It is indeed a travesty of democracy that opinions and content, whether it be a film, a stand-up comic routine, a painting or a book, have to be tailored to the likes of the political dispensation in power, be it at the centre or states. The outrage with which the BJP has reacted to alleged references to the 2002 Gujarat riots in Mohanlal starrer L2 Empuraan follows a familiar template of intolerance to criticism, assault on free speech and vicious attacks on the filmmakers, who have now been forced to enforce 17 cuts in the film. It came as a surprise to many saffron advocates that Mohanlal, who has been seen as a closet sympathiser of the BJP, allowed such content in a film he is starring in. Faced with a strong backlash from politicians and supporters, the Malayalam superstar has apologised to his legion of fans and well-wishers for hurting their sentiments, and Prithviraj Sukumaran, director-actor-producer, has also endorsed the statement. The filmmakers have imposed self-censorship, removing references to the 2002 riots and changing the name of Baba Bajrangi, the antagonist, which appears to be a reference to Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for masterminding the Naroda Patiya massacre during the 2002 riots. The controversy over the film has, of course, led to a political slugfest with the BJP on one side and the Congress-Left, in Kerala, on the other, accusing the right wing of trampling free speech. The fact is, however, that all political parties are guilty of cracking down on critics and dissenters. The backlash against Empuraan comes close on the heels of the numerous cases filed against comic Kunal Kamra for allegedly defaming Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde.
Politicians in India have notoriously thin skins and are unwilling to tolerate even a whiff of criticism. A sense of humour eludes most of them, which is why satirists and stand-up comics get into so much trouble over their off-the-cuff remarks. In a liberal democracy, all shades of opinion have to be accommodated. America used to be a great example of such a tradition, but that is gradually coming to an end in Trump 2.0. In Britain and Europe, the tradition of free speech continues with commentators and analysts able to get away with the fiercest criticism of politicians. In the last few years, India has become an intolerant democracy with social media trolls and bullies taking over public spaces. Free speech advocates are forced to cow down to the mob, which is the complete antithesis to democratic principles. It is perhaps time for the judiciary to intervene and shut down frivolous cases that sully the concept of free speech.
