SAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSION

SAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSION 

Freedom of speech is being increasingly curtailed the world over to make allowance for a particular community that feels offended at any criticism of their cult for which they then take recourse to violent reprisal. This way we are losing the public space for critical thinking, rational discourse and open exchange of ideas which form the bedrock of a modern scientific society. The free world must not bow down to pressure exerted thus on them by vile elements that are antithetical to the high principles of liberal civilisation. Else, darker days will ensue and resolutions will have to sought out at a dearer cost at a latter date when much damage to the citadels of civilisation will have already been done by the forces of the dark. Suppression of thought and expression as is now happening the world over with so-called allowance of only tempered talk and near-prohibition of even factual but unpleasant historical or theological stuff with authority coming down heavy on the 'offender' can only derail the progressive march of modern civilisation and take us back to medieval times which surely is not what we want. Hence, a concerted effort must be made by all conscientious citizens to restore sanity to civic discourse by protecting the people's fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression without any unreasonable bars thwarting it.

Written by Sugata Bose