Do you believe in freedom of speech and freedom of expression? So do I. But how far are you willing to go to exercise that right? More importantly what does it mean to you. And do you let others speak their mind freely even if you do not agree with or like what they are saying? After all one cannot really be free, in the true sense of the word, if there are limits to that freedom.
An abrupt start to the first post in a blog, you may say.
Notice the date when this was posted? Now I am under no illusion about my blogging skills. The only thing I have been told I am good at writing are work related emails. So even if this blog attracts any readers in the future it certainly will not be in the immediate future. And considering the short term and selective memory of my fellow countrymen, I feel the need to jog your memory a bit, divert your attention to the date of the post and ask you to recall the incidents that happened in India around the time when this post was . . . er . posted. Yuvraj Singh's comeback in cricket?, You might ask after careful consideration. What on earth does that have anything to do with freedom of expression, I will reply. Oh, then you must be talking about that movie by that director Q. What movie? I would say, pretending I have not heard about it. And I will not correct you saying that the movie was made 2 year before this date lest you realize I had indeed heard about it. Yes that would be a good example. But no, I am talking politics.
"Coalgate?". (That incredibly ingenious name will certainly stand the test of time and outlast our short term memory). No, I am referring to something more specific and I will not be surprised that if you do not remember this incident I am talking about a cartoonist who got more fame because of a much publicized arrest than he could have ever expected from his cartoons. Aseem Trivedi. (Disclaimer: I am not sure if these links will be working when you read this. Also I have no special affinity for ndtv.com. I was too lazy to find a better news site)
At this point, you should google and see the cartoons that got him into trouble. I am not going to cross link or attach any images here.
It will not be fair to say that the politicians of this country should have shown a better sense of humor. At least not in this context. The cartoons were not particularly funny as such. Personally, I felt that Aseem Trivedi's cartoons were not very sophisticated. He lacked the dry and subtle humor we (at least I do) normally associate with political cartoons. Maybe he was not going for humor and was intentionally relying on the literal interpretation. Also he cannot be blamed for being original or creative. After all he was not the first person to suggest that the politicians and "buerocrat"s (sic) were raping the country. And the image of the country as a lady draped in the tricolor and wearing a hindu goddess like crown showed that as an artist this Aseem Trivedi relied a lot on his primary school art lessons. But I digress. The objective of this post was not to critique the cartoons or the cartoonist.
I was talking about the freedom of expression.
Are you one of those people who protested against that arrest? Or blogged and tweeted or status updated deliriously when Government of India was trying to block twitter accounts. Tell me something. Tell me how would you have reacted if some cartoonist had distorted images of religious figures and emblems and god and goddesses? Tell me how did you feel when one of India's greatest painters had to leave the country because he portrayed your deities as naked. He thought you believed in his right to that express freely, but forgot that there were limits within which you would let him. He forgot the two-facedness of your belief system.
Or are you one of those who supported the arrest because you feel the symbols and emblems are more more important than the institutions they represent. Did you feel the cartoonist was treacherous and seditious because he disrespected the national symbol? Then sorry to have wasted your time because I do not really have anything to say to you. I am afraid that anything I say might hurt your pride in things you have been taught to be proud about. And it is dangerous to cross anyone who does not think logically. Which brings me to the question . . do I really believe in freedom of speech?
Well, yes... and no. Yes I believe that I should be free to say, do, write, draw, sculpt, sing whatever I want and whenever I want and wherever I want, as long as I am not physically or financially harming anyone. But I do not believe such freedom exists anywhere. There is always a line somewhere waiting for me to cross it.
I feel I should be free to criticize your religious beliefs if I do not agree with them. But I have a feeling that you are not free enough to tolerate my criticism.
It was convenient for you to support Aseem Trivedi because he was making fun (trying to) of the politicians, easy targets. But I would not be surprised if you had led a mob to lynch him instead, if he had made fun of some religious pontiff.
My point? What is the fun in having a point? I would rather go round and round in circles till you are dizzy, in hopes that you will confuse the dizziness with some kind of a heightened sense of pleasure and enlightenment from reading the blog.
But since this is the first post and you have actually managed to reach this far (or at least bothered to skip to the end), I might as well pretend to have a point. My only point is that you cannot be selective. Either you support freedom of expression completely without conditions or you do not. And if you do not, then stop beating the drums of freedom whenever you think it is convenient. But if you do, then do not let anyone tell you what is acceptable and what is not. You have the freedom to decide for yourself.
An abrupt start to the first post in a blog, you may say.
Notice the date when this was posted? Now I am under no illusion about my blogging skills. The only thing I have been told I am good at writing are work related emails. So even if this blog attracts any readers in the future it certainly will not be in the immediate future. And considering the short term and selective memory of my fellow countrymen, I feel the need to jog your memory a bit, divert your attention to the date of the post and ask you to recall the incidents that happened in India around the time when this post was . . . er . posted. Yuvraj Singh's comeback in cricket?, You might ask after careful consideration. What on earth does that have anything to do with freedom of expression, I will reply. Oh, then you must be talking about that movie by that director Q. What movie? I would say, pretending I have not heard about it. And I will not correct you saying that the movie was made 2 year before this date lest you realize I had indeed heard about it. Yes that would be a good example. But no, I am talking politics.
"Coalgate?". (That incredibly ingenious name will certainly stand the test of time and outlast our short term memory). No, I am referring to something more specific and I will not be surprised that if you do not remember this incident I am talking about a cartoonist who got more fame because of a much publicized arrest than he could have ever expected from his cartoons. Aseem Trivedi. (Disclaimer: I am not sure if these links will be working when you read this. Also I have no special affinity for ndtv.com. I was too lazy to find a better news site)
At this point, you should google and see the cartoons that got him into trouble. I am not going to cross link or attach any images here.
It will not be fair to say that the politicians of this country should have shown a better sense of humor. At least not in this context. The cartoons were not particularly funny as such. Personally, I felt that Aseem Trivedi's cartoons were not very sophisticated. He lacked the dry and subtle humor we (at least I do) normally associate with political cartoons. Maybe he was not going for humor and was intentionally relying on the literal interpretation. Also he cannot be blamed for being original or creative. After all he was not the first person to suggest that the politicians and "buerocrat"s (sic) were raping the country. And the image of the country as a lady draped in the tricolor and wearing a hindu goddess like crown showed that as an artist this Aseem Trivedi relied a lot on his primary school art lessons. But I digress. The objective of this post was not to critique the cartoons or the cartoonist.
I was talking about the freedom of expression.
Are you one of those people who protested against that arrest? Or blogged and tweeted or status updated deliriously when Government of India was trying to block twitter accounts. Tell me something. Tell me how would you have reacted if some cartoonist had distorted images of religious figures and emblems and god and goddesses? Tell me how did you feel when one of India's greatest painters had to leave the country because he portrayed your deities as naked. He thought you believed in his right to that express freely, but forgot that there were limits within which you would let him. He forgot the two-facedness of your belief system.
Or are you one of those who supported the arrest because you feel the symbols and emblems are more more important than the institutions they represent. Did you feel the cartoonist was treacherous and seditious because he disrespected the national symbol? Then sorry to have wasted your time because I do not really have anything to say to you. I am afraid that anything I say might hurt your pride in things you have been taught to be proud about. And it is dangerous to cross anyone who does not think logically. Which brings me to the question . . do I really believe in freedom of speech?
Well, yes... and no. Yes I believe that I should be free to say, do, write, draw, sculpt, sing whatever I want and whenever I want and wherever I want, as long as I am not physically or financially harming anyone. But I do not believe such freedom exists anywhere. There is always a line somewhere waiting for me to cross it.
I feel I should be free to criticize your religious beliefs if I do not agree with them. But I have a feeling that you are not free enough to tolerate my criticism.
It was convenient for you to support Aseem Trivedi because he was making fun (trying to) of the politicians, easy targets. But I would not be surprised if you had led a mob to lynch him instead, if he had made fun of some religious pontiff.
My point? What is the fun in having a point? I would rather go round and round in circles till you are dizzy, in hopes that you will confuse the dizziness with some kind of a heightened sense of pleasure and enlightenment from reading the blog.
But since this is the first post and you have actually managed to reach this far (or at least bothered to skip to the end), I might as well pretend to have a point. My only point is that you cannot be selective. Either you support freedom of expression completely without conditions or you do not. And if you do not, then stop beating the drums of freedom whenever you think it is convenient. But if you do, then do not let anyone tell you what is acceptable and what is not. You have the freedom to decide for yourself.
7 comments:
Great bro! Write on. You have my attention
Avi Sir....This is Kannan Ganesan...read ur article...liked it...Sad that Aseem Trivedi was charged of sedition...On seperate note, regarding freedom of expression (please dont connet with Aseem Trivedi), you cannot have extremities like either you have or you dont have...That is a tough proposition...What you should have is restraints on selective areas...What are those selective areas, who will decide on those, what are the guidelines etc are those that have to be decided by right minded people...
Was expecting much better blog from u Avi...I remem when you told about why abortions were allowed in US and other tales.... I was so impressed...but as you have mentioned in the last para doesn really clearly say what your point is.... :(
- Looking forward to the next blog
Vani
@vani - thanks for the feedback. As I said, I have forgotten how to write because of Facebook :). Plus i am experimenting And trying to find a writing style, so it might take some time to nail it. Please keep giving feedback.
@kannan - That grey area is what gets exploited by the politicians. While I understand your position in terms of what can be done in the real world, I think letting people speak their mind and express their opinions without fear of persecution is a must have for a democratic society. I will keep exploring this idea in further posts and in fact you have given me some fodder for the next one.
Avi, liked your blog and waiting for more to come. Best Wishes.
The govt. used an old law of sedition to crack the whip which was wrong. There must be "no limit" to freedom of expression i agree. The govt. should not have taken such a drastic step, they could give him a friendly reminder that the people of your country will interpret it in wrong ways and will result in unnecessary anger and violence, i respect your expression but let it not result into violence. That's it. If he respects the views and opinion of other people then he himself will realize when the time and tone of expression is right.
There must be a line drawn to expression. Anna Hazare has led in the right manner, he has faced problems in holding meetings but he has still prevailed, nobody literally stopped him. If you have a positive thought in mind then express it to the world but a negative one i would suggest keep it to yourself were angry enough with the govt. we don't need it to escalate further.
Look at china, they jail and kill bloggers who express their view against the govt. Positively speaking our politicians have a higher tolerance level and were a democratic country so we must be thankful and proud of it.
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