Sedition laws sit at the crossroads of politics and society, and law and justice. The political nature of this “offence against the state” tests the limits of free speech a citizen can rightfully enjoy. India’s polity has changed since 1870, when Sedition was added as an offence under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to govern restive subjects of the British Crown. This stifling legislation, conceived as a colonial tool to incarcerate freedom fighters, continues to be quickly invoked by free India’s elected rulers against dissenting citizens, deeply damaging the country’s democratic fabric.<br/><br/> This law which chips away at the essence of republican democracy – the right to dissent – has a chequered journey in independent India starting from 1950, when courts upheld free speech. However, the First Amendment to the Constitution put a damper on such liberal judicial interventions. Since then, although judgments urged governments to exercise restr
By modifying the form and shape of the tractor-trolley, the farmers and their allies created a symbol of the working class with no state control or sponsorship and no commodification by any private player.
CHANDIGARH: Shakti Vahan, a modified tractor owned by Sunil Gulia, the president of Gulia Khap 84, is the talking point at the Tikri Border these days. The tractor is parked on the Haryana side, near police barricading, where Sunil is camping with other khap members and farmers.
The tractor which has huge tyres, more sitting space and a personalised trolley cost Sunil (48) Rs 35 lakh. “The customised trolley cost us Rs 5.5 lakh and was designed in Nurmahal, Jalandhar. Some parts and accessories have been procured from abroad,” said Sunil.
For Sunil, the tractor is the equivalent of the elephants that khap leaders would once ride to meetings. Asked if he could have used a luxury car instead, Sunil said a tractor was like a farmer’s extended family. “We cannot continue with elephant rides anymore, so we decided to get something special as an alternate. We bought this tractor in February 2020 and the modifications were done by November,” he said.