In a bizarre incident, the might and will of the world’slargest democracy have been threatened by a few pencil sketches. The matter wasbrought to light recently by a Mumbai advocate who is coincidentally moreactive in the political corridors than he should be in courts. The lawyeraccused the cartoonist in a petition to the court of mocking the constitutionwhich, according to the law of the land, amounts to sedition.
The court heard the plea and asked for the cartoonist to bearrested. The government acted with war-time urgency and complied with thecourt orders. The swift turn of events deserves certain credit given the factthat on several matters of national importance the government has not moved aninch in years despite repeated howlings from the highest court of the country.
However, that did not abate the outrage in the country overthe arrest. A section, notorious for its hostility to the unquestionably benignestablishment, protested against the arrest arguing that secessionists andextremists who ran parallel governments for years and did not allow thenational flag to be unfurled have been cajoled into initiating dialogue in thepast. While their argument stood, there were reports also that the arrestedcartoonist was close to the section and his sketches adorned the sides ofpublic protest last year ” which had the political leadership in a huddleinside parliament discussing the essentiality of the building for the future ofthe country’s democracy.
The political leadership has expressed shock at the arrestand pledged all support to the artist. Home minister of the state where thecartoonist is imprisoned said there were no grounds for the police to take himinto custody. The state’s police department works under his ministry. A unionminister promptly said that the government will help the cartoonist if there isa need. The help was delivered equally promptly when the artist was thrashed bycops outside the court when he tried to reply to questions from the media.
The artist has been charged with a colonial-era offencewhich stands abolished in the parent country and which was fiercely debated inan assembly which drafted the constitution of the country ” where juristsfeared it would be misused by governments in future.
Freedom of speech and expression is enshrined in thecountry’s constitution as a fundamental right while the hounds of doublestandards are unleashed at the end of each uproarious day.
