In last couple of weeks more than 40 filmmakers, writers and intellectuals returned their national award in protest against the growing violence and intolerance allegedly instigated by the rightwing groups in India.
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The escalating debate over freedom of speech in India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi saw yet another prominent voice enter the fray on Friday – that of his predecessor Manmohan Singh, who said suppression of dissent could pose a “grave danger” to economic development.
“The nation is deeply concerned at recent tragic instances of violations of freedom of thought, belief, speech and expression by a few violent extremist groups” he said. “All right thinking persons in country have condemned such incidents in the strongest terms as an assault on nationhood”, he said. Assault or murder of thinkers cannot be justified on any ground and suppression of dissent can’t be allowed. Religion could never become the basis for public policy and should not be imposed on anyone. Any erosion of variety will weaken our nation.
Invoking the country’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Singh further said the prerequisite for innovation, entrepreneurship and competition is an ‘open society and a liberal polity ‘where individuals are free to pursue their ideas.
The goal of the conference is to develop an agenda for action for securing and strengthening the cornerstone values of the Indian Republic as laid down by Nehru.
Dr Singh also came down heavily on the Centre for its approach towards the Dadri lynching incident by saying,”The prevailing circumstances are challenging, where one is reprimanded for seeking freedom to express views, opinions”.
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The former PM had recently took part in the protest march to the Rashtrapati Bhawan led by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
