[This letter was first published on pucl website : www.pucl.org/bulletins/2011/PUCLmar11.pdf - Ed]
(Given below is the English translation of the letter addressed to the members of the National Executive, PUCL written in Hindi by Seema Azad, Organising Secretary, PUCL, UP from jail where she is detained on charges of sedition.
-Translation by Mahi Pal Singh, Secretary, PUCL).
Letter – 1 December 2010
Respected members of the National Executive, PUCL,
Through the incident of the registration of a case against Arundhati Roy I wish to draw your attention towards the serious attack on democracy in our country in which intervention of our organisation is a must. Registering a case of sedition and waging a war against the Indian State under several sections of the IPC for their remarks in a seminar on Kashmir held at New Delhi against Arundhati Roy and others who participated in that seminar is a direct attack on the right to freedom of speech and expression. On every controversial matter there are bound to be two opinions and on such national and international issues there is bound to be an opinion with which the government may not agree. In our country where there are hundreds of issues on which the opinion of the government is different from the opinion of the people, intellectuals and social activists, will the government impose a ban every differing opinion? This
is a very dangerous situation. In connection with the right to freedom of expression the great philosopher Voltaire had made the famous remark: “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.” In fact every democratic society should have the magnanimity to say this. But in our democracy this high culture has completely disappeared. That is the reason why an unknown number of social activists have become victims of governmental persecution. Arundhati Roy has been the target of the government for a long time because she has been a strong and vocal critic of various antipeople policies of the government. But this time even the judiciary has come into collusion with the government in this attack on the freedom of expression. As a human rights and civil liberties organization we should oppose this incident. The organization should issue statements denouncing this
and also write a joint letter along with other human rights organizations to the President demanding withdrawal of the FIR against Arundhati Roy and
others immediately. Along with this we should also organize seminars and workshops on the freedom of expression at different places so that the people can raise their voices against this attack on this democratic and constitutional right.
Sd/-
Seema Azad, Organising Secretary,
UP State Branch, PUCL
