Essay On Sedition

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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 …show more content…

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

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