In this episode, Dr Happymon Jacob discusses the colonial origins and the post-colonial evolution of the Sedition law with Anushka Singh (Author, Sedition in Liberal Democracies & Assistant Professor, Ambedkar University of Delhi).

150 Years since the imposition of Sedition Law in colonial India, the discussion probes whether these Laws are used to stifle free speech and political opposition in contemporary India. The discussion brings out the contrast between the popular conceptions of ‘sedition’ in the country and the higher Judiciary’s views on the same. The discussion also explores how the Sedition Law eventually made it to the Constitution despite most Constituent Assembly members viewing it as a repressive Colonial Law. The author argues that while the conviction rate is negligible when it comes to those charged under the controversial law, the process itself is the punishment.

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NOTE: The Kerala case referred to in the interview where the Director General of Police had issued guidelines for registering FIRs under section 124A in 2016 was in the wake of a sedition case filed against writer Kamal Chavara and not Thirumurgan Gandhi. Gandhi was also charged for sedition in Tamil Nadu, not Kerala.