Retired judge of Madras High Court K. Chandru said the city of Hyderabad has become a symbol of hope for democracy and freedom of thought and expression subsequent to dalit scholar Rohith Vemula’s suicide. The death has awakened many people in the entire country for the first time to the values of liberty, equality and fraternity.
Delivering his address on the topic ‘Civil society - the role of media’ as chief guest at a seminar organised by Nava Telangana news daily on its first anniversary here on Monday, Justice Chandru lambasted the present government at the Centre, saying all its actions are directed at dividing people.
“It’s an intolerant government and far worse than the Congress regime during Emergency”, he remarked. During Emergency, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had support from only police and a few Congressmen. But now, a whole ideological brigade is backing the government, he said. Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement that he would visit B.R.Ambedkar’s birth place Mhow, and the recent decision by the government to acquire the house where Dr. Ambedkar lived in London, Justice Chandru said one cannot have Ambedkar on one hand and ‘Ghar Wapsi’ on the other, because Ambedkar resigned from his Cabinet post disillusioned, and announced that he would not die a Hindu. Speaking of freedom of expression, Justice Chandru said it is subject to many restrictions in the Constitution, and the Supreme Court itself ruled that the press cannot enjoy higher freedom than people. Article 124A pertaining to sedition too is a colonial remnant which was sought to be scrapped before Independence. However, it continues to exist now and “aids in arbitrary arrests”.
It’s an intolerant government and far worse than the Congress regime during Emergency
K. Chandru,
Retired judge of Madras
High Court.
