On 25th February 2019, the Delhi Chapter of the National Constitution Society (NCS) organised a discussion on Sedition Laws and Fundamental Rights in India at the Zakir Hussain Evening College, University of Delhi.
Dr. Md. Aftab Alam, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Zakir Husain Morning College set the context for the discussion. He gave a brief overview of the fundamental rights in the Constitution of India, 1950 with an emphasis on Article-19. Further, he introduced the students to the Indian Sedition Laws, their scope and operation.
The discussion touched upon contemporary events, like the arrest of AMU students on sedition charges, and examined them through the perspective of the fundamental rights section of the Indian Constitution with a focus on Article 19 – the right to freedom of speech and expression.
Most students believed that sedition laws are against the very concept of democracy and violate individual freedom and liberty, while a few felt that sedition laws shouldn’t be scrapped altogether as they keep a check on “anti-national’ elements.
This report was written with contribution from Amisha P, students at Aligarh Muslim University