Page 3 - 31OCT2019E

Editor’s Note

FIR withdrawn against elites

but moot question remains

Finally the police in Muzaf- grave threat to democracy. Naturally, the registration of
farpur district in Bihar have done a case for writing an open letter to Prime Minister in July
well to close a sedition case against had caused outrage. Criminal proceedings against per-
49 intellectuals for sending an sonalities like Shyam Benegal, Adoor Gopalakrishnan,
open letter to the Prime Minister Konkona Sen Sharma, Aparna Sen, and Ramachandra
on the need to stop hate crimes Guha for signing the open letter on a matter of public
against minorities and mob lynch- concern show the ugly face of intolerance. The crimi-
ing. However, the moot question nal disregard for public opinion and blatant use of the
remains as to how long individuals would sedition provision is not in keeping with pluralism and
be on the radar of authorities for expressing unpopu- tolerance.
lar views. In the very first place, the registration of an In another twist to the controversy, as many as 185
FIR against 49 renowned personalities including film- personalities including historian Romila Thapar, writer
makers Shyam Benegal and Mani Ratnam, and vocal- K. Satchidanandan, actor Naseeruddin Shah, and author
ist Shubha Mudgal who had written the open letter is Saba Dewan has pledged their support to 49 celebri-
nothing short of threatening those who dare to raise ties who had written the open letter, raising concerns
their voice. It is a grim reminder of the growing intol- over intolerance in India, rising cases of mob lynching
erance in the country. How society has been polar- and the need to allow dissent to protect the country’s
ized can be seen from the fact that immediately after democracy. It may be recalled that the open letter had
the letter to PM was released to media, 61 personalities reminded the Prime Minister that he had rightly criti-
including classical dancer and Rajya Sabha MP, Sonal cized lynching in Parliament, but that was not enough.
Mansingh, actor Kangana Ranaut, and lyricist Prasoon There was a need to make such offenses declared as
Joshi, had come out with a counter statement against non-bailable, and that exemplary punishment should
the dissenters. With the registration of an FIR at Muzaf- be meted out swiftly and surely. Finding the letter
farpur police station in Bihar, all those who had pointed offensive, a lawyer Sudhir Kumar Ojha had filed an FIR
out that there is no democracy without dissent, were against 49 intellectuals. Instead of muzzling the voice of
in the dock. These public figures, much respected in reason, there is a need to put an end to malicious pros-
their respective fields, had been booked on charges of ecutions because there can’t be democracy without the
sedition, creating a public nuisance and hurting right to express an opinion.
religious feelings.
Any attempt to muzzle, the voice of reason poses a chARAnjIt AhujA

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