SEDITION: A LABEL CONSTRUCTED TO SILENCE DISSENT
Sedition in Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code is defined as- “Whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the Government established by law shall be punished with [imprisonment for life], to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine.”
The definition clearly exhibits that sedition is any activity which is committed against the authority of the state or the Government. However, this phrase has 2 interpretations attached to it. The first interpretation i.e. the prima facie interpretation brings forth that the
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But off late, the ruling parties at the centre have been on an undaunted mission of manufacturing affection by silencing popular dissent.
The law of sedition has a ‘great’ legacy. It is more than a century old which signifies that it has colonial groundings. A law of a colonial era continues to define our democratic existence- that is the irony our democracy is plagued by. What was once an instrument of British colonialism to suppress the freedom struggle is being used by the ruling party to silence the voices of its own people. There is no place in a democracy for a law that conflates disaffection with disloyalty and regards trenchant criticism as a form of treason.
This law has had the honour of being charged on our freedom fighters who sought to free India from the clutches of the British Raj. Article 124A was added to the IPC, 1860 in 1870. So why does a law that contradicts the basic essence of our democracy continue to exist in our statute
With the changes seen in the economy, war & leaders, the Glorious Revolution of 1688 can be considered a part of the Enlightenment. Evidence shown through historical documents proves this stance. Although some historical events during the Glorious Revolution refute my stance, the Glorious Revolution was indeed a part of the Enlightenment because of the major shifts England had during and after this time period: Influencers, Religious tolerance and changes in governmental policies. Stated in the English Bill of Rights which were passed by Parliament and ratified by William III-King of England. “That the pretended power of suspending the laws or the execution of laws by royal authority without consent of Parliament is illegal”(Doc.3)
To understand the question, focusing on the court cases of Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education, we must first understand each court case on its own. Plessy v. Ferguson resulted in the year 1896. The case involved the 1890s Louisiana law that basically stated that there were separate railway carriages that were specifically labeled for blacks only and whites only. Plessy v. Ferguson involved Homer Plessy, who was seven-eighths white and one-eighth black and appeared to look like a white man. Plessy took an open seat in a white only railway car.
Before, during, and long after the Civil War blacks were discriminated against in almost every form of life. They had to fight and be patient to be accepted as equals among their white counterparts; this process took form over a long period of time, and after many failures, blacks were truly equal in the eyes of the government. The thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments which were passed in the late 1860’s were supposed to bring political, social, and economic equality for the blacks; however, this was not the case, while in some facets of life blacks obtained more freedoms they had to wait many years after these amendments were passed to be fully equal to whites. The thirteenth amendment abolished slavery in the United States.
Slavery developed into a highly addressed and matter during the Revolutionary era, which resulted from important political figures such as Thomas Paine, and more importantly by the Revolutionary War. As the war began it became clear that in order to obtain victories the British would need to employ uncommon tactics to recruit more soldiers. The British army did this by offering slaves liberty in exchange for their service to the British army. The colonies, however had multiple tactics in gaining more soldiers as well, such as buying the slaves’ freedom or by paying them to fight in the war. Slavery also during the Revolution resulted in individuals beginning to question slavery and whether it was morally acceptable to continue its practice.
The United States didn’t invent freedom. The Greeks and Romans had their democratic principles and the British had their Magna Carta before we were a nation. We are not even considered the “most free” nation in the world. In fact, we were ranked 20th in the world earlier this year by the Cato Institute in the “human freedom index.”
The Boston Tea Party was a violent, courageous, and an eventful act that took place in 1997 because of constant disputes. It started to become a large issue when the British and English colonist constantly disagreed about the unfair taxes that were charged from the British. The colonists didn’t agree to the taxes at all the the government officials formed a plan. The British put such a hefty tax on the tea because they realized the demand was so outrageously high, and they could make a much larger profit off of it. Colonists did not want to pay the huge taxes, so they started buying/smuggling tea from East India, but the British wanted to have the colonists to buy tea from them because of the taxes.
The Tea Party movement is an American political movement known for its conservative positions and its role in the Republican Party. Members of the movement have called for a reduction of the U.S. national debt and federal budget deficit by reducing government spending, and for lower taxes. The movement opposes government sponsored universal healthcare and has been described as a mixture of libertarian, populist, and conservative activism. It has sponsored multiple protests and supported various political candidates since 2009.
It is completely at odds with our values, violates the Constitution, and corrodes our Nation’s commitment to the rule of law.” “For the first time in American history, we have a law authorizing the
The 1st Amendment You are talking about the government... BOOM!! You're in jail.
Being convicted of a crime that you had nothing to do with must be the most frustrating feeling in the world. Although I had already started a previous research paper, my interest and attention was caught when I viewed an in class video by the name of The Farm: Angola, USA. There were two individuals named George Crawford and Vincent Simmons whose case caught my attention. George Crawford and Vincent Simmons case sounded a little sketchy in my opinion, and the thought of them being wrongfully convicted came to my mind. Although my paper is not about them, their stories inspired me to research about wrongful convictions and exonerations.
The Boston Massacre was a street fight that occurred on March 5, 1770, between a “patriot”. They were throwing sticks, snowballs, and trash at a group of British troops. The loyalists got very annoyed with the patriots so they shot into the mob killing five. The riot began when around 50 colonists attacked a British sentinel. A British officer called in for additional troops
This event aligns with the creation of The Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act made in 1918. The purpose of these laws was to forbid "spying and interfering with the draft but also "false statements" that might impede military success", as well as any ' 'statements intended to cast "contempt, scorn or disrepute" on the "form of government" or that advocated interference with the war effort" (Voices of Freedom 119). As a result, American citizens expressing their disapproval in any form regarding the war would be arrested and punished by these
Intolerable Acts The Intolerable Acts can be viewed as one of the first sparks to the flaming fire of America claiming Independence. The Intolerable Acts, also called the Coercive Acts, were a series of laws passed in 1774 in order to punish the colonies for defying their rule. Four out of five of the Intolerable Acts were directed towards Massachusetts directly and the other was directed at Quebec. All of the Acts were supposed to stop the colonies from defying England’s Rule and show the colonies that England was still in charge.
Wrongful convictions are one of the most worrisome and tragic downsides to the Canadian Criminal Justice System. As stated by Campbell & Denov (2016). “cases of wrongful convictions in Canada call into question the ability of our criminal justice system to distinguish between the guilty and innocence” (p. 226). In addition, wrongful convictions can have devastating repercussions on the person, who was found guilty, effecting their personal/public identities, beliefs and family lives. This essay will be examine some of the common factors that apply to the conviction of an innocence person.
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world” These astonishing words that Mahatma Gandhi said made me suppose that Civil Disobedience is a Moral Responsibility of a citizen because when breaking certain laws, a citizen perhaps incorporate a good intention or a bad intention for breaking it. Citizens break the law occasionally to have their beliefs be heard so change can be assemble. Some ways that Civil Disobedience can be a Moral Responsibility would be breaking the law for the right intentions. An example of breaking the law for the right intentions could be The Salt March that Gandhi Created or, Rosa Parks standing up for her beliefs about her actions, MLK wanting equal rights with caucasian. Illegal Immigrants coming into the