Those who put “Nationalism” over Free Speech should leave India

The cowardly attack on Prashant Bhushan, was met with a wave of flag waving and jingoistic outbursts with people saying that anyone who threatens “national unity” deserves to be beaten up. Moreover, the criminals got bail which isn’t surprising. But I have my own poetic solution.

Those who don’t agree with India’s Constitution regarding Freedom of Expression can please leave this country. I don’t care how “proud” you are of India or Kashmir. I give two hoots about how you feel about precious “national unity.” If you don’t like unfettered freedom of speech, India is not for you. Please get out of my land.

Freedom of Expression is more important than Kashmir. It defines India. Kashmir doesn’t define India. Kashmir is not the soul of India. Freedom is the soul of India. And that’s what needs protecting. That’s what you should really get patriotic about. Don’t call yourself  “patriotic” and then slam freedom of expression. If do you that, you betray what India stands for. You should leave.

What makes India special? With neighbors like China and Pakistan, why is India a beacon of hope in an otherwise repressive region? It’s freedom. Freedom to do whatever you like as long as you don’t physically harm anyone else. True, the Constitution has a list of “reasonable restrictions” on freedom of speech but over the years, the Supreme Court has narrowed down these rules further and further.

When Khushboo made her remarks that men shouldn’t expect virgin wives, the court said there was nothing wrong and asked the “protectors of culture” to show one person who had actually been harmed. In Kedar Nath vs State of Bihar 1962, the Supreme Court said that even “sedition” was not an offence unless the person speaking was specifically inciting violence.

So unlike what most people think or like to feel, India is a country where you have the freedom to offend anyone you want. No one has a right to remain “offence free.”

Even the most repressive countries in the world allow “nice” speech. No country bans patriotic speech whether it’s China, Pakistan or Saudi Arabia. India is different. India is a free country, it has to do something more. It has to allow unpopular speech. It has to allow offensive speech. It has to allow “unpatriotic” speech. In short, barring libelous speech which has to actually target a particular person and unfairly “harm” them, all speech is tolerated. So says the Constitution of India and the Supreme Court which is the guardian of the Constitution.

So once again. If you disagree with India’s way of functioning, I humbly ask you to leave my country and go wherever you want. I don’t care where you go. Just don’t remain here. Because if you remain in India, and don’t support freedom of expression, you’re a traitor to my land.