No Freedom of Expression in Democracy?
Indian citizens are shocked by the actions of the judiciary and police in Maharashtra who have jailed a cartoonist under the draconian sedition law for allegedly hurting the national sentiments by drawing a cartoon depicting the Indian parliament and emblem. The cartoonist who is part of the Indians against corruption movement was jailed by a Bandra court. This has sparked outrage amongst citizens who are appalled at the ham handed manner in which the freedom of speech is being suppressed by the Indian state.
Even as the federal government remains embroiled in corruption and scams totaling billions of dollars, ordinary citizens are being jailed for no crime. India is increasingly looking like a copy of Pakistan where a disabled Christian child was locked up recently for violating the blasphemy law. Note while the child was recently released by the Pakistani authorities over a massive hue and cry, Asheem Trivedi remains locked up under the sedition law. In both cases, simple common sense would indicate that these laws are being grossly misused by the state.
While the Indian government shamelessly defends black money and corrupt politicians it has started a vendetta on people who protest
The Indian Government has been rocked by a series of corruption scandals which have been documented in this blog. The scandals have not only touched the political sphere but also the stock markets. The scams have not stopped with new ones being reported almost on a daily basis but no convictions have happened. The corrupt and the guilty keep on going about their business as usual as the Indian ruling party thinks it can cure corruption with words. The Congress Party in its annual meeting had said that removing corruption would become its top priority with expeditious proceedings against public officials in graft cases. However the law has been criticized as having too many loopholes even before being passed.
Even the actions of the Government do not inspire much confidence. The Commonwealth Games which was a much publicized national corruption scandal has yet to see a single prosecution. The guilty officials have managed to all get bail with the Suresh Kalmadi the scandal in chief goes about his business as the powerful ruler of the Indian Olympic Committee. All that the Government has done, is removed him from the post of the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the CG. Note this is already a dead body with the Games over a month ago. Note Kalmadi is a leading party member and despite his obvious corruption the government refuses to move against him.
Corrupt Indians have stashed billions of dollars ($1400 Billion on the high end) abroad in Swiss Banks but the government refuses to move against them either. Despite admonishment from the Supreme Court of India, the government has failed to reveal the names of the black money offenders. Note this list came due to good fortune and not due to any effort by the government. The authorities are hiding behind confidentiality agreements.This in the day when leaks about public policy are as common as rain. Most of India’s elite have Swiss Bank Accounts to prevent taxation. So this information promises to be highly explosive and could lead to a major upheaval. Note the Finance Minister of India has said that there are billions of dollars stashed abroad. Still nothing will get done as usual.
A Bandra court on Monday sent cartoonist Aseem Trivedi to judicial custody till September 24 after the police said his custody was not required. Trivedi, who was arrested on Saturday on sedition charges, made it clear that he would not apply for bail till the police dropped the charge against him. “I am not seeking bail because I am proud of whatever I did, and I will do it repeatedly,” he said. “I am not a criminal that I should deposit money and seek bail, but till the time the charges of sedition are not dropped against me, I will continue to be in jail.
Google+International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that a Christian girl arrested for blasphemy two weeks ago in Pakistan has been determined a minor according to a recent medical review. The child, being held in Rawalpindi prison, is reportedly “in a state of shock” and does not understand the charges brought against her. Muslims from the girl’s village continue to call for her execution. Rimsha Masih was accused of blaspheming Islam on August 16 for allegedly burning pages of the Quran in Mehrabad, a poor district of Islamabad.
