Towards freedom of expression

Repealing 124A should be seen as a starting point

The Supreme Court’s decision last week to hear a plea challenging the constitutional validity of the sedition law under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code could mark the start of a belated process to strengthen Indian citizens’ right to freedom of expression. A review was long overdue, given the conspicuous misuse of the sedition law by the central and state governments. Chief Justice of India N V Ramana pertinently asked the government’s legal representatives why a colonial-era law passed to control a subjugated people was needed 75 years after independence. The significance of this statement is that it marks