Repealing the blatantly arbitrary law is the only way to protect and uphold the freedom of expression, Saurav Datta writes
The repugnant Section 66A of India’s Information Technology Act
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Saurav Datta
Saurav Datta teaches media law and policy in Bombay and Pune, India
Hush — slander is a criminal offence in India
In India, folks with brittle egos and skeletons stacked up in their closets, can and will wield the law to clam your mouth shut, and even have you put in jail, writes Saurav Datta.
India’s Supreme Court breaks police stranglehold on theatre
Dramatic performances cannot be policed and subjected to pre-censorship, writes Saurav Datta
India: Religious electioneering damages secular fabric
India’s elections have been awash in campaigning that appeal to voters in religion or by instigating polarisation among different religious and ethnic communities. Saurav Datta reports
Why it is open season for hate speech in India’s elections
Cynical politicians make the most of ineffective laws and a weak regulator, Saurav Data reports
Expose crony capitalism and be censored in India
A book detailing the allegedly shady dealing behind a gas contract has been targeted by the companies involved in the latest example of censorship in India, writes Saurav Datta.
India’s Supreme Court junks the Hicklin Test, but there’s little cause for cheer
India’s Supreme Court’s reliance on “redeeming social value” and “community standards” provides cause for consternation, writes Saurav Datta
Hindu supremacists stall play in India
Religious bigotry and the government’s abdication of responsibility jointly endanger free speech, writes Saurav Datta
Cheering for the Pakistan cricket team is dangerous in democratic India
Indo-Pak cricket matches are anything but “normal” as 67 college students found when they were charged with sedition for cheering for the Pakistani team. Saurav Datta reports
India’s media doesn’t dare violate the “Modi-fied” code of silence
Siddharth Varadarajan and Nandini Sundar stand out as examples of the consequences of seeking accountability and justice. Saurav Datta reports
“The Hindus” are anything but “law-abiding citizens”
The Hindu fundamentalists’ falsehood is malicious, not Wendy Doniger’s interpretation. Saurav Datta writes
Delhi High Court champions a SLAPP suit
Court’s gag order in sexual harassment case is an assault on freedom of the press, says Saurav Datta