There are growing calls for the abrogation of India’s British-era sedition law that critics say is being increasingly misused by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to stifle dissent in the world’s largest democracy.
The law was introduced by British colonial powers in 1870 to crush rebellious voices but Indian governments continued to use it after the country gained independence in 1947.
The decades-long battle against the law as a threat to freedom of speech and democracy has gained fresh impetus after a spate of sedition cases this year against activists, journalists and ordinary citizens for criticising politicians and government policies.
In the most recent case, the filmmaker and activist Aisha Sultana was charged after criticising the Modi government’s decision to relax coronavirus pandemic protocols for entry to the remote Lakshadweep islands.
Ms Sultana claimed in a TV debate that the move, which was followed by a surge in Covid-19 cases, amounted to using a “bioweapon” against the islanders.
Lakshadweep police filed a sedition charge against her after members of Mr Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party called her comments “anti-national”. Ms Sultana, who was summoned for questioning by police, on Friday obtained a court order granting her bail in case she is arrested.
Critics say her case is an example of the increasing use of the sedition law amid a rise in hyper-nationalism and a blurring of the lines between the state and government since the Hindu nationalist BJP won the general election in 2014.
Sedition law is quite an antiquated law but it is more being applied in abuse than in use in present times
Dushyant Dave, Supreme Court lawyer
A recent study found that 96 per cent of sedition cases filed between 2010 and 2020 over criticism of politicians and governments were registered after 2014. Of these, 149 related to criticism of Mr Modi or his government and another 144 to remarks against Yogi Adityanath, a Hindu monk who leads the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh state.
Overall, the number of sedition cases filed each year since 2014 was 28 per cent higher than the annual average during the four preceding years, according the report published by Article 14, a website that monitors India's legal system and citizens' rights.
"They are using this as a weapon to prevent people from speaking out," Lubhyathi Rangarajan, a lawyer who analysed data for the report, told The National.
The sedition law states that the charge applies to anyone who “attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the Government established by law in India”. The punishment ranges from a fine to prison terms of between three years and “imprisonment for life”.
People accused also become ineligible for government jobs and travel documents, and often face public suspicion and ostracism.
“Sedition attracts a certain kind of stigma as there is the label of ‘traitor’ and that is quite harmful,” Ms Rangarajan said, noting that there were “hardly any convictions” in such cases.
Of 96 people arrested for sedition in 2019, only two were convicted, India’s Home Ministry told Parliament in February. Twenty-nine were acquitted, while investigations and trials are continuing in the rest of the cases.
That month, the US think-tank Freedom House downgraded India’s democracy ranking, citing the rise in sedition cases over dissent as one of the factors.
Legal experts say Mr Modi’s government is using the law to stifle the voices of citizens who have political and ideological divergence with the ruling party.
"Sedition law is quite an antiquated law but it is more being applied in abuse than in use in present times, especially since 2014," Dushyant Dave, senior Supreme Court lawyer, told The National.
Activists have campaigned since independence for the repeal of the sedition law, which Britain abolished in 2009. But successive governments have defended it, saying the law is required to “tackle” terrorists, secessionists and insurgents.
India’s Supreme Court has issued judgments limiting the scope of the law to acts of violence, but those guidelines are often ignored. The top court reiterated its stand in a case last month.
“Criticising the government can’t be termed sedition. Everything cannot be seditious,” a bench headed by Justice Dhananjaya Chandrachud said while hearing a plea by two television channels charged with sedition for airing remarks by rebel politician against the Andhra Pradesh state government. “It is time we define what is sedition and what is not.”
A week earlier, the court quashed a sedition case against senior journalist Vinod Dua over his criticism of the Modi government’s handling of the migrant worker crisis during the pandemic last year.
“There is a great responsibility on the shoulders of the judiciary and particularly the Supreme Court,” Mr Dave said.
“The judiciary has failed citizens quite badly since 2014. I hope the judiciary becomes alive to the problems of citizens, to their fundamental rights and takes action against the authorities for illegal cases.”
Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
Omar Yabroudi's factfile
Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah
Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University
2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship
2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy
2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment
2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment
2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager
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Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Profile of Whizkey
Date founded: 04 November 2017
Founders: Abdulaziz AlBlooshi and Harsh Hirani
Based: Dubai, UAE
Number of employees: 10
Sector: AI, software
Cashflow: Dh2.5 Million
Funding stage: Series A
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
Europa League group stage draw
Group A: Villarreal, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Astana, Slavia Prague.
Group B: Dynamo Kiev, Young Boys, Partizan Belgrade, Skenderbeu.
Group C: Sporting Braga, Ludogorets, Hoffenheim, Istanbul Basaksehir.
Group D: AC Milan, Austria Vienna , Rijeka, AEK Athens.
Group E: Lyon, Everton, Atalanta, Apollon Limassol.
Group F: FC Copenhagen, Lokomotiv Moscow, Sheriff Tiraspol, FC Zlin.
Group G: Vitoria Plzen, Steaua Bucarest, Hapoel Beer-Sheva, FC Lugano.
Group H: Arsenal, BATE Borisov, Cologne, Red Star Belgrade.
Group I: Salzburg, Marseille, Vitoria Guimaraes, Konyaspor.
Group J: Athletic Bilbao, Hertha Berlin, Zorya Luhansk, Ostersund.
Group K: Lazio, Nice, Zulte Waregem, Vitesse Arnhem.
Group L: Zenit St Petersburg, Real Sociedad, Rosenborg, Vardar
2024%20Dubai%20Marathon%20Results
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The years Ramadan fell in May
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
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