Threatening edifice of democracy, free speech, UAPA was Chidambaram&#39;s contribution

Threatening edifice of democracy, free speech, UAPA was Chidambaram's contribution

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*

One of the biggest contribution to 'strengthen' our democracy was made by P Chidambaram in the form of UAPA. Today, this law is threatening the very edifice of our democratic structure and free speech. Nobody is above the law whether Netas or patrakars or owners of media houses and investigation should be free and fair but unfortunately agencies too use the opportunity with selective leakages. The Brahmin-Bania media then jump on Deshbhakti and is now the extended arms of the security agencies.

The issue of privacy become utmost importance in this digital age and the Supreme Court must explain and provide detailed guidelines. Arresting people without any FIR and then seizure of mobiles, laptops and other digital devices is certainly outrageous and must be declared as illegal. The irony is that the agencies are also collecting 'books' that you read. What a joke ? The culture of reading is already finished in this country and more and more youngsters are only 'experts' from the knowledge being provided through whatsapp forwards.

Important point is that owners of any organisations do interact and collaborate with others. They follow law ot the land as without approval of RBI and other agencies nothing can come in. The issue is how can the individuals working in these organisations be held responsible for the resources and their linkages of the owners. An author or a journalist must be known from what he writes and speak. His bio data is his action through his writings and videos. I am sure most of those who face the intimidating sarkar have far superior record in terms of following journalistic ethics than those who are abusing people and instigating chiller netas on their prime time shows.

It is time that the Supreme Court intervene and make categorical guidelines for the police and security agencies in relations to arrest and seizure of the items. Political parties must raise the issue. Not much is expected from the manustream media but we need to understand that the real threat to our democracy and integrity of the nation is actually coming from these Darbaris who have become master in whereaboutary by legitimising the intimidation and undemocratic acts of the agencies at the best of the ruling party.

---

*Human rights defender

Comments

10,000 students deprived of classes as Ahmedabad school remains shut: MCC writes to Gujarat CM

By A Representative The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) has written to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, urging him to immediately reopen the Seventh Day Adventist School in Maninagar, Ahmedabad, where classes have been suspended for nearly two weeks. The MCC claims that the suspension, following a violent incident, violates the constitutional right to education of thousands of children.

Gujarat minority rights group seeks suspension of Botad police officials for brutal assault on minor

By A Representative A human rights group, the Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Gujarat, has written to the Director General of Police (DGP), Gandhinagar, demanding the immediate suspension and criminal action against police personnel of Botad police station for allegedly brutally assaulting a minor boy from the Muslim community.

On Teachers’ Day, remembering Mother Teresa as the teacher of compassion

By Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ It is Teachers’ Day once again! Significantly, the day also marks the Feast of St. Teresa of Calcutta (still lovingly called Mother Teresa). In 2012, the United Nations, as a fitting tribute to her, declared this day the International Day of Charity. A day pregnant with meaning—one that we must celebrate as meaningfully as possible.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Targeted eviction of Bengali-speaking Muslims across Assam districts alleged

By A Representative A delegation led by prominent academic and civil rights leader Sandeep Pandey visited three districts in Assam—Goalpara, Dhubri, and Lakhimpur—between 2 and 4 September 2025 to meet families affected by recent demolitions and evictions. The delegation reported widespread displacement of Bengali-speaking Muslim communities, many of whom possess valid citizenship documents including Aadhaar, voter ID, ration cards, PAN cards, and NRC certification.

Gandhiji quoted as saying his anti-untouchability view has little space for inter-dining with "lower" castes

By A Representative A senior activist close to Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar has defended top Booker prize winning novelist Arundhati Roy’s controversial utterance on Gandhiji that “his doctrine of nonviolence was based on an acceptance of the most brutal social hierarchy the world has ever known, the caste system.” Surprised at the police seeking video footage and transcript of Roy’s Mahatma Ayyankali memorial lecture at the Kerala University on July 17, Nandini K Oza in a recent blog quotes from available sources to “prove” that Gandhiji indeed believed in “removal of untouchability within the caste system.”

'Govts must walk the talk on gender equality, right to health, human rights to deliver SDGs by 2030'

By A Representative With just 64 months left to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), global health and rights advocates have called upon governments to honour their commitments on gender equality and the human right to health. Speaking ahead of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), experts warned that rising anti-rights and anti-gender pushes are threatening hard-won progress on SDG-3 (health and wellbeing) and SDG-5 (gender equality).

Is U.S. fast losing its financial and technological edge under Trump’s second tenure?

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra* The United States, along with its Western European allies, once promoted globalization as a democratic force that would deliver shared prosperity and balanced growth. That promise has unraveled. Globalization, instead of building an even world, has produced one defined by inequality, asymmetry of power, and new vulnerabilities. For decades, Washington successfully turned this system to its advantage. Today, however, under Trump’s second administration, America is attempting to exploit the weaknesses of others without acknowledging how exposed it has become itself.

What mainstream economists won’t tell you about Chinese modernisation

By Shiran Illanperuma China’s modernisation has been one of the most remarkable processes of the 21st century and one that has sparked endless academic debate. Meng Jie (孟捷), a distinguished professor from the School of Marxism at Fudan University in Shanghai, has spent the better part of his career unpacking this process to better understand what has taken place.

Counterview

Search This Blog