2010, not 1984

MHA directive authoritarian.

Murderous Maoist violence must be put down. India must prevail over Maoism, as a democracy that counters and overcomes an anti-democratic force. This project would fail if the government turns authoritarian en route.

In this light, the home ministry’s press release issued last Thursday is alarming. Titled ‘Government asks people to be vigilant of CPI (Maoist) propaganda' it basically is a warning to activists, rights groups, NGOs and the intelligentsia to toe the government’s line on Maoists or be prepared for gaol.

This simply is not acceptable. The ministry’s logic is that Maoists contact some intellectuals and NGOs to propagate their ideology, and thus they could be slapped with section 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, which can mean a 10-year prison sentence. In effect, this is a direct assault on political discussion, debate, dissent and even freedom of the press.
    
The home ministry seems to have forgotten that democracy is as much about these things as it is about elections. There is a deliberate attempt to conflate opposition to or critique of the government’s strategy and actual support for Maoists.

Extreme left-wing political views exist, as do extremist-communal ones. Only when individuals or groups with such views deliberately aid, abet, or commit an illegal act can the law be invoked.

But the home ministry has gone beyond even that debate. With such a view of unlawful activities, not just being a critic of policy, but even possessing certain types of legal and available literature could be deemed illegal, as could even a journalist contacting a source.

The Karnataka police is, for instance, threatening to use the UAPA against a local journalist unless he provides information on his source for a story on Naxalism.

The other issue here is the common conflation between Maoists and Naxalites, who include political parties or trade unions working within the democratic framework, and are often targeted by Maoists. The government’s anti-Maoist drive clamps down on them, too, eroding democracy further.