Indian Court Blocks Muslim Minorities Documentary
Indian court blocks screening of documentary on Muslim Minorities
An Indian court has blocked the screening of an Al Jazeera documentary about the country’s Muslim minority amid fears that the right to criticize the government is being eroded.
The documentary “Who Lit the Fuse?” apparently portrayed India’s 172-million Muslims as living in fear of the Narendra Modi government, showing the state agencies acting against the interests of Muslims.
The ruling has dismayed free speech activists who have accused the government of systematically shrinking the space for dissent.
The supreme court of India had clarified that the right to free speech included the right to express opinions critical of the government.
“The court has said Indians have the right to hear such hostile opinions and the government has to tolerate things it might find hateful”, said supreme court lawyer Colin Gonsalves.
Free speech activists believe that government supporters are making strenuous efforts to flag any forthcoming media content that they dislike, not only domestically but also from foreign channels or platforms.
