Britain abolished sedition only because it curtailed the freedom of speech and expression (Editorial, Aug.18). Many of those accused of sedition suffer in silence. As we are advancing towards modernity, we should revisit our draconian laws. However, an outright abolition cannot be justified in the light of recent events that took place in liberal countries such as France. We should actually refrain from impulsive censorship and analyse why sedition has a stronghold in penal laws. Incitement of hatred towards the state should be the yardstick for charging someone with sedition rather than towards any particular government.
Shivam Dwivedi,
Lucknow
’External agencies’ such as Amnesty International should not be allowed to run roughshod over India in the name of upholding human rights. We must reject their allegations forthwith. One also wonders why the media portrays Jawaharlal Nehru as a selfless preacher of liberties. The unabashed admiration for the decadent Congress party shows the media in poor light.
T.M. Ranganathan,
Srirangam, Tamil Nadu
