However much I may disagree with him and feel he has let civil society down by double crossing 'Team Anna' and the anti-corruption agenda, I cannot agree with the State's decision to arrest Swami Agnivesh for his 'Amarnath Yatra' remarks and to slap baseless criminal charges against him. The charges of hurting religious sentiments are bizarre and ridiculous to say the least. Religion is but an idea or an ideology which people are free to agree with or disagree with. Are we still living in the dark ages of ‘blasphemy’ or are we living in a liberal democratic society where fundamental rights of free speech and expression are sacrosanct?
The State is truly behaving in a fascist manner. First Om Puri, then Kiran Bedi and now Swami Agnivesh. Books, Films, Paintings and now even gag orders on what we are supposed to speak and not speak. Where are we heading? We still don't seem to have learnt our lessons from the saga of M.F. Hussain. In other Countries, open debates are held criticizing religious ideas and beliefs. Various streams of thoughts are being allowed to flow there. Far from creating unrest or discontent, such open flow of ideas are bringing greater maturity into their societies. Their universe keeps getting bigger and bigger while ours is getting smaller and smaller. Both the Courts and the State appear to have clearly overstepped their brief in the present case. This is a bit strange and ironical because the highest Courts of our Lands have consistently ruled in favour of free Speech and Expression. "Freedom of expression protects not merely ideas that are accepted but those that offend shock or disturb the State or any sector of the population. Such are the demands of the pluralism, tolerance and broadmindedness without which there is no democratic society", the Supreme Court ruled in one such of its Landmark Judgments. What one sees in the present case is a knee-jerk reaction to a point of view that one does not agree with. This is nothing but extreme intolerance by the State and a threat to our democratic rights. The law must not be used as a tool to harass and intimidate those who you may not agree with. No liberal society can afford to hound its citizens for exercising the sacred principles of free speech and expression. This act is a severe breach of our rights and must be condemned! Cheers, Sandeep
