What should you know about Sedition Laws in India
                     What should you know about Sedition Laws in India?
The act of Sedition is a crime that has been committed by way of action, speech, or 
publication. It usually targets officers, judges, or ministers by arousing contempt or 
hatred in mass. Here, an attempt is made to disturb the peace of the State by initiating 
speeches, publications, or meetings. Seditious words in written format are referred to 
as seditious libel. Besides, a seditionist is a person who carries out different kinds of 
seditious activities.
History of Sedition Law
Sedition laws came into existence in England in the seventeenth century as lawmakers 
wanted to sustain the opinions that were only in favor of the government. The 
lawmakers believed negative opinions against the monarchy and the government were 
highly detrimental to society as a whole. In 1870, the British borrowed the sentiment or 
law from England and inserted it within the Indian Penal Code's Section 124A. During 
colonial rule, the Britishers used the rules of Sedition to sentence and convict freedom 
fighters of India. In 1897, the sedition law was used to convict Bal Gangadhar Tilak's 
freedom fighter. Similarly, after some time, the law was used to prosecute Mahatma 
Gandhi due to publishing his articles within Young India.
Issues related to Sedition Law
Rampant usage of the Sedition Law is linked to colonial rule as colonial rulers used the 
law to prosecute people who stood against British policies. Prominent freedom fighters 
such as Mahatma Gandhi, Lokmanya Tilak, Bhagat Singh, Jawaharlal Nehru, and so 
on were sent to jail for their seditious writings, activities, and speeches during the 
British rule. The Indian Constituent Assembly was reluctant to include the 'Sedition 
Law' within the Constitution of India. Several members felt that the law could curtail the 
right to freedom of speech and expression.
Besides, the members argued that this law could misuse a tool to suppress the 
constitutional right of citizens- the right to protest. According to the Supreme Court's 
verdict in Kedar Nath Singh vs. State of Bihar Case 1962, the application of the 
Sedition law is limited to:
Acts that intend or have the tendency to give rise to disorders, or disturb law and 
order, or incite violence
Thus, an attempt to invoke sedition charges against lawyers, social-political activists, 
students, academicians is in disregarded as per the Supreme Court. Due to the 
calculated and callous application of the Sedition Law, India is commonly referred to as 
an autocratic nation.
Why is Sedition Law important?
Helps to retain integrity and unity: Sedition law allows the government of India to 
combat secessionist, terrorist, or anti-national elements.
Helps to maintain stability within a State: Sedition Law aims to protect the elected 
government officials from dethroning the government through illegal or violent means. 
From the State's stability perspective, the government elected by legal means should 
continue to exist.
Intellectual Property Law in India includes laws that have been framed to protect the 
ownership rights of creators or owners of intellectual property. Intellectual property can 
include anything from designs, artistic works to inventions.
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