Time for ‘right to offend’- in India? A study on sedition culture and consecutive press freedom index in South Asia
- South Asian Journal of Socio-Political Studies
- 23(1), Jul-Dec, 2022: p.94-101
This research paper aims to address one of the most Polarising concepts in India today “Right to Offend”. Two events have fuelled this question. Firstly the attempts the Supreme court in aligning with the collective conscience to remove the sedition law. Secondly, the fall of India and consecutively South Asia’s ranking in World press freedom index 2022. Along with increasing number of sedition which is often connotated in a security dimension and used as a weapon by governments to supress dissent, it also becomes imperative to take note of the rise in ideological and religious extremism in South Asia caused simply by “offensive activities”. This poses a question, that should a person have the right to offend anyone as an extension to their own freedom ?or should there be restrictions to speech for promoting harmony and democracy?- Reproduced
South Asia, Offensive, Press freedom, Sedition, Extremism.