10/21/2018 Focus on safeguarding freedom of expression - The Hindu

 Karnataka Sahitya Sammelana

Focus on safeguarding freedom of expression

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
MYSURU, NOVEMBER 27, 2017 00:57 IST
UPDATED: NOVEMBER 27, 2017 00:57 IST

The threat to freedom of expression today drew special attention on the last day of the 83rd
Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in the city on Sunday.

Speakers emphasised the imperatives of safeguarding the right. They shed light on the spectre
of cultural terrorism under the guise of nationalism that was increasingly manifesting itself
across the country.
Writer Vinaya Vakkunda drew attention to recent incidents to buttress her argument. She
cited the example of the arrest of cartoonist G. Bala in Tamil Nadu on the charge of obscene
representation of the State’s Chief Minister and a few officials in a cartoon. The focus should
have been on trying to understand the irony being projected by the cartoonist instead, she
said.

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10/21/2018 Focus on safeguarding freedom of expression - The Hindu

Likewise, the ongoing protest over the Bollywood film Padmavathi came under analysis. Ms.
Vakkunda pointed out that those opposing the movie without having watched it had also
issued threats against the actress and the film director, all of which was evidence of the
growing culture of intolerance in society.
Though the Constitution has guaranteed the right to freedom of expression, one needs to ask
if the right still exists at all, she added, and termed the growing tendency of suppressing free
thought as a manifestation of fascism. She also lamented society’s collective amnesia of past
events that results in a lowering of guard against the fascist forces
“There is darkness at noon due to cultural terrorism manifesting in society. This was evident
when people celebrated the death of Gauri Lankesh,” Ms. Vakkunda said.
Freedom of expression is an acknowledgement of the individual’s right to follow a way of life
but is under threat, she added.

Referring to the present scenario Ms. Vakkunda said there was undeclared emergency in the
country and the media was increasingly coming under the control of the capitalists working in
tandem with the government to muzzle the thought process.

Writers Pradhan Gurudutt, session president Kalegowda Nagavar, and sahitya sammelana
president Chandrashekar Patil were among those present.

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