The Delhi chief minister must withdraw circular allowing criminal defamation

ND Pancholi, President, People Union for Civil Liberties (Delhi) has stongly condemned the Delhi Government's recent order to sue its citizens for defamation. Following is the text of the statement: PUCL (Delhi) is shocked to learn that Govt. of Delhi has approved a policy to initiate prosecution of the citizens under section 499/500 of the Indian Penal Code for making defamatory imputations against the Chief Minister, Ministers and various government officials. The Delhi government has issued a circular dated May 6, 2015 in this connection.
It is a very reprehensible step by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which has been voted to power with an overwhelming majority by the citizens of Delhi as it had claimed and promised that it would be accountable to the people and its functioning would be transparent.
Such an order can be passed only in an authoritarian or a fascist state. Purpose of such an order seems to be to threaten and deter citizens from expressing any dissent or criticism of the functioning of the Chief Minister, Minister and other officials.
Delhi citizens are not going to tolerate such an order which is a flagrant attack on their fundamental right I.e. ‘freedom of expression’. As far back as in 1956 the Supreme Court in this connection had said,
“Those who fill a public position must not be too thin skinned in reference to comments made upon them. Whoever fills a public position renders himself open to attack. He must accept an attack as a necessary, though unpleasant, appendage to his office.” (1956 SCR 476, Kartar Singh)We therefore call upon the Chief Minister of the Delhi government to respect the democratic spirit of the Indian Constitution and immediately withdraw such derogatory order.

Neville Cardus: The man who turned cricket writing into poetry

By Harsh Thakor* Neville Cardus was one of the most remarkable literary figures of the twentieth century. A prolific English writer and critic, he achieved distinction in two vastly different fields: cricket and classical music. Entirely self-taught, Cardus rose from humble beginnings to become both the cricket correspondent and chief music critic of The Manchester Guardian . His achievements in these contrasting disciplines earned him widespread acclaim and established him as one of the foremost critics of his generation. In February 2025, the cricketing and literary world marked the fiftieth anniversary of his death, which occurred in February 1975.

Ideological shifts and structural realities within India's left-wing insurgency

By Harsh Thakor* The Maoist insurgency in India is arguably at its weakest point since the formation of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in 2004. Years of sustained counterinsurgency operations, leadership losses, shrinking territorial influence, declining recruitment, and growing technological advantages enjoyed by the state have significantly eroded the movement's operational capabilities.

The Dalit body on screen: Stereotypes, sacrifice, and subjugation in Hindi films

By Dr. Prem Singh* Despite centuries of reformist efforts, from Gandhi and Ambedkar to contemporary activists, the caste system remains deeply embedded in the Indian psyche. One of the primary reasons for this persistence is the religious sanction provided by Brahminical scriptures, which have shaped not only social structures but also cultural and artistic expressions.

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