Lately, my Facebook timeline and Twitter feed have been flooded with posts on the intolerance debate. Any debate is healthy in a democracy but the debate should be on the same topic. Several liberals, who have returned their awards, are talking about intolerance as if they had received their honour after putting in the pre-condition that they would accept it only if India remained tolerant.
Saffron party bhakts have gone to the other extreme: they believe that this government is doing people a favour by allowing them to air their views. Any word spoken against the present government seems to have become an act of treason. Freedom of expression is under attack.
In 2014, when the present government took charge the talk was of development; in 18 months the focus is back on religion and caste. The rule of law is under threat. While talking about intolerance for the sake of grabbing headlines is deplorable, curbing the freedom of expression is a death sentence for democracy. Anybody commenting on intolerance cannot be called a traitor. The sooner we realise this the better it would be.
Amit Srivastava New Delhi
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