Freedom of Speech/ Expression anyone ?

The last few weeks has seen many an issue related to freedom of citizens come under question and debate. It could be freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of religion and so on and  the ONLY thing every episode has highlighted is the sheer hypocrisy, arrogance and intolerance of the protagonists.

One of the first issues to crop up was the one on conversions. At a logical level faith is entirely private and whether a person finds salvation in Hinduism or Christianity or Islam or whatever is entirely upto the person concerned.  At another level is the question if monetary or other inducements are acceptable to seek conversion thus making it a simple sales/marketing activity with the proselytizers being the salesmen? For a minute let us agree that either option is acceptable. Then whatever the conversion or reconversion, society, government has no right to intervene or complain about. Whatever the method barring for threat/force/intimidation society again has no reason to complain. If a particular faith offers money or healthcare or some such benefit then again other faiths are equally free to do the same. Like a free market economy let the best salesman win.

But what is in reality happening in India is that it is selective. Certain actions are considered freedom but similar acts by others are deemed unacceptable. Every party/NGO/Organisation initiating actions or raising objections are only exposing the hypocrisy involved and creating the space for what I feel is an opportunity to debate and arrive at a conclusion. But the fact that the debate has died a quiet death at least as of now shows that BOTH sides of the narrative want status quo. They are not keen on resolving a vexed issue. BOTH have political and other agendas to pursue and so will now let each live in peace and strive to highlight incidents as infringements on freedom.  So conversions or reconversions/ghar waapsi as it is termed will continue but the media and the activists will prefer to stay silent on the issue.

Next was the debate on the film PK. Whether it was contrived artificially to create publicity for the film I am not aware but it did initiate debate on FOE. In recent times the book by Perumal  Murugan and the film MSG also raised the issue.

Before going into the subject it is important to note one thing since it leads to my further arguments on this subject. The very protagonists who scream the loudest about FOS/FOE have the thinnest skins and the highest intolerance. 

The senior journalist Mr. Praveen Swami  Tweeted a cartoon and I responded with 2 messages which in any way cannot be considered as offensive, abusive or inappropriate.  I was infact supporting the cause of FOS but raising the issue of hypocrisy involved.  The result – he BLOCKS me on twitter. How fragile and how cute that a senior editor of a veritable institution like The Hindu has such a thin skin.  The same goes for the fiery journalist Mrs Sagarika Ghose.  Disagree or question their view, and they block you. Yet the same breed of journalists is the first to scream loudest regarding freedom of speech/expression when they don’t have the gumption to even tolerate a simple comment in disagreement.

There are many more such votaries of FOS/FOE on line and I am not referring to the masses but popular journalists, activists and such other who bombards your TV screen talking about FOS/FOE but cannot tolerate the slightest dissent to their opinion. How such folks can further the cause of FOS in India is beyond my imagination.  

Coming back to my point the real issue in India today is not about whether we should have FOS/FOE since barring for the odd aberration we have enough of it. Infact when you read some comments by the common people or read some press reports and see some folks on TV, you actually wish that we had less of it than more. Many people are abusive to the extent that it is unbelievable.  Others express opinions that in most other countries would be taken as treason. A look at this article will show that it is because India has FOS that citizens can express such views and not be opposed.

http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/international/beware-the-hate-wave#sthash.PU3qMcBF.uxfs

The book of Perumal Murugan is selling more and even those who didn’t even know he existed are buying his book and reading it. Many are organising reading sessions.  If anything the protest has only enriched him.

I am not making any value judgements on these incidents but only to say that FOS is active and alive in India. Anybody who argues against this is saying so because someone differs with their opinion.

What is of concern is the sheer hypocrisy involved in every debate. I can understand the politician being hypocritical since he has his agenda and target audience to cater to, but what is it that drives popular journalists, thinkers, activists and prominent citizens who unashamedly behave in the same way. ?

It is impractical to expect outrage or protests for every incident but the least that these erudite folks can do is be consistent.  Let us take the recent example of the notification by the venerable Oxford University Press.

http://www.bustle.com/articles/59180-oxford-university-press-tells-writers-to-avoid-mentioning-pigs-or-pork-so-as-not-to-offend

Even as the news broke I commented that not a single intellectual in India who screams loudest about freedom of speech would even whimper in protest. And this was at the exact time when the same intellectuals were debating the protest against the Tamil writer Perumal.  I was proved right, nobody but nobody reacted.  It was inconvenient may be to their own agendas.

I have maintained in debates my stand that FOS/FOE is sacrosanct. But it cannot be selective. It may not exactly be black and white but it is white even if there can be black dots.

Protesting against the nude paintings of Hindu goddesses by MF Hussain was uncalled for and he should have had the freedom to express his artistic fantasy. But on the other hand Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses also should not be banned. When the state starts catering to the perceived insults of a section of the populace & believes that pandering to them gets them votes and a pliable media plays up these insults then we are on a slippery slope. The only way is down. Just see what Oxford University Press did soon after the Paris massacre. They proved that that threat of violence works and thus will embolden more lumpen elements to threaten violence whenever they disagree with your point of view.

The moment a state or media starts pandering to the threat of violence then what is to prevent anybody and everybody from using that threat? Tomorrow the Sikh community will be outraged by saradrji jokes and  the south Indian by madrasi jokes. A politician like Mamata Banerjee has already declared that she has no sense of humour and no jokes are acceptable even if imaginary. So where will this end?

The answer to this is unfettered FOS/FOE. Sure in the beginning there can be some reactions but the state must treat them as law and order problems and simply jail/punish those indulging in violence without fear or favour. The media must ignore or publish both view points with courage. Let those who feel offended go to court and seek redressal. Soon, once people realise that the state/media is no longer bothered they will continue on with their work and stop reacting. It is basic human psychology.  The more attention you give the more they will throw tantrums.

Just recall the international outcry that an unknown American pastor received when he talked about burning the Quran in 2010.  The American govt did not buckle down and after his 2 minutes of fame he lives his life and now nobody cares much what he says or does except when someone meets him. Even then there are others who ask him to move on so that the nuisance value can stop.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/koran-burning-preachers-pulpit-of-deance-and-chili-cheese-dogs/2015/01/17/c98a79e2-9d9e-11e4-a7ee-526210d665b4_story.html

The first amendment American law on FOS/FOE may well serve as a benchmark for us,  since, if we get such a clause in our constitution, automatically the Indian media will stop chasing TRPs by manufacturing outrage and catalysing it. I say this because the media by itself has neither the courage, gumption or ethics to stand up in favour FOS/FOE without bias and on principles.

It is time that each of us stand up for principles and not political agendas.