Political freedoms necessary: SC:

Political freedoms necessary: SC:

Context:

The Supreme Court in its privacy judgment on Thursday, said that a free environment for exercising political freedoms such as the right to dissent is necessary to end the malaise of corruption and diversion of funds and welfare benefits.

Court’s judgment:

• The court said “Government leaders in authoritarian states” who choke citizens’ political freedoms find themselves often ill-prepared to resolve national crises.
• The apex court said that lack of free flow of information and criticism has crippled the ability of the leadership to introspect on their actions and self-correct.
• Quoting Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said: “Mr Amartya Sen’s analysis reveals that the political immunity enjoyed by government leaders in authoritarian states prevents effective measures being taken in critical situations like famine.”

Vibrancy of democracy:

• An enabling atmosphere for citizens to dissent and scrutinise government measures add to the vibrancy of democracy.

Transparency in system:

• Justice Chandrachud in his ruling said that capture of social welfare benefits can be obviated only when political systems are transparent and when there is a free flow of information.
• Justice also said that the conditions necessary for realising or fulfilling socio-economic rights do not postulate the subversion of political freedom.

Vibrant assertion of rights:

• Conditions of freedom and a vibrant assertion of civil and political rights promote a constant review of the justness of socio-economic programmes and of their effectiveness in addressing deprivation.
• Scrutiny of public affairs is founded upon the existence of freedom. Therefore, civil and political rights and socio-economic rights are complementary and not mutually exclusive.