New Delhi: The Manipur High Court Monday directed the release of Imphal-based journalist Kishorechandra Wangkhem who was in detention under the National Security Act since November.
Wangkhem was detained for airing a video on social media in which he spoke out against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Wangkhem’s advocate Shreeji Bavsar confirmed the court’s oral order to ThePrint. The written order of the high court is still awaited.
Also read: Manipur journalist detained under NSA to be held for 12 months, says govt
‘Mere expression’
Wangkhem was taken into custody by the state police in November 2018, and was awarded a 12-month jail term — the maximum sentence allowed under the NSA. He was working for a local news channel at the time.
In the video in question, the journalist was seen condemning Modi, Singh and the RSS for organising a function where Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi was commemorated and her fight for freedom against the British was linked to Manipur’s freedom movement. The video was in Wangkhem’s language Meitei.
Days before he was detained under the NSA, Wangkhem was also arrested for airing the video with sedition charges under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
However, a local court had set aside the sedition charges and ordered his release. The court observed that his words were “a mere expression of opinion against the public conduct of a public figure in a street language”.
A day after he was released from custody, the state police arrested him again and charged him under provisions of the NSA. In December, the advisory board constituted under the Act took cognisance of the arrest and approved his year-long detention.
Wangkem challenged this order before the high court.
Also read: Manipur journalist arrested under NSA for posting video criticising BJP govt
There is a phrase judges sometimes use : This shocks the conscience of the Court. The NSA may not exactly be the law on sedition, on which the SC has laid down certain guidelines fifty years ago. However, the undisputed facts of this case have been in the public domain for a long time. In the past, a simple post card has been treated as a PIL. Courts must feel a special obligation to protect the freedom of the press, the most valuable part of the freedom of expression, which is a fundamental right. It would have been wonderful if the apex court had been pleased to take suo motto cognisance of this case, called for the records and proceedings. Passed the sort of strictures that would have chilled the blood of would be tyrants for the future.
What a relief. Political parties promise the moon in their Manifestos. What would get my vote is a sincere, heartfelt promise : We will bring India’s rank in the first fifty in the Global Index of Press Freedom.