India needs tough laws to curb hate speeches: Faizan Mustafa

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Vice Chancellor of NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, Prof Faizan Mustafa has said there is a need to make strict laws against hate speech in the country. He was speaking on the concluding day of the 4-day 17th All India People’s Science Congress (AIPSC) at Extol College in the city on Thursday.

Mustafa said “Today, there is an alliance of religion, power and corporate in the country.” He said that law means justice but wondered why “We are not getting upset seeing the injustice done to someone. If this is not happening, then humanity is in question,” he said.

He said that freedom of expression is guaranteed by our Constitution. A society that stops people from expressing themselves cannot progress. Expression can be in the form of praise or in the form of criticism, he added.

Former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh said that bigotry which has spread in the country nowadays, can be eradicated with scientific consciousness. People associated with Jan Vigyan Andolan will have to come forward and work collectively for scientific consciousness.

The development of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh was also discussed. In the last session a new committee of All India Public Science Network was also constituted.

Various books related to science and Constitution were released. About the development of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, many speakers including Dr Yogesh Kumar, Sachin Jain, Rajendra Kothari and Sandeep Dixit said that Madhya Pradesh has abundance of natural resources, but in spite of this, the state lags in health, education and employment opportunities.

In the new executive committee of All India Public Science Network, Eicher Pune scientist Prof Satyajit Rath was appointed as president. Asha Mishra of Madhya Pradesh Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti has been appointed as General Secretary.