Madhvi Sharma for BeyondHeadlines
When I first got to know about ‘Charlie Hebdo’ attack Voltaire’s words were ringing in my ears-‘I do not agree with what you say but I’ll defend to the death your right to say’. The slain staff of Charlie Hebdo dared to mock Islam through their cartoons and paid a price for it. But it is not only France. The freedom of speech and expression is in jeopardy in the whole world especially India.
According to the data collected by National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) there have been 85 attacks on media last year. Defamation suits and legal notices are used increasingly to silence the voice of media. From 2 in 2012 and 7 in 2013, 21 cases were recorded in 2014.
Censorship in broadcast media has swelled to 14 instances besides 5 incidents of gags on media coverage on sensitive issues. Two investigative journalists Tarun Acharya and M.N.V Shankar were killed for writing against mafia in the south.
The question is why is there a growing intolerance towards journalists, authors and filmmakers for expressing them. Democracy gives us the right to freedom of speech and expression but shouldn’t there be a right to offend too? Why should any piece of work be outlawed because it is offensive to a particular group of people? What can be offensive is a highly subjective thing so why should an artist constrain himself? Instead if anyone feels offended he should write back with logical reasoning and prove himself. Vandalising property, burning books and killing men is not justified. However one should remember that the right to offend does not mean duty to offend.
It is true that Charlie Hebdo ridiculed all religions including Christianity and Judaism but Islam was certainly their target. France is a home to Europe’s largest muslim minorities and most of them are second or third generation immigrants. There is a growing alienation of muslim youth from the society due to secular divide.
According to France’s parliamentary report last year, 60 percent of its prison population is muslim. Recently many of these muslims went to Syria and Iraq to fight for IS and posed a threat to France. So Charlie Hebdo fiercely attacked their religion. But terrorism and violence is strongly condemned whatever the reason may be. Where to draw the line will remain a contentious issue though.
(Author is a student of Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC, New Delhi) pursuing Radio and TV journalism.)
