Thursday, February 2, 2012

a good discussion and a great resolution

The year was 2005. Actress Khusboo gave a controversial statement on premarital sex. A huge debate rose across the country. Pro and cons were discussed in almost all channels and news papers.Lot of time was spent over all.
In our school we were busy with our headaches that has become a part of our life at that time.The evenings were the best part of the time.  My tenth strudents at that time  MVS, Mahesh Sarat,  kiran tej, pavan, sai kumar, ravikiran , gunasekhar, pramod used to discuss a  lot of currrent issues ranging from  history to current affairs.

One day the discussion centred around right  to speech. I told them we have right  to speech and we have the right  to say our opinion. Then mahesh asked me does this right  applyto Khushboo.If its a right  to express  opinion why such chaos throughout the country. What followed on that evening was a brilliant discussion and i remember how my students discussed a issue beyond their age with a rare dignity and wisdom

I dont remember exactly who said what but the core and the conclusion i try to present here.



myself in reply to mahesh: Yes. we have a right to express opinion. But this right is subject to certain limitations.Certain statements may not be conducive to the existing society. Then a restraint should be exercised  by persons before making such statements.

My students: Then any statement has its own provocation. Then what is the use of right to speech. Criticizing always pokes. isnt it sir

Myself: Definitely. Thats why the country is divided. The thing is if i say something  to you here it may not affect the society. But if celebrities utter something like this it may kick off dangerous implications. Many may derive support from her. Iam not against right to speech. Iam speaking from the side opposing. understand it and continue

My students:  What you mean to say is celebrities should not have right to speech.


Myself: For example if i say go and beat who said some thing against me  You will not do it. you will think. lots of complications will stop you. that does not mean you dont like  me. You fear the consequences. If iam an eminent personality and i say to you go and kick that idiot, i will take care then the scenario changes. A reputed persons voice travels long distances. Then it is imperative that they should be guarded in  their words. Being  careful about words is not a negation to right to speech.

 My students: Even then why should one restrict himself from   saying what he firmly  believes in?

Myself: I firmly believe only through gun poverty will be eliminated. so i advocate every one of you to resort to guns. So this is my firm belief. i am very famous. i uttered these lines. now what kind of affect itt will show on people in poverty?


My students: The maoists have beeen sayinbg the same over the years. Nothing severe  happened. 


Myself :Thats  it. Iam not a naxal. I am a reputed man.  I have a great  following. Now this is where it differs. A person in position can affect the proceedings by his words. Thats why good   leaders were powerful orators.

My students: so actress is wrong in conveying her  radical opinion on a sensitive matter.

Myself: to certain extent. She is not a political leader who can measure the volume of words to be used. She is not a great author who can justify his/her statements. So the anchor who asked such a question is the spoil sport. The director who made his show popular through this is a culprit. The media which spread this like a wild fire is another culprit. one by one pulled the right  to speech into this. 

My students: So this is not against right to speech at all.

Myself: i cannot say. This right to speech  clause is pulled after the groups supporting and not supporting formed. 

My students:  hence it became  a hot topic not by the quality of words  but by quantity of views expressed on it

My self: definitely. what is the use of this nonsense. Now look.Who ever watched the actress saying  this should have forgotten by  a few days. But this huge popularity took the thing such a height that now every one knows it. Apart from  right to speech and its implications this sort of debating will spread it more and it will reach more and more people. so what ever implications that may have occurred because of the actress statement now seem negligible before this huge debates.

MVS: i feel one thing sir! By discussing about a bad or a controversy we are spreading its poisonous fangs far where we can never cut them. if something is bad or not good or controversial we should stop discussing  it. Debating such discussions will enhance the dangers more. We should never discuss bad. we have to stop discussing controversies and there by we have a chance to solve things peacefully  .

Its getting dark and we all started returning  home supporting the views of mvs.  I am very surprised to see  boys of 14 having such strong views on constitutional right.

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