Not Kunal Kamra, the real test for Indian liberals is Sharjeel Imam – By Asim Ali
Kunal Kamra-Arnab Goswami episode and Sharjeel Imam’s arrest have shown up Indian liberals’ doublespeak. It is easy to support Kunal Kamra because the state action against him is so arbitrary and ridiculous, without any semblance of legal grounding, that it takes no courage to oppose it. But Sharjeel Imam’s is the real test case of liberalism.
If someone needs to be arrested for inciting violence, it’s BJP MP Anurag Thakur, whose exhortation to supporters at a rally to chant ‘shoot the traitors’ was succeeded by the firing at Delhi’s Jamia Nagar; and not Sharjeel Imam, whose comments had no material effect whatsoever.…
The liberals’ hesitation to defend Sharjeel is based on three reasons, all of which are not just groundless but a betrayal of every liberal principle. First, some liberals silently approve of the charge of sedition, with a few even egging the state to take action. They believe threatening to block roads going to Assam is enough to merit the sedition charge. However, as Justice Markandey Katju wrote, “inflammatory speech is also protected by the Freedom of Speech guaranteed by Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution – unless it incites or produces imminent lawless action.”…
SEE ALSO:
- No-fly overkill over Kamra – By T K Arun (Jan 29, 2020, Economic Times)
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/et-view/et-view-no-fly-overkill-over-kamra/articleshow/73734605.cms - Dear Kunal Kamra & Arnab Goswami, Who Are You ‘Fighting’ For? – By Padmini Vaidyanathan (Jan 29, 2020, The Quint)
https://www.thequint.com/voices/blogs/open-letter-to-kunal-kamra-arnab-goswami-airplane-harassment-newsroom-heckling - Kunal Kamra ambushing Arnab Goswami is what journalists have always done. Spare me the outrage – By Abhinandan Sekhri (Jan 29, 2020, News Laundry)
https://www.newslaundry.com/2020/01/29/kunal-kamra-ambushing-arnab-goswami-is-what-journalists-have-always-done-spare-me-the-outrage - And the joke’s on… Kunal Kamra flight bans – By Mihir Mishra and Anirban Chowdhury (Jan 31, 2020, Economic Times)
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/73726336.cms
