freedom of responsible speech

Just now I read news 'Bloggers can be nailed for views'. In a case the supreme court ruled against a boy, who started a blog against shivsena, ordering him to face a criminal trial in maharashtra court. To many, it may sound ironical. even TOI has depicted the news as if it is a violation of freedom of speech.the users comment also echos the sentiment. so is it really a verdict to limit the 'freedom of speech'? the answer is a big no.

the courts verdict can be easily misinterpreted to 'preventing bloggers from blogging'. however, it is important to note that the court has asked the boy only to 'explain his conduct'. these days we are becoming more and more aware about our rights. but at the same time, it is equally important to remeber our duties. and one such duty is to be a responsible citizen. the matter is not about supporting or opposing shiv sena, but about taking responsibility of your views. when we tout our right to 'freedom of speech', we conveniently ignore the duty of expressing ourself in responsible manner. the blog is being legally challenged, and so the boy should be able to defend it legally in a court of law. if not, the blog bcomes an inlawful activity, which should be duely terminated.

with the advent of citizen journalism in India, the authenticity of claims can often be questioned. this verdict sets a kind of protocol for all such people. it asks them to take responsiblity for their claims. if we are not able to acknowledge what we have expressed, then we are in no position to express. after all it takes strength of character to tell the truth