Free speech, incontestably, is the rudiment of democracy. The rationale behind the birth of democracy was the suppression of the common man and his views. Ironically, two and a half thousand years after its birth, democracy continues to be arraigned for the existence of the same. In abridgement, the doctrine seems to have lost its meaning. While freedom of speech and expression is not an unfettered right, it cannot be unsubstantiated, as is seen happening today. Infelicitously, very often nowadays, the defenestration of the doctrine is justified by its restrictive nature.

In November, for instance, in India, the Government of Kerela was forced to repeal an ordinance which licensed the state police to prosecute persons who promulgated information that the law enforcement “considered” slanderous, on grounds that free speech has its own limitations. While the state government was coerced into revoking the amendment soon after, the ordinance itself is emblematic of an assault on the concept of free speech.

Whilst such concerns pertaining to concealed assaults on the idea of free speech, another threat surrounds us- blatant and unconcealed disregard of free speech, the examples of which surround us. In several nations, the narrative has allowed for condemnation of a political party to be viewed as blackbat directed towards the nation. A couple of years back, in India, the local chief of a regional party was arrested on grounds of posting an objectionable picture of the Prime Minister. This best exemplifies the plight of freedom of expression. A nation built on the back of protesters, the United States, not long back, could be seen bringing in anti-protest legislations. These adduce sufficient reasoning by themselves. They are reflective of diminishing freedom, not of speech alone, but of all sorts and kinds.

Another threat to the concept is the puerile nature of your leaders. In the US for instance, we have the President blocking twitter users, subsequently being directed by the court to unblock them! The Malaysian Prime Minister was recently seen defending an antisemitic comment made by him, by asserting that if Jews could criticize him, he too had the right to express his feelings. It is such infantilism, that has contributed significantly to the eroding idea of free speech.

While it is unfair to indulge in anti-national activities in the pretext of freedom of speech and expression, it is equally unjust to jettison principles of free speech, thereby contributing to its travesty.