Pro-RSS journal features piece from Cong leader on free speech
Senior Congress leader and party spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi has written an article in the latest edition of pro-RSS journal ’Organiser’ on the issue of sedition and free speech.
Singhvi termed it as a "victory of Indian Constitution", the fact that the journal repeatedly approached him and he finally agreed to write for it.
The Congress leader makes a strong case for free speech while referring to freedom of expression and sedition as being "strange bedfellows".
In his article, he cautions against overuse of the sections on sedition in the IPC and goes on to acknowledge as "reprehensible " the recent controversial utterances by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi. But, he adds that even those utterances don’t qualify as sedition.
"Certainly, I as much as most of you may neither wish to speak what Kanhaiya spoke, nor do it in a manner/form or occasion as was done by Omar Khalid or Binayak Sen or indeed Owaisi.
"Some of their utterances are truly reprehensible (example Owaisi) or disagreeable in content or form. But that does not make them seditious. The Constitution does not deny them the right to air it just like it does not prevent me or you from opposing their viewpoint and content as vigorously as we like.
"This is what makes us different from Pakistan and each one of our South Asian neighbors," Singhvi said.
Owaisi had recently triggered a political storm by refusing to chant "Bharat Mata ki Jai".
Singhvi also justifies the step of a Congress leader writing for a pro-RSS publication, saying this too "evidences the power of free speech."
"As I write this at the repeated request of the publishers, I am struck by a delicious irony. I overcame my initial hesitation and early refusal of the magazine’s request on the ground that fundamental principles of free speech — the topic invited by the publishers — itself obliges me to write in a magazine with which I usually disagree and whose managing organisation I frequently criticise.
"But it is the victory of the Indian Constitution that I have been asked repeatedly, that I agreed and that I am attempting to alter an alternative viewpoint strongly held by the Organisation and publishers running this magazine!" Singhvi says in the article in the ’Organiser’.
Singhvi goes on to cite important judicial verdicts on sedition including how even the most offensive remarks (’Khalistan Zindabad’) "didn’t qualify" as a seditious act in the eyes of courts.
"Sedition is a serious crime with a draconian maximum punishment of life imprisonment. Unless interpreted with minimum in-built safeguards and restrictions of having to prove a clear possibility of disorder, incitement and violence, the broad words of the section would permit an enormous amount of subjectivity and completely destroy free speech while allowing the authorities to selectively and subjectively target dissenters with severe punishment," Singhvi says.
He also refers to the BJP-generated debate on nationalism saying, "nationalism is not something which can be injected, manufactured or given as a handout. Nationalism must arise within the heart and soul of every individual through a sense of co-ownership of democracy, through a feeling of inclusion.
Neither breast-beating nor hysterical demonstrations of loyalty nor subjective punishment under draconian penal provisions or dialectic sermons nor punitive enforcement will ever create either a climate or a culture of nationalism."
Comments on this Article | |
Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai | Wed, March-30-2016, 9:20 |
Why are we forced to say UMA BHARATI KI JAI ... ![]() |
Please note that under 66A of the IT Act, sending offensive or menacing messages through electronic communication service and sending false messages to cheat, mislead or deceive people or to cause annoyance to them is punishable. It is obligatory on kemmannu.com to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request. Hence, sending offensive comments using kemmannu.com will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Kemmannu.com be held responsible.
Similarly, Kemmannu.com reserves the right to edit / block / delete the messages without notice any content received from readers.
Final Journey of Mrs. Severine Pais (85 years) | LIVE from Milagres, Kallianpur, Udupi

Final Journey of Mrs Lennie Saldanha (89 years) | LIVE from Kemmannu | Udupi

Final Journey of Zita Lewis (77 years) | LIVE from Kallianpur, Udupi

Final Journey of Henry Andrade (83 years) | LIVE from Kemmannu

Final Journey of Mr. Leo Britto (65 years) | LIVE from Mother of Sorrows Church, Udupi

Mount Rosary Church - Rozaricho Gaanch May 2025 Issue

Final Journey of Juliana Machado (93 years) | LIVE from Udyavara | Udupi

Final Journey of Charles Pereira (78 years) | LIVE from Kemmannu

Milarchi Laram, Milagres Cathedral, Kallianpur, Diocese of Udupi, Bulletin - April 2025

Holy Saturday | St. Theresa Church, Kemmannu

Final Journey of Albert Lewis (85years) | LIVE From St Theresa’s Church Kemmannu | Udupi

Final Journey of Bernard G D’Souza | LIVE from Moodubelle

Earth Angels Kemmannu Unite: Supporting Asha Fernandes on Women’s Day

Final Journey of Joseph Peter Fernandes (64 years) | LIVE From Milagres, Kallianpur, Udupi

Milagres Cathedral, Kallianpur, Udupi - Parish Bulletin - January 2025 Issue

Rozaricho Gaanch 2024 December Issue - Mount Rosary Church, Santhekatte

Land/Houses for Sale in Kaup, Manipal, Kallianpur, Santhekatte, Uppor, Nejar, Kemmannu, Malpe, Ambalpady.

Naturya - Taste of Namma Udupi - Order NOW

Focus Studio, Near Hotel Kidiyoor, Udupi


Earth Angels - Kemmannu Since 2023

Click here for Kemmannu Knn Facebook Link
Sponsored Albums
Exclusive
Mangalorean Teen Feryl Rodrigues Shines as May Queen 1st Runner-Up at Indian Club Bahrain [Video]

A Saintly Shepherd of Our Times: A Tribute to Pope Francis

Servant of God – Fr Alfred Roche, Barkur -Closing ceremony of Birth Centenary Celebrations.

"Raav Sadanch" – A Konkani Musical Masterpiece by Young Prodigy Renish Tyson Pinto, Barkur Inspires Youth to Chase Their Passions.

Bishop Rt. Rev. Dr. Gerald Isaac Lobo, Offers the Solemn Thanksgiving Jubilee Mass, in Milagres Cathedral

GOLDEN YEARS, HAPPIER TOGETHER….by P. Archibald Furtado

Parish Level inaugural Badminton Little Flower Cup 2024 held in Kemmannu.

Udupi: Foundation stone laid for the SVP sponsored new house at Kemmannu

KAMBALA – A FORGOTTEN SPORT OF YESTER YEARS…..
