Dalit Writer is an example of free speech

To be a vagabond writer, you need courage, guts. The recent in line to get the tag of vagabond author is an eminent Dalit scholar, Kamal Bharti, who was arrested in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday on a complaint by UP minister Azam Khan's aide for his alleged Facebook post on suspended IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal. Bharti criticized the UP government in a Facebook post regarding the double-standards it has adopted to suspend senior officers. 

Bharti who is author of various books dealing with problems faced by Dalits, in his post on Facebook said that the Gautam Budh Nagar SDM was suspended for alleged demolition of the wall of a mosque. He further said that in Rampur a madarsa was recently demolished and its manager was placed behind the bars but no action was taken against the officials who were deputed to dismantle the institution. 

The madarsa was destroyed since it was allegedly constructed on the land of a graveyard. Bharti raised the question of the will and wish of the Urban Development minister Azam Khan which prevails and not the law of the land. 

In the complaint, Azam Khan's PRO Fasahat Ali Khan claimed and accused that Bharti had made a derogatory remark against the UP minister. Maybe this is the reason that the Dalit writer is behind the bars. Indeed it is time that all writers come together and lash the government for accommodating double-standards in its approach. However, I would like to salute the spirit of the writer to be bold enough to question the approach of the local government.

Again the arrest has raised the questions on the IT ACT and its controversial clause that allows state governments to make instant arrests without a warrant. It is time that the freedom of speech is maintained so that the truth remains visible. 

We need to take lessons from the dalit writer and come together his voice.