Rights violations – Right to speech and property must be protected

News: The government has the duty to protect the rights of its citizens. These include the rights to free expression and property also. The right to free expression includes the right to protest. But, the recent UP government decision to demolish property without a full public investigation is a violation of the Right to property.

About the Right to freedom of property

The right to property, like the right to free expression, was enshrined in the Constitution. But later, through amendment, the right to property was weakened.

But the right to free expression does not include the right to violent protest. The government’s response to violence should be firm but also constrained by individual rights.

What should be done?

The limits placed on rights to free expression and property by the state continue to lead to significant problems. For instance, The Indian state has long constrained free speech about religious issues precisely because it believes this will prevent violence. But the experiences show this is hardly the case.

A constant infringement of rights will make India a poorer country in terms of both economy and quality of life. Hence, a) The State should propagate and enforce a culture of tolerance and respect for the law. b) Criminal activity should be punished after investigation and trial, and that property should not be expropriated by the state without clear requirements.

Source: The post is based on an article “Rights violations” published in the “Business Standard” on 13^th June 2022.