Sedition law should be 'thrown out of the law book': Binayak Sen

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Pakhi Hussain

31 May, 2011

Binayak Sen is protesting against the sedition law, which he says is a serious threat to the freedom of speech and expression of citizens of India. The human rights activist says that the sedition law has no legal validation.

AFTER FACING sedition charges, Binayak Sen is again making headlines by protesting against the same law. In an interview to the Economic Times, he said that as we all know the law is not based on valid legal principles so it should be “thrown out of the law book”. He also plans to get as many signatures as he can get so that this change can be presented in the winter session of the parliament. As he himself was jailed for three years and was given bail now, he doesn’t want anyone else to suffer the same fate.

Binayak Sen also pointed out that it was the United States that started with the sedition law but they no longer have it - as it seriously hampers Freedom of Speech and Expression. According to Article 19 of the Indian Constitution, every denizen of India has this freedom, and the sedition law is curbing this freedom of speech and expression.

The human activist, who is known to work for the indigenous people of Chhattisgarh, also gave his statement to the Press Club in Mumbai regarding his agitation. He said, “Sedition laws are not benefiting free people in free polity and they should be repealed. The law is being used to suppress the voice of the people.”

A man who famously said that he is not for violence, he again raised the topic of Salma Judum and said that he believed that it was not something out-of-the-blue but a proper programme, which was funded by the Chhattisgarh government so that the common masses could protect themselves from Naxalites. He also commented on inequality, which is the main reason for all the problems. Talking about it he said, “I want an end to violence and it is possible only when there is equality. Violence does not solve problems...neither violence of state nor of the people against the state."

The Lokpal Bill also came under the scanner during the discussion, about which he said that Lopal Bill might be a means to an end to control corruption but it is certainly not the answer to corruption. Binayak Sen talked about various things but time-and-again he came up with the sedition law of the government, and how it is a threat to the freedom of speech and expression of the common public.