Let’s Debate – Freedom Of Expression
Let’s face this – discrimination, reckless expressions,
racism, irresponsible freedom, lack of respect for others’ and their beliefs and
last but not the least, plain stupidity can’t and shouldn’t pass of as freedom
of expression. Just to sound overtly liberal we can’t change few ground rules
in the name of absolute freedom of expression. Freedom comes with a huge
responsibility and at no stage there should be a race between freedom and
responsibility to out run each other. Stretching the freedom of expression tag
too much makes the whole objective look obnoxiously out of sync with the reality.
And, when reality struggles to make a mark for itself, it propels people with
disruptive mindset to take the matter on their own hands. That is when the
situation becomes intolerably ugly. Be it the massacre of few French
journalists or the burning of Graham Stains and his two sons, all are the precise
unpleasant output of this freedom of expression bogie.
But before we become too judgmental, we must understand what
freedom of expression (FOE) stands for. Expression itself has two sides to it. Letting
know your opinion is one thing but when that very opinion is solely directed to
hurt someone personally or a group, that is where things start to crumble. If
Charlie Hebdo has its opinion in caricaturing prophet then the horrid reaction
of the two killers is nothing but their methodology of counter expression. We
may argue and slice and dice it depending on which side of the fence we are in,
but the bitter fact is, both Charlie Hebdo and the terrorists then after have
got their freedom of expression tag grossly misplaced. Same could be argued in
case of Dara Singh and Graham Stains. While Stains found his expression in mass
scale conversion of tribals, Dara Singh thought his expression is in his
violence. Both the parties, all at the same time are guilty of one thing –
presuming their freedom of expression to be absolute.
How far an individual’s freedom of opinion is acceptable is
a debatable artifact. It is debatable because expression per se is a complex
phenomenon that neither can be viewed through the prism of the liberals, nor the
orthodox. Both would appear logical with their views at some point. To
understand FOE in its true sense we may have to venture beyond the realms of
our TV studios and the notorious media men therein. If you ask a certain
Rajdeep Sardesai about FOE, you would get the description completely different
from what Mohan Bhagwat would explain for the same question. If Rajdeep
Sardesai would group every pathetic expression against Hindus as justifiable
FOE, Mohan Bhagwat would utter the same thing, albeit after changing ‘Hindus’
to ‘Muslims’. Both would appear logical in their own way. Relying on our media
or people with political motives to explain you the nuances of FOE is as futile
as it can be. Hence, the only option left is to do the labor ourselves.
To get the ball rolling, let’s set some ground rules first. The
opinion maker holds as much freedom with his/her opinion as the agitator who
feels aggrieved by such opinions. There has to be a level field. Just to sound
intellectual, we simply can’t blame those opposing against someone else’s
opinion, as long as the opposition is bounded under all civility. There is no
fault with people agitating against Wendy Doniger or M.F. Hussain because one
legitimate form of opposing could very easily be the shelter of the law of the
land. That said nothing can be more heinous than killing someone for his/her
opinion. We can oppose someone’s view but that opposition shouldn’t be
accompanied by Kalashnikovs or for that matter, a can of Petrol. If CH misused
their FOE in mocking the prophet in particular and Islam in general then there
are many acceptable avenues to set the scores than going around shooting in
their office. What happened inside Charlie Hebdo office is simply unacceptable
in any civilized world. This short of mediaeval approach in making yourself
heard is something which should be condemned unequivocally, irrespective of
where the root cause lies. People who don’t know how to respect life, don’t
deserve any kind of respect for their beliefs, ethos or for that matter their pathetic
existence on this planet. They should be eliminated at once and I am glad that
someone is doing it in Pakistan Khyber area, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. These
insects against humanity must be wiped out of this planet if we want peace to prevail
in our lives.
Coming back to our home!! The liberals who sound critical of
those against Ms. Doniger or Mr. Hussain are nothing but the biggest danger to
the very fundamentals of the freedom of expression. And the same liberals are equally
culpable when they turn 360 degrees to defend the rogues of Paris
because, according to them Charlie Hebdo overshoot the FOE mark first. If only logic could defy itself. This is
nothing but hypocrisy and for certain hypocrisy is the last thing that we want
in such a serious topic. To settle the dispute – none in case of Ms. Doniger or
Mr. Hussain tried to use force to make them heard. If the liberals feel,
anything going against Hindus shouldn’t be protested at all then it is a
different matter or else I don’t see a reason why the protesting crowd against
the above two people should be jarred into controversy. Those who lied about
the violence against Mr. Hussain at one of his exhibitions and few of his
paintings being destroyed in the process must be countered with facts right away. It is the
police which first ‘Lathi-Charged’ the protesting crowd in Delhi. And, keep it
in mind, at that time there was a highly secular Congress government in the
national capital. Post ‘Lathi-Charge’ the agitating crowd went uncontrolled and
whatever happened was the heat of the moment unlike the planned sabotage in CH
office. The paranoid fibbers who try to draw parallels in CH massacre and
Hussain protest must not forget that, while there were 12 lives lost in the
former case there wasn’t even a single person who was injured, except the
protestors in the later. Where is the parallel, I wonder. Hussain running away
from this country has other reasons than the protests against him. He had
around 200 odd criminal cases filed against him at various courts, the fear of
which drove this coward out of this country, even after assured by Mr.
Chidambaram that nothing will happen to him. What would you call this? Perhaps
it is the destiny that didn’t want this loathsome character to die in this
great country. By the way, how absurd one can get to draw nude images of Gods
and Goddesses of a different belief? If not jail, Mr. Hussain for sure belonged
to mental asylum.
Coming to Ms. Doniger, the hypocrisy of our liberals is
exposed yet again. I am not sure for what the liberals are shouting here. In
fact there was no account of violence at all, if you accredit the Hussain
agitation as violence, against Ms. Doniger’s deplorable work. It was an
individual who filed a court case and then it was between the plaintiff and Ms.
Doniger and Penguin India to settle it out of court and withdraw the books from
the stands. What is wrong here? Or the liberals feel the Hindus even can’t go
to courts against someone’s repugnant opinion about their religion? What kind
of toxic abhorrence is this? People going crazy and killing people elsewhere and
everywhere in the name of religion is fine and can be justified but the Hindus
can’t even go to courts to let them heard. Perhaps, Freedom Of Expression has a
different meaning for Hindus and an entirely different meaning for the rest.
The debate would continue till we are doomed or some extraterrestrial
comet hits us with full force. Till then just keep it in mind – if you are a
Hindu you automatically lose your FOE and every rascal on this planet has
his/her birth right in degenerating you. If you want to be heard then you may
take to violence as we have way too many crocodiles there in support of ‘violence
for religion’ philosophy. Is that what our liberals want us to do? Disgusting
has a new definition to cherish.
BC, your statement "Freedom Of Expression has a different meaning for Hindus and an entirely different meaning for the rest." says it all.
ReplyDeleteThe pity is that most educated Hindus are brainwashed to accept this to be the norm and are actually happy to be like that.
Freedom of expression and non-violence as word not present and no one follow. non-violence and Freedom of expression is weapon only use against Hindu religion to suppress (first Gandhi and second bhand media, sikular politician). if freedom of expression present , liberals, islam and Christian are not killed charli hebdo journalist.
ReplyDeleteCensor board objected to Messenger of God saying it might incite violence. How come that was not applicable to PK ? Blame on protestors when PK incites violence. Blame on movie when MoG incites violence. How long the double standard will go on
ReplyDeleteNothing is free in this Universe....
ReplyDeleteIf humans were free they would have a choice of parents, choice of not dying, choice of so many things....Nothing is free....Even the earth has no choice but to run around the sun....and we are just tiny creatures on this massive rock called earth....
Freedom ...Bah!!! it is a self administered anesthetic lulling one to believe that one can think speak act as one wishes.....
The recent controversy raging in Tamilnadu is about a book written by Perumal Murugan in which he paints a real existing town(Tiruchengode), its famous temple (Ardhanariswarar) and a living Hindu caste Kongu Vellala Gounders with indulging in an obnoxious ritual to beget children. He says the ritual existed in Tiruchengode sixty years back and the children born out of consensual sex - out of wedlock - were named Sami Pillais or Ardhanaris. He further says he also knows many people in their fifties and above with these names. His insiniuation is these real people may have been born out of consensual sex - ie their legitimacy of birth is under question. The whole town protested peacefully with a total hartal. Murugan initially agreed to withdraw the offending portions but later came under the influence of "progressive elements" who find RSS hand in everything they see. RSS and other Hindu outfits were blamed, maligned and cursed when RSS had clearly said in a press meet that it has nothing to do with the protests(peaceful). It is the town people belonging to all castes and Gounders in particular who are offended. The news has received national attention with every liberal writer jumping to take sides of Murugan. Freedom of expression for progressive secular writers and elements is to malign a living community, an existing town and a famous and ancient temple with conducting obnoxious rituals permitting free sex with unknown persons - all based on hearsay. Are there any historical evidence like documents, inscriptions etc. No. When the people who are offended take to peaceful protest and request only for the offending portions to be withdrawn, the writer Murugal announces that the writer is dead and only the ordinary Murugan will remain. He says he nis hurt but what ab out the countless Sami Pilais and Ardhanaris whom he has tarred with illegitimacy. Even people who are sympathetic to Hindu culture advise that Hindu religion accepts and condones everything and the writer should have his freedom of expression. Being a HIndu in this country seems to be a sin. You are really great and bring the view points and anguish of Hindus very well in your writings.
ReplyDeleteAs usual bull's eye. Kindly rectify the spelling of "route cause".
ReplyDelete