Valarmathi, freedom of expression and periyar univ

Paviraksha
Jul 24, 2017 · 3 min read

Valarmathi, a journalism and mass communication student in Periyar University has been arrested under goondas act by the Tamilnadu police for protesting against the “developmental’ hydro-carbon and methane projects. She has been accused as someone harming the “national interests” and having connections to maoists and/or naxalites.

First, I have a strong view on all these projects she protested against and the very definition of national interest. But I am now going to simply put forth an argument that none of my views on these projects or anyone’s views on these projects matter. Your political inclinations don’t matter. What only matters is whether or not you are ready to defend Valarmathi simply on the basis of freedom of expression.

Valarmathi, credits: The Hindu

The major accusation is that she distributed pamphlets which contain slogans that can be construed as “maoistic”. The first counter argument to that is, distributing political slogans, whichever end of politics it belongs to, should not be banned. Letting the state (i.e, the government) decide what is a “distributable” pamphlet is plain nonsense. This government can decide anything to be a maoist slogan and slap the draconian goondas act: for instance, asking for free health care, demanding improvement in primary health care facilities, demanding that prices of urad dal to be reduced, demanding that high engineering college fees to be scrapped, demanding a project to be stopped. Freedom of expression is not a partisan issue. It is beyond ideology. It helps everyone. And you need to defend your enemy’s FoE as much as you defend yours. The second accusation is that she knows someone who is possibly a naxalite. This is nonsense at best and atrocious at worst. If you start charging people by this standard of guilt by association, you have to incarcerate half of your population.

The most shameless act in this whole story is by Periyar univ. There is already widespread condemnation across the political spectrum for arresting an activist with an opinion under goondas act. But to suspend someone who is not convicted of anything and whose case is not even brought to trial is alarming. Universities are about free and open exchange of ideas, ideally. This act by Periyar university is demonstrably spineless.

Finally, the national media made countless stories on one FIR slapped against Tanmay who made a snapchat picture of Modi. I mean, sure, I fully support AIB’s right to ridicule this or any government. Sure, it needs to be covered. But, it is important to note that the coverage in FoE cases by the national media is disproportionately tilted in many ways. There are multiple ways to look at it, the class/caste angle is one but also the other is what the media actually considers as an acceptable framework for freedom of expression. Valarmathi’s act or the defiant protests of Koodankulam people (8800 of them were slapped with sedition charges and yes UPA was in power!) will never be within their framework of acceptability.

I sincerely believe that this is one of the most atrocious uses of goondas act by this TN govt to suppress dissent. And the electorate can and should speak in one voice against this ruthlessness.

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