Country-wide outrage against the assault on The Hindu by Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa on November 7, 2003 when TN Assembly ordered the arrest of its senior journalists for breach of privilege was a genuine outburst against the willful attempt of a ruler to gag the media and freedom of speech. There were street protests across the country by writers, intellectuals and journalists, among others. Jayalalithaa was forced to backtrack under enormous public pressure. I wish Taslima Nasreen's plight of being forced to flee from Kolkata as the CPI(M)-led government of West Bengal has chosen to surrender before the demands of fanatic elements of Muslims has triggered protests that atleast remotely match the national condemnation against Jayalalithaa's attempt to muffle the media.
The central issue in both cases is free speech. Today it is Taslima, tomorrow the fanatics will go for the jugular of some other writer or artist. India cannot claim to be a true liberal democratic country if it shows even slightest signs of accommodating demands of illiberal and undemocratic bunch of people who can resort to their version of freedom of expression - violence. Remember, Britain defended and protected Salman Rushdie when Khomeini issued fatwa to kill him. Could Britain have bought peace if it had sent Rushdie packing after the fatwa? No. The fanatics would instead be emboldened to demand more. Free speech is a basic principle in a democratic polity. Democracy ceases to be so when its foundational basic principles are compromised. Fanaticism of any kind cannot be doused by accommodations in the name of crazy notions of multi-culturalism and respect for sentiments of different communities. Attacks on M.F. Hussain by Hindutva brigades and on Taslima by their Muslim counterparts should be taken for what they are: collective paranoia and psychopathic behaviour. We should not succumb to the demands of people who think that only they have the right to dictate what is right and what is wrong. It is good to see Taslima getting huge support from the media and commentators. But that is not enough. There should be large visible protests and audible condemnations. We should show that we value the freedom of speech of an individual as strongly as we defend that of an institution.
The central issue in both cases is free speech. Today it is Taslima, tomorrow the fanatics will go for the jugular of some other writer or artist. India cannot claim to be a true liberal democratic country if it shows even slightest signs of accommodating demands of illiberal and undemocratic bunch of people who can resort to their version of freedom of expression - violence. Remember, Britain defended and protected Salman Rushdie when Khomeini issued fatwa to kill him. Could Britain have bought peace if it had sent Rushdie packing after the fatwa? No. The fanatics would instead be emboldened to demand more. Free speech is a basic principle in a democratic polity. Democracy ceases to be so when its foundational basic principles are compromised. Fanaticism of any kind cannot be doused by accommodations in the name of crazy notions of multi-culturalism and respect for sentiments of different communities. Attacks on M.F. Hussain by Hindutva brigades and on Taslima by their Muslim counterparts should be taken for what they are: collective paranoia and psychopathic behaviour. We should not succumb to the demands of people who think that only they have the right to dictate what is right and what is wrong. It is good to see Taslima getting huge support from the media and commentators. But that is not enough. There should be large visible protests and audible condemnations. We should show that we value the freedom of speech of an individual as strongly as we defend that of an institution.
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