I wrote this comment on a post which asks a question:
Is right to freedom of speech in India only on papers??
Whatever you say yes or no. Please explain it with reason.
Yes or no would be good for an objective exam question. It the most subjective topic ever. The freedom of speech. That too in context of law in India.
Do you think you have right to live on earth? Yes you think so. But anyone can kill you tomorrow. You may say that right to breath is only on papers in India.
A closer example would be when someone encroach the road which you have all right to use. People make religious places of worship on road land in India. It's just one of the special cases of handicaps of law enforcing bodies against someone powerful/sensitive.
Similarly you have all rights of freedom of speech. But anyone can twist law to harass you if their interest is at stake due to your words. Same will happen in business or anywhere else where more powerful people may do things that make you think "my rights exist only on papers".
But as we talk about freedom of speech we should understand first what does it mean and why we see cases where this right seems to be in danger.
In simple terms you can express whatever you want until and unless it doesn't break any other law. For example you cannot leak any defense secret in name of freedom of speech. You cannot give hate speech, that is illegal. You cannot make a statement against a company which is false and can result in huge downfall on stock markets. But you want to express something which don't harm someone else it is okay.
I think it is fair enough, because law needs to protect everyone else from you and your speech too.
Hate speech orators roam free in India, that is true. It has more to do with the power that person have and less to do with freedom of speech. Such people twist hands of law at almost every front. Small example is when they jump traffic light and get away with it. Not many make fuss about them when they give hate speech. They say its their freedom of speech. A common man get a thrashing at hands of goons for updating a Facebook status. It has more to do with the people involved than freedom of speech.
"I think freedom of speech exists"*
*conditions apply
:P
