-state’,whilethemostsystematically following the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai communication technologies were relatively rare. However,past, instances of the central government seeking to control generating tens of millions of new users in recent years. Inglobal the standards, access has expanded rapidly in urban areas,India’s Internet penetration rate of less than 10% is low by (partly free). In 2011, it is 36. The bright side is that thoughentitled ‘Freedom on the Net-2009’, India had a score of 34 level of freedom on the Net for India is dropping. In the reportother Asian countries, Indians need to remember that the Before we begin to feel good about ourselves compared to ahead ofus? countries thatarecomparativelyfree,withSouthKorea we bethrilledthatinAsiaaresecondthelistof banned websites,comparedto12,000inPakistan? Should Should Indiansbethrilledthatwehaveonly11officially • http://arizona.indymedia.org • http://www.indybay.org 172025102828076 • http://www.facebook.com/pages/l-Hate-Ambedkar/ yana-gupta-wardrobe.html • http://www.result.khatana.net/2010/11/im-no-panty-girl- is-engaged-to.html • http://www.submitlink.khatana.net/2010/09/jennifer-stano- movie • http://www.chakpak.com/find/images/kamasutra-hindi- wallpaper/23945-wallpapers-beautiful-girl-wallpaper.html • http://www.cinemahd.net/desktop-enhancements/ &bih=843& • http://www.google.co.in/#h1=en&source=hp&biw=1276 Broadband) DSL, butnotfromotherslikeRelianceBroadbandandBSNL • http://www.bloggernews.net/124029 • http://donotdial100.webs.com • http://www.zone-h.org The BalochHal, areblocked.InNovember2010,theauthorities thefirstEnglishlanguagenews (accessiblefromTata Free PressJournal Ketan Tanna isEditor, Arabia and Iran in the world rankings on Internet freedom. be placed somewhere near Pakistan or, worse, above Saudiand we need to be vigilant about it. Otherwise, India will soongovernment to control our freedom on the Net is increasing, squeezed into a corner. The desire and the ability of theInternet Indian freedom. But with each bulldozed into submission by the government with respect to that India has a spirited civil society which will not easilyfreedom be was under threat in his country, I thanked God how bloggers When my Pakistani colleague started recounting instances of websites accessedatthecybercafesafeforoneyear. month aswellkeeptheserecordsalongwiththelogof asked togiveuserlogsthe“registrationagency”every users tocarryidentitycards.Cybercafeownershavebeen pornographic material.Thenewrulesmakeitmandatoryfor to makesurethatpeopledon’tusecybercafesaccess threat posedby“anonymousInternetusers”,mostaim While someoftheguidelinesdealwithsecurity to registerwithan“agencyasnotified”bythegovernment. notified onApril11,allcybercafesinthecountrywillhave “pornographic orobscenematerial”.Accordingtotherules be requiredto“tellusers”notsurfwebsitesthatcontain The newrulesalsostipulatethatcybercafeownerswould creating content that is later deemed offensive. intermediaries as long as they are not active participants inbe fair, the new rules have also removed liability from workInternet or appeal against a decision to take content down. Toprovided any way out for content producers to defend their down offensive content within 36 hours. The rules have not hosting websites would have to respond to demands to take which could include YouTube or Facebook or companiesor public order” would be entitled to a ban. Intermediaries or sovereignty of India, friendly relations with foreign states,content that “threatens the unity, integrity, defence,Technology security (Intermediaries Guidelines) Rules, 2011. It Technology,said that Government of India, issued the Informationenough, in April 2011 the Department of Information As if the amended Information Technology Act were not generation (2G) mobile phone services. a major corruption scandal involving the licensing of second-spectrum also came into question in 2010 with the exposure of fairness of bidding processes surrounding the allocation of voiced concern over certain removals being unnecessary. Thethat might incite communal violence, some observers have information. Though most requests have targeted comments has also increased on private intermediaries to remove certainexpanded the government’s monitoring capabilities. Pressure Technology Act (ITA) which came into effect in 2009 andIn 2008, Parliament passed amendments to the Information communications has grown. desire and ability of the Indian government to control Net and with expanding Maoist insurgency, the need for and the were frequently intimidated and how Internet Free PressJournal

Online passing day, Indians are being , andFeaturesEditor, for other categories. Shri Vaid is a truly eminent writer. He is couple of names for the Sahityakar Samman, and some more Krishna Baldeva Vaid for the Shalaka Samman, along with a Samman. For the year 2008, the jury recommended Shri achievement award. The next category is the Sahityakar 150,000 is conferred on a senior writer as a kind of lifetime honours writers with cash awards. The Shalaka Samman of Rs THE HINDI AKADEMI of the Government of Delhi annually On artisticfreedom Vaid in spite of the jury’s recommendation. The reports not to confer the Shalaka Samman on Shri Krishna Baldeva now learn from press reports that the Akademi has decided of course, and I conveyed to you my acceptance. However, I recommendations of the jury were implemented as a matter Samman for 2008. At that point I assumed that Akademi’s decision to honour me with the Sahityakar On January 7, I received your letter regarding the Hindi I trust this finds you in the best of spirits. Dear Parichaya Das ji, translation of the letter is given below. The awards were given away on May 11, 2010. An English also declined their awards. (who was awarded the Shalaka Samman for 2009) other writers such as the eminent Hindi poet Kedar Nath Singh and of the agencies dealing with them. Following my letter,importance of respecting the autonomy of creative pursuits out the implications of this action and underlining the wrote to the secretary of the Akademi on March 12, pointing favour by a jury of writers and literary critics. Thereupon, I Shri Vaid’s award. This, despite the recommendations in his Following the protest, the Akademi decide writings were (according to him) obscene. the Shalaka Samman decision on the grounds that Shri Vaid’s ex-officio capacity as chairperson of the Akademi) protesting ruling party had written to the chief minister of Delhi (in her afterwards, the media reported that a functionary of the the Sahityakar Samman on me on January 7, 2010. Soon I was offi for probing the matrix of relationships between the sexes. known for his penchant for experimenting with language and sponsored literaryawards political interferenceinstate- Delhi governmentcriticises to theHindiAkademiof Purushottam Agrawal’sletter cially informed of the Akademi’s decision to confer Artistic freedom d to withhold PURUSHOTTAM

AGRAWAL 59 ISSUE 22 2011 60 ISSUE 22 2011 formality. Respect for creativity can turn democracy into a mere acts of obscenity. Such intolerance hurting morality by their so-called hurting sentiments, sometimes for for the so-named ‘offence’ of physically attacked — sometimes thinkers and scholars are often beyond them too. Artists, writers, the context of creative pursuits but in our society. This is so not only in of intolerance has become visible Of late, a disturbing rise in the level society and practices of democracy in strengthening the temperament is an imperative prerequisite for for creativity is an imperative prerequisite for strengtheningintolerance the can turn democracy into a mere formality. Respectfor hurting morality by their so-called acts of obscenity.the Such so-named ‘offence’ of hurting sentiments, sometimes and scholars are often physically attacked — sometimes for creative pursuits but beyond them too. Artists, writers, thinkersvisible in our society. This is so not only in the contextOf of late, a disturbing rise in the level of intolerance has become knowledge, and their autonomy. part, respect the pursuit ( social and political power and authority should, on their feel constrained to point out that institutions representing meaning phrases about the writer’s social responsibility. I as to the pursuit of creative writing. We often hear well- manifest a lack of respect due to a senior writer, as well to override the recommendations of a jury. Such actions manner. It is improper to permit extra-literary considerations the arts cannot be determined in such a flat and insensitive This disturbs me. Obscenity or propriety in literature and account of charges of so-called obscenity in his writings. indicate that the Samman is being withheld from Shri Vaid on Freedom ofexpression sadhna ) of thought, art, literature, Let us never forget that the various academies of literature and proud to belong to this tradition. national movement. As a writer and a citizen of India, I am Indian tradition, this vision was strengthened during our making society mature and sensitive. Inherited from an older autonomy of creative pursuits and their contribution towards prevalent commonsense, but from the recognition of the been drawn not from the lowest common denominator of respect and in the evaluation of a particular work of art have stressed that the standards of judgement implied in such and even reverence for creative pursuits. It needs to be Our society is tolerance in society at large. the awardee’s work, they also help create an atmosphere of various Akademis do indeed underline the significance of making society more sensitive. Hence while awards given by but a token of appreciation for their contribution towards or writers is not an act of charity bestowed upon them, should keep in mind that the official recognition of artists temperament and practices of democracy in society. We Unka Samay, Oriental Studies.Hismostrecentwork and beenavisitingscholarattheCollegio deMexicoandtheCambridgeFacultyof intellectual. HehastaughtHindiliterature attheUniversityofDelhiandJNU, Purushottam Agrawalisarenownedscholar, literarycritic,authorandpublic literary journals andtheweb March 2010in Editorial note:Extractsfromthisletterandcommentsonitwerepublishedin Purushottam Agrawal Yours truly, interventions. are implemented without extraneous considerations and to the jury. I shall accept my award if its recommendations Once again I express my gratitude to the Hindi Akademi and Shalaka Samman. me to accept it now that Shri Vaid is being denied the with my fellow awardees. However it seems inappropriate for this Samman, and would have been happy to accept it along I am grateful for the recognition of my work implied by departure that, in my view, the Akademi should avoid. prac It also conveys a disturbing departure from Indian cultural flagrant violation of Jawaharlalji’s vision and commitment. that has been recommended by a competent jury reflects a for the conduct of such Akademis. To withhold an award bear repetition. A similar approach ought to serve as a compassinstitutions dealing with such activities is too well-known expressionto and his insistence on the autonomy of official commitment to the freedom of artistic, literary and creative of the late Jawaharlal Nehru’s active interest. Jawaharlalji’sthe arts came into existence in independent India on account tice and from the values of our freedom movement. It is a (2009)hasbeenre-publishedafterwide acclaim Jansatta blessed with an inspiring tradition of respect and Dainik Hindusta

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Jorge Chamorro/www.posterfortomorrow.org