An Appeal to the Indian Parliament to Repeal the Sedition Law
-
Author:
n/a -
Send To:
All
-
Sponsored By:
-
More Info at:
An Appeal to the Indian Parliament to Repeal the Sedition Law
A recent Convention organized by Peoples Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) and participated in by other Human Rights organizations heard accounts of widespread and systematic misuse of the sedition law across India. All forms of democratic struggles - from farmers agitations to citizens protesting against state policies - have been criminalized and prosecuted under sedition laws. Consequently, thousands of ordinary citizens have not only suffered violation of fundamental freedoms and liberties but also forced to undergo major personal, emotional and financial hardships due to imprisonment and in the process of seeking legal remedies.
The Convention, therefore, resolved to launch a nation-wide signature campaign to collect at least a million signatures to present it to Parliament demanding the immediate repeal of Sedition Law, i.e., Sec. 124 (A) IPC.
Following is the text of the appeal by Pushkar Raj, PUCL General Secretary
*******
An Appeal to the Indian Parliament to Repeal the Sedition Law
Colonial era sedition law contained in section 124 A of the Indian Penal Code, makes creating hatred or contempt for or disaffection towards the government established by Law in India, an act of sedition punishable with imprisonment for life, whether such disaffection, hatred or contempt is created by words spoken or written or by signs or visible representation. This section forms part of chapter VI of the Indian penal Code that deals with offences against the State, a passage that deals with serious offences including waging war against the State.
Section 124 A was introduced by the British Government in 1870 when the colonial government felt that such a draconian law was needed to suppress the freedom struggle. Some of the most famous sedition trails of 19th and early 20th centuries were those of Indian nationalist leaders including Tilak, Gandhi and Maulana Azad. All the repressive laws used by the British against the freedom struggle have been retained in Independent India, despite constitutional provisions mandating scrutiny.
Jawaharlal Nehrus views were totally against this provision when he said in 1951, Take again Section 124 (A) of the Indian Penal Code. Now so far as I am concerned that particular Section is highly objectionable and obnoxious and it should have no place both for practical and historical reasons, in any body of laws that one might pass. The sooner we get rid of it the better.
In fact, it is the constitutional right of every citizen to expose the misdeeds of the government he/she disapproves of and create disaffection and disloyalty among the people and work for throwing it out of power through democratic means of course without resorting to violence. Hence, the law is incompatible with democracy in which anybody who is dissatisfied with the government has the right to create disaffection against it and seek its removal at the next election. In fact, it is the legitimate right of every citizen to expose the misdeeds of the government it disapproves of, create disaffection and disloyalty among the people and work for throwing it out of power. Disloyalty to a government is different from disloyalty to the State. Of late this provision is being used by the State to suppress the peaceful peoples movements and Human Rights activists. Using sedition law to silence peaceful criticism is the hallmark of an oppressive government. The Indian parliament should immediately repeal this Colonial Era Sedition Law.
Pushkar Raj
General Secretary, PUCL
PUCL National Office:
270-A, Ground Floor, Patpar Ganj, Mayur Vihar-I, Delhi-110091
Ph. 011-22750014, 09810656100
http://www.pucl.org
A recent Convention organized by Peoples Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) and participated in by other Human Rights organizations heard accounts of widespread and systematic misuse of the sedition law across India. All forms of democratic struggles - from farmers agitations to citizens protesting against state policies - have been criminalized and prosecuted under sedition laws. Consequently, thousands of ordinary citizens have not only suffered violation of fundamental freedoms and liberties but also forced to undergo major personal, emotional and financial hardships due to imprisonment and in the process of seeking legal remedies.
The Convention, therefore, resolved to launch a nation-wide signature campaign to collect at least a million signatures to present it to Parliament demanding the immediate repeal of Sedition Law, i.e., Sec. 124 (A) IPC.
Following is the text of the appeal by Pushkar Raj, PUCL General Secretary
*******
An Appeal to the Indian Parliament to Repeal the Sedition Law
Colonial era sedition law contained in section 124 A of the Indian Penal Code, makes creating hatred or contempt for or disaffection towards the government established by Law in India, an act of sedition punishable with imprisonment for life, whether such disaffection, hatred or contempt is created by words spoken or written or by signs or visible representation. This section forms part of chapter VI of the Indian penal Code that deals with offences against the State, a passage that deals with serious offences including waging war against the State.
Section 124 A was introduced by the British Government in 1870 when the colonial government felt that such a draconian law was needed to suppress the freedom struggle. Some of the most famous sedition trails of 19th and early 20th centuries were those of Indian nationalist leaders including Tilak, Gandhi and Maulana Azad. All the repressive laws used by the British against the freedom struggle have been retained in Independent India, despite constitutional provisions mandating scrutiny.
Jawaharlal Nehrus views were totally against this provision when he said in 1951, Take again Section 124 (A) of the Indian Penal Code. Now so far as I am concerned that particular Section is highly objectionable and obnoxious and it should have no place both for practical and historical reasons, in any body of laws that one might pass. The sooner we get rid of it the better.
In fact, it is the constitutional right of every citizen to expose the misdeeds of the government he/she disapproves of and create disaffection and disloyalty among the people and work for throwing it out of power through democratic means of course without resorting to violence. Hence, the law is incompatible with democracy in which anybody who is dissatisfied with the government has the right to create disaffection against it and seek its removal at the next election. In fact, it is the legitimate right of every citizen to expose the misdeeds of the government it disapproves of, create disaffection and disloyalty among the people and work for throwing it out of power. Disloyalty to a government is different from disloyalty to the State. Of late this provision is being used by the State to suppress the peaceful peoples movements and Human Rights activists. Using sedition law to silence peaceful criticism is the hallmark of an oppressive government. The Indian parliament should immediately repeal this Colonial Era Sedition Law.
Pushkar Raj
General Secretary, PUCL
PUCL National Office:
270-A, Ground Floor, Patpar Ganj, Mayur Vihar-I, Delhi-110091
Ph. 011-22750014, 09810656100
http://www.pucl.org
733 Signatures
-
Sandeep Vaidya
- City
- Dublin
- Country
- India
- Organization
- PUCL
- Comments
- We must actively work to get rid of this repressive law
-
Samir
- City
- Ahmedabad
- Country
- Gujarart
- Organization
- citizen
-
Vinay Bhat
- City
- Boston
- Country
- USA
- Organization
- AID
- Comments
- There is no place for a Draconian Sedition Law in a democracy
-
Kasturi Basu
- City
- Kolkata
- Country
- India
-
Alisha Sett
- City
- Somerville
- Country
- United States
-
Nandini Dhar
- City
- Austin
- Country
- USA
- Organization
- University of Texas at Austin
-
Harsh Kapoor
- City
- Montpellier
- Country
- France
- Organization
- В
- Comments
- В
-
Sadanand Patwardhan
- City
- Pune
- Country
- India
- Comments
- Sedition Law was introduce by the British Empire in India. Even when that empire was eclisped, UK still continued have Sedition statute on its book. UK repealed the anachronistic statue only last year to inspire ex-colonies to do the same. India would do well to follow this example of UK.
-
Nandhini
- City
- Boston
- Country
- USA
- Organization
- Harvard
- Comments
- Catch up India, don't follow laws blindly!
-
Ch.Narendra
- City
- Hyderabad
- Country
- India
- Organization
- PUCL-AP
-
Balaji Narasimhan
- City
- Los Altos
- Country
- USA
- Organization
- В
- Comments
- В
-
Mihir Shetye
- City
- Chino Hills
- Country
- United States
-
Santosh Rohit Yerrabolu
- City
- Buffalo
- Country
- United States
- Organization
- AID
-
N.K.Jeet
- City
- Bathinda
- Country
- India
- Organization
- Lok Morcha Punjab
- Comments
- This law is astonishingly atrocious and undemocratic
-
Sukla Sen
- City
- Mumbai
- Country
- India
- Organization
- EKTA (Committee for Communal Amity)
-
Rajeev Godara
- City
- chandigarh
- Country
- India
- Organization
- Sampooran Kranti Manch , Haryana
- Comments
- need of the time
-
sudip manna
- City
- kolkata
- Country
- india
-
Sankara Narayanan
- City
- Bhubaneswar
- Country
- India
-
Manoj Bhattacharya
- City
- Kolkata
- Country
- India
- Organization
- Sanskriti Parisad
- Comments
- An essential act for the British colonial power to thwart the minimum aspirations of the subjugated Indians cannot hold good after 64 years of the political liberation of our country, Hence, it must be repealed forthwith.
-
C.R Bijoy
- City
- coimbatore
- Country
- india
- Organization
- В
- Comments
- В
-
Mukul Dube
- City
- Delhi
- Country
- India
-
Anuj
- City
- Delhi
- Country
- India
- Organization
- В
- Comments
- В
-
Parvathy Prem
- City
- Austin
- Country
- USA
-
Ashay Rane
- City
- Austin
- Country
- USA
-
Sucheta
- City
- Austin
- Country
- USA
- Organization
- Association for India's Development Austin chapter
-
Prof R K Gupta
- City
- Jodhpur
- Country
- India
- Organization
- Janshakti
- Comments
- Peaceful agitations are fundamental right
-
C S KALRA
- City
- New Delhi
- Country
- India
- Organization
- UniversityToday
- Comments
- Thoseinvoking such draconian laws are crushed by these very laws in the longer run
-
Amitadyuti Kumar
- City
- Chinsura
- Country
- India
- Organization
- APDR
- Comments
- В
-
Pranab De
- City
- Kolkata
- Country
- India
-
Yatin Phatak
- City
- Dallas
- Country
- US
-
Kamayani Bali- Mahabal
- City
- Mumbai
- Country
- India
- Comments
- REPEAL THE DRACONIAN LAW NOW
-
megha
- City
- mumbai
- Country
- india
-
Madhuri
- City
- Madhya Pradesh
- Country
- India
- Organization
- Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan, MP
-
Sunita Mani
- City
- Dallas
- Country
- USA
- Organization
- В
- Comments
- В
-
Aman Zaidi
- City
- Pune
- Country
- India
-
aheli moitra
- City
- mumbai
- Country
- india
- Organization
- none
-
Deepak Joshi
- City
- Guwahati
- Country
- Bharat
- Comments
- REPEAL THE DRACONIAN LAW NOW
-
Abhay Shukla
- City
- Pune
- Country
- India
- Organization
- В
- Comments
- Repeal the colonial, archaic and repressive Sedition law immediately. Let us throw off British colonial traditions which are still being used by the present ruling elite for the same purpose - to control and exploit the masses of people.
-
subid
- City
- thrissur
- Country
- india
-
jyoti punwani
- City
- mumbai
- Country
- india
- Organization
- В
- Comments
- В
-
Sanjay Chawla
- City
- Salem
- Country
- India
- Organization
- Palm Springs
-
pragati shike
- City
- mumbai
- Country
- India
- Organization
- Indian squash professional
-
J Keshav
- City
- Bangalore
- Country
- India
- Comments
- Repeal the colonial era sedition law!
-
Kiran Jadhav
- City
- Mumbai
- Country
- India
-
prashant sawant
- City
- mumbai maharshtra
- Country
- India
-
vijay murudkar
- City
- mumbai
- Country
- india
-
Nagma Sahi
- City
- Delhi
- Country
- India
-
Amol S. Thorat
- City
- Mumbai
- Country
- India
-
isa esasi
- City
- oslo
- Country
- norway
-
K M Venugopalan
- City
- Payyanur
- Country
- India
- Organization
- В
- Comments
- Make the Sedition Law of Colonial Origin Part of History
-
733
Signatures! - View Signatures
- Sign Petition