Comments on: On putting an end to competitive intolerance

By: Chandra

Chandra — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 01:29:32 +0000

Sriram, because not all whites are white supremacists and because the White supremacists belong in a separate sub-group.

By: Nitin

Nitin — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:31:13 +0000

Jujung,

Good point. The argument is one of ensuring speedy justice. But it is also a fact that writers & artists and owners of telephone companies can become offenders under the law; and since justice must be blind, these people too would be punished. That’s why we need to get rid of provisions of the IPC that are really a relic of a colonial power maintaining order by repressing freedoms, for they should have gone by 26 Jan 1950.

Sriram,
1. Why ‘W’hite? Now that you mention it, I really don’t know. Perhaps it should be lowercase.
2. There’s no balance when everyone is intolerant—there’s equilibrium, or a stable state in the arms race. The word ‘balance’ in this post exclusively refers to the balance between free speech and need to curb it in order to maintain order.

Yes, thanks for reminding me: the good censors are hard to find argument shows the futility of trying to please everyone. So we could say that (a) good censors are hard to find (b) and even if we do find them, they can’t conceivably succeed in their mandate.

By: Sriram

Sriram — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:09:28 +0000

1. Why is it ‘W’hite supremacist?
2. How can there be a balance when everyone is intolerant? In arms race, one can understand because the fact that the enemy possesses equal capabilities acts as a deterrent, but how in this case?

And I think the entire argument can be condensed to “good censors are hard to find”, if I may borrow it from you.

By: jujung

jujung — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:09:51 +0000

“It is impractical for India to protect everyone from being offended. So it shouldn’t”
Neither is it practical for India, in its current position, to protect everyone from the offended. Which law supports the acts of mobs and rioters vandalizing and terrorizing citizens? Are we able to do anything about it?

As long as the law enforcement agencies are unable to enforce the law, all this doesn’t matter. Judicial process is so slow that it’s not even an option. Reforms in police, justice delivery mechanisms are of primary importance for India now. Till then, such debates on freedom of expression and its limits will just be of academic interest only.