oppn parties Supreme Court Provides Relief To Patricia Mukhim, Says Free Speech Cannot Be Stifled By Filing Criminal Cases

Story Of The Day

Assessee Not Responsible For Ensuring TDS Is Paid To The Government: Delhi HC
OPINIONS : Strongly Expressed

December 21, 2024

People Are Talking About

Rohit Warns Sarfaraz, Police Use It To Warn Two-Wheeler Riders

News Snippets

  • The Indian envoy in Bangladesh was summoned by the country's government over the breach in the Bangladesh mission in Agartala
  • Bank account to soon have 4 nominees each
  • TMC and SP stayed away from the INDIA bloc protest over the Adani issue in the Lok Sabha
  • Delhi HC stops the police from arresting Nadeem Khan over a viral video which the police claimed promoted 'enmity'. Court says 'India's harmony not so fragile'
  • Trafiksol asked to refund IPO money by Sebi on account of alleged fraud
  • Re goes down to 84.76 against the USD but ends flat after RBI intervenes
  • Sin goods like tobacco, cigarettes and soft drinks likely to face 35% GST in the post-compensation cess era
  • Bank credit growth slows to 11% (20.6% last year) with retail oans also showing a slowdown
  • Stock markets continue their winning streak on Tuesday: Sensex jumps 597 points to 80845 and Nifty gains 181 points to 24457
  • Asian junior hockey: Defending champions India enter the finals by beating Malaysia 3-1, to play Pakistan for the title
  • Chess World title match: Ding Liren salvages a sraw in the 7th game which he almost lost
  • Experts speculate whether Ding Liren wants the world title match against D Gukesh to go into tie-break after he let off Gukesh easily in the 5th game
  • Tata Memorial Hospital and AIIMS have severely criticized former cricketer and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu for claiming that his wife fought back cancer with home remedies like haldi, garlic and neem. The hospitals warned the public for not going for such unproven remedies and not delaying treatment as it could prove fatal
  • 3 persons died and scores of policemen wer injured when a survey of a mosque in Sambhal near Bareilly in UP turned violent
  • Bangladesh to review power pacts with Indian companies, including those of the Adani group
D Gukesh is the new chess world champion at 18, the first teen to wear the crown. Capitalizes on an error by Ding Liren to snatch the crown by winning the final game g
oppn parties
Supreme Court Provides Relief To Patricia Mukhim, Says Free Speech Cannot Be Stifled By Filing Criminal Cases

By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2021-03-26 10:38:35

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.

It is not a crime to call for the protection of rights of the disadvantaged? Yet, when senior journalist Patricia Mukhim raised her voice in a Facebook post in July 2020 calling for action against nearly 25 young men (who remain unidentified till date) who beat up six non-tribal boys who were playing basketball in Shillong, a criminal case was slapped on her by the powerful Lawshotun Dorbar Shnong (village councils in Khasi and Garo societies). In her post, Mukhim had asked the state police and the chief minister to take action against the culprits.

When she did not get any relief from the Meghalaya HC, she approached the Supreme Court. In a stinging order, the apex court has set aside the order of the high court, saying that "free speech of the citizens of this country cannot be stifled by implicating them in criminal cases, unless such speech has the tendency to affect public order".

The court said that it had examined Mukhim's post thoroughly and found that Mukhim's agony was directed at the apathy shown by the Meghalaya CM, the DGP and the Dorbar Shnong of the area in not taking any action against the culprits who attacked the six youths just because they were non-tribals. The apex court also held that all citizens of India are entitled to settle anywhere in the country and get equal protection from the administration of the area.

Patricia Mukhim had said nothing in her post that could have disturbed communal harmony in Meghalaya. She just wanted non-tribals to live in peace and for that reason she wanted the culprits to be punished. Meghalaya has had successive riots directed at the so-called "outsiders" - against the Bengalis in 1979, the Nepalis in 1987, the Biharis in 1992 and the Sikhs in 2018. If the administration turns a blind eye to the transgressions of the tribals in attacking and tormenting the non-tribals, it will embolden them in carrying out more such attacks. Mukhim's post was about peace. Sadly, it was used as a weapon to harass her. Her stand has been vindicated by the Supreme Court.

Other Stories You Make Like

Editorials

Turmoil In Mollywood

Turmoil In Mollywood

NDA 3.0: Coalition Dharma

NDA 3.0: Coalition Dharma

In Depth

Supreme Court Gets Strict On Child Pornography

Supreme Court Gets Strict On Child Pornography

Editor's Pick

Budapest Chess Olympiad: India Are World Team Champions

Budapest Chess Olympiad: India Are World Team Champions
© 2014 India Commentary. All rights reserved.