India, Nationalism and Sedition Debate: Media Trial of JNU Outrage

Abstract

The contemporary debate between patriotic nationalism and the freedom of expression has sparked off in the wake of JNU students' union president arrest on the charges of sedition post the organization of a cultural program. The incident infuriated debate amongst the country's highest intellectuals, parliamentarians, journalists and many others across the globe over phrases such as "Nationalism", "Sedition" & "Freedom of expression" for such a vast and vibrant democracy. The present case study was done to emphasize comparable cases in the past and to help the public broaden their knowledge of the views of nationalism and the laws governing 'freedom of speech' and 'sedition' according to the Indian constitution. Through content analysis, various news articles were explored, with opposite standpoints, on the incident with related facts. The study aims to underline the difference between dissent against the ruling government and sedition that spells the fact that the existing colonial-era law needs to be amended. The medium that sustains the process of shaping and reshaping the consensus is largely media in its varied forms, but a medium like media shape one's thoughts, passions, and aversions towards significant political and socio-cultural entities as important as nation or nationalism is the debate here. It is answered through the case study which also questions the role of a media reporting on the treatment of such sensitive issues like Nationalism.