The 25 year old political cartoonist Aseem Trivedi was arrested under IPC Section 124 (sedition), section 66 A of Information Technology Act and section 2 of Prevention of Insults to Nation Honour Act. It was not right on his part to degrade the subjects of National Honour like the Emblem of India. It is we who are responsible for having corrupt politicians and it is solely because of unintelligible voting done by some people. The system is not corrupt but the people who we choose to represent us are corrupt and his cartoons do not support the fundamental right of Freedom of expression as this freedom comes with certain restrictions and it does not allow anyone to degrade the subjects of National Honour. The Government has taken a right step by arresting him but the question arises on why they do charge Arundhati Roy for sedation? Is this justified? Everyone should get same punishment for same crime. Please share your views.
Freedom of expression, which is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Indian Constitution to its citizens does not give the right to any citizen to use the freedom to abuse or degrade the subject of National Honor. With freedom comes responsibility and it does not permit any citizen to make cartoons or pictures or make visual representations that degrades any subject that is considered as National Honor. Government has taken the right step by arresting Aseem Trivedi and this should be done to every traitor be it Arundhati Roy or whosoever it is.
Definitely Political cartoonist Aseem Trivedi is a traitor and Section 124A of IPC is rightly applied on him. Although he has been given the freedom of speech and expression as a citizen of India, the freedom does not give him the right to draw cartoons of the subjects of National Honor and this action of his was capable of affecting the peace of the nation. However, not only Aseem Trivedi but anyone who does not respect the subject of National Honor should be given same punishment as the young cartoonist.
it seems a fine piece of logic. but there are certain problems. there are many well known politicians who degrade our nation. for example: pundit nehru almost donate aksai chin to china in 1962. two MPs of BJP saw porn movie ( rape scene) on parliament. our prime minister monmohon singh accepted globalization and started selling national resources to the multi nationals: this almost like selling a nation to the foreigners. and so on......... if aseem trivedi is a traitor for degrading national honor, then all these politicians will also be traitor by the same logic. isn't it?
@arnabbanerjee Freedom of expression does not constitute the examples you have given. Freedom of expression means to express yourself but that freedom does not give the right to any citizen to disregard the symbol of national honor, which was done by Aseem Trivedi. I have also mentioned in my post that whosoever it is, everyone who disregards the symbols of national honor is a traitor and should be punished. The same logic is not applicable to the example you have given.
Arnab Banerjee I would just like to answer your question with a simple example. Consider India as a Temple, Church or a Mosque and the politicians are the priest appointed by us and the National Emblem is a religious symbol. If the priest is corrupt, does anyone stops respecting God and the symbols? Similarly, the National emblem is a symbol of pride and honour and disrespect to it is disrespecting the Nation and there is no relation between politicians being corrupt and disregarding the National symbols of honor which was done by Aseem Trivedi in his cartoons and thus he is a traitor. Sorry but your examples does not have any logic with the context of the thread.
I do not agree with your idea and logic because Freedom of expression does not relate in any way to the examples that you have given Moreover, Assem Trivedi is a Traitor because he has misused the right he has been conferred upon by the Constitution as a citizen of India. The National Emblem is a sign of pride and honor which is worn by our soldiers who is protecting us from foreign attacks. It is worn by the para-military forces as well. It is a symbol of National Honour and moreover the politicians are corrupt and he can make cartoons of these corrupt person and not of the symbol of the nation. Your logic holds meaningless with the topic.
I completely agree with you. The arrest of Political cartoonist Aseem Trivedi is completely justified and he is definitely a traitor. The corruption that prevails in India is because of us and he has no right to disrespect the subjects of our National Honour. Not only Aseem Trivedi but anyone who disrespects the the subjects of our National Honour should be punished severely. He has the whole right to draw cartoons of the corrupt ministers but has no right to draw cartoons that degrades the subjects of our National Honour.
