When all else fails at the altar of politics, the Indian judiciary comes in to right the wrongs.
The Indian Supreme Court has provided a shot in the arm for democracy by striking down the controversial Section 66 of the IT Act, which prescribes the punishment for sending ‘offensive messages’ through computers or any other communication device such as mobile phones or tablets. A conviction could fetch a three-year prison sentence. The controversial law was being misused by politicians and governments for their self-interest, violating the very pillar of democracy, of which, freedom of expression is paramount. The law was draconian and ambiguous and governments have often misused it for their gain, albeit by limiting the freedom of the common man.
Free speech must be used responsibly, but it cannot be muzzled. The Supreme Court’s ruling has been timely, given that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party — that had once protested this very law when it was being used by its predecessor, the Congress party — is now exploiting it for its own political gains.
Citizens should be empowered and not curbed. In this digital age, information and views are available everywhere. Those in governance, who exploited Section 66, were shortsighted to this fact.
Rather than suppressing public opinion, governments should respect the court’s ruling and step up the quality of governance. One way of ensuring that is by listening to the views of the people.
