UK LABOUR PARTY
Freedom of speech is the right to say whatever you like about whatever you like, whenever you like, right? Wrong.
‘Freedom of speech is the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, by any means.’
Freedom of speech and the right to freedom of expression applies to ideas of all kinds including those that may be deeply offensive. But it comes with responsibilities and we believe it can be legitimately restricted. (Source: Amnesty International UK)
I will come back to the above definition after I discuss the new “naughty” prank of Labour party to somehow keep themselves in news (By hook or by crook). They succeeded. At least they got my attention.
This new drama is on the article “British MP’s and prominent figures condemn dictatorial agenda of Modi regime” https://exbulletin.com/politics/435580/
This article did not get published in any major mainstream media as it is not worth a dime. But I still picked this up for a debate to give some advertisement to the so-called prominent figures.
Terming a Prime Minister of world’s largest democracy, a dictator would need a lot of thought, unless this was purely to gain free publicity piggy backing on a world leader.
Dictatorship, form of government in which one person or a small group possesses absolute power without effective constitutional limitations.
This would mean the so-called prominent figures have an impression that India is ruled by one person or a small group of people. Which means the belief is the judiciary, civil and parliamentary system does not exist or has no power or is incapable of exercising its duties. Or it could also imply that most Indian voters who have voted for Narendra Modi as PM and still support his strategies, support dictatorship in India. It can be perceived as insult to a great nation or in my view here we have comments from some failures for cheap publicity.
Now I would like to comment on each of the topics in the article and bring couple of my own arguments.
The article states that many students, prominent citizens, and feminists were arrested using emergency laws. First of all they should have named a few or incidences to bring some maturity in their letter. A student can be arrested for many reasons. I am sure every other day a student is arrested in the UK. Does that mean the PM here is a dictator? Same goes with prominent citizen. So please do mention on what basis this crocodile tear is.
The letter touches upon the sensitive point of Government have let down the vulnerable migrants. I would add two points here. First of all, if the so-called scholars (some of them I think are educated in India) would have first tried to understand the Governance structure of India. That migrants and their issue is under state Government jurisdiction and central Government only co-ordinates that they did. Some of the worst situation were from non-BJP states. Second point is does this elitist panel understand the gravity of situation vs the population of India that had to be managed during lockdown and the infrastructural requirements needed for the migrant movements? Apart from that India managed the biggest movement of people during Lockdown. This is could have been simply googled but alas!!
Now let me counter this in my arguments. Does this so-called prominent signatory panel know that the COVID Death per million in UK is 635.88 and in India it is 75.92 (data as on 6th Oct 2020). Please feel embarrassed at your own conscious level reading this and trying to project India in bad light. Behave like an educated group.
Secondly whereas the Labour Party members are blaming Mr Modi for not taking care of migrants in India (which now looks false accusation), look at your constituency. The worst cases of Covid 19 in UK are mostly in Labour constituency. Most utterly shameful fact is whereas in University accommodations where students are not getting food and are living in hunger, in deep scare and not given any assurance of their welfare by their local MP’s, you have one Corbyn who is breaking rules of 6 guests and enjoying his table full of meal and drinks. It reminds me of dictators who enjoy lavish lifestyle when their subjects are in hunger.
Further to all the University linked signatories in the letter, you have failed the students of this country appearing for GCSE and A levels by not able to find a fair solution to their results. You are failing them now by not able to find a fair solution of education during pandemics. You call yourself eminent and elite in the field you are, and you are failing consistently. And you think you have any moral rights to look inside other’s house?
The letter talks about jailing feminist activist. This is blatant lie unless these panellists think “feminist activist” and “women activist” are same words. Talking of this, it is a level of hypocrisy taken at its highest level with Labour party member telling the girls who were raped and grooming by mostly Pakistani origin men, to shut up for diversity sake and talking about other countries here. Worst is the so-called eminent people here are associating with this dirty politics and survival game of Labour party.
Regarding inflammatory speeches, I wont dwell much, but if this panel thinks a leader is dictator because of some stray comments in a population of more than billion people. I don’t support any such speeches, but please use your good judgement (if you have any), when passing such comments that some stray comments should be taking in branding an elected leader as dictator.
This panel does not see the massacre of minorities in Pakistan or Bangladesh or even in China but trains their guns to India. I can suspect three reason. One either hand in glove with such countries to demean India, two cheap publicity in attacking a world leader like Mr Modi or three both above.
One talking of dictatorship as per the definition mentioned above should look back in labour Party history when Tony Blair lied to the nation about WMD in Iraq and with few powerful men decided the course of war in Iraq killing more than half million population and still counting. Does that not count for renaming Tony Blair as a dictator which stems from ideology of Labour Party?
Or very recently Mr Corbyn refusing to take action on his party colleagues for anti-Semitism program. It led to his downfall but refused to act. Wasn’t that dictatorial Mr Corbyn?
I can write more but decided this letter doesn’t have the credibility to get any more of my valuable time.
To summarise, my start was on the definition of Freedom of Speech. I ask the readers (I have no faith in the signatories) to judge if by writing this letter they have misused the freedom of speech by spreading false news against a leader and a nation. Does their letter mis-guides the people? Does it come with responsibility and does it need to be legitimately restricted?
I leave it for you to decide!