[Reader-list] Censorship from an (Un)usual Quarter

[Jeebesh Bagchi]

On Monday 15 September 2003 05:10 pm, Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote:
> Dear All on the List,

A few comments from a list member on Shuddha's posting on censorship:

If i get it correct Shuddha's argument are not based on a constitutionalist 
understanding of `free speech`. He is against the constitutional limits to 
free speech posed by the holy trinity of national security, public order and 
public morality. His examples clearly shows that. Then what are his ground 
for defense of free speech?

I would think that it is based on ideas of recognition of difference and human 
dignity. He will i think agree that a defense of free speech needs to 
acknowledge that `votaries of limited speech` are also articulating an 
intellectual position and be part of any engagement, and be given the same 
recognition and dignity. It is here, that i have a problem in the posting 
with virulent and prejorative naming of opponents of `free speech`.  This 
culture of `naming` to my understanding is not a creative way of arguing for 
free speech. 

The posting catalouges very accurately all the various `censorship` drives by 
various political or social organisations and conglomerates. But, it fails to 
go beyond that. All political and social bodies are part of an intense 
conflict and contest over control of domains of knowledge, representation, 
production and surplus. This contest will accelerate and so will manifest 
attacks on `speech`. Can an argument for `free speech` be grounded without 
engaging with this control over domains and understanding the dense 
architecture of  `conditionalities of speech` in society.

Free speech to my mind cannot be understood as a `sui generis` concept that 
needs to be conformed to. It is an practice and an idea that evolved over a 
long and tortuous passsage of time. The survival chance of this idea is very 
slim given the rise of survalliance societies, national security states and 
intellectual property regimes. As an idea, it can only be cultivated through 
practice and building creative resources to ground in a rich terrains of 
earlier practices. A flame war will not help this process.

Salaam
Jeebesh