{"id":4329,"date":"2026-10-26T05:53:19","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T05:53:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/?p=4329"},"modified":"2026-10-27T05:56:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T05:56:23","slug":"right-to-protest-and-dissent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/right-to-protest-and-dissent\/","title":{"rendered":"Right to Protest and Dissent"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote>\n<table style=\"font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><b>SYLLABUS: Indian Polity<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>General Studies \u2013 : II <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indian Constitution\u2014historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><b>IN NEWS:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Lessons on the right to assembly<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe right to dissent and protest is integral to a liberal democracy, but it remains subject to constitutionally permissible restrictions.\u201d Examine<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>ANSWER: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The right to dissent and protest is the cornerstone of a vibrant, liberal democracy, acting as a crucial check on state power and ensuring public accountability. Under the Constitution of India, this right is deeply rooted in <\/span><b>Article 19(1)(a)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Freedom of Speech and Expression) and <\/span><b>Article 19(1)(b)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Right to Assemble Peacefully and Without Arms). However, the Constitution balances these liberties with collective order, subjecting them to permissible restrictions under <\/span><b>Articles 19(2) and 19(3)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>The Right to Dissent &amp; Protest as Integral to Liberal Democracy<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Substantive Democracy Beyond Elections:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> True democracy requires continuous dialogue, non-violent opposition, and the expression of minority or non-conforming viewpoints, ensuring that governance goes beyond majoritarian rule.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Judicial Endorsement:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Supreme Court in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ramlila Maidan Incident (2012)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> held that peaceful protest is a fundamental right and an essential feature of a democratic state. Similarly, in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan v. Union of India (2018)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the Court affirmed that peaceful assembly is vital for citizens to convey their grievances to the government.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Catalyst for Rights and Legal Reform:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Historical protests\u2014such as the Indian Freedom Movement and modern civil rights campaigns\u2014demonstrate that peaceful dissent drives progressive socio-political change and legislative accountability.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Safety Valve Function:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Providing institutional and constitutionally protected avenues for non-violent protest prevents underground radicalization and civil unrest, maintaining social stability.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Constitutional Framework &amp; Permissible Restrictions<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The right to protest is neither absolute nor unbridled. The Constitution explicitly outlines specific grounds under which the state can impose <\/span><b>reasonable restrictions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Grounds Under Article 19(2) &amp; 19(3):<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sovereignty and integrity of India<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Security of the State<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Friendly relations with foreign States<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Public order<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Decency or morality<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contempt of court, defamation, or incitement to an offence<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Test of Reasonableness and Proportionality:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Any state restriction on assembly or speech must pass the test of <\/span><b>proportionality<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India, 2017<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). The restriction must be prescribed by law, serve a legitimate state goal, and be the least restrictive measure necessary.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Clear and Present Danger Standard:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Babulal Parate v. State of Maharashtra (1961)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the Supreme Court ruled that restrictions imposed to prevent public disorder must be backed by a clear, non-speculative threat to peace.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Striking the Balance: Key Judicial Jurisprudence<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Right to Use Public Spaces vs. Right to Free Movement:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Himmat Lal K. Shah v. Commissioner of Police (1973)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the Supreme Court clarified that while citizens have a right to hold meetings on public streets, it is subject to regulation aimed at preserving smooth traffic flow and public order.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Indefinite Occupation of Public Ways Unlawful:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Himat Lal<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and subsequently reinforced in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anita Thakur v. State of J&amp;K (2016)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board v. Shiv K. Sharma (2006)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the judiciary underscored that peaceful assembly cannot extend to obstructing public utilities or blockading transportation corridors indefinitely.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Prohibition on Destruction of Property:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Court in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Re: Destruction of Public and Private Properties (2009)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> mandated strict accountability and financial compensation from groups engaging in vandalism or violence during protests.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Key Challenges in Implementation<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Misuse of Preventative and Penal Provisions:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Frequent invocation of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) \/ Section 187 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and preventive detention laws often leads to pre-emptive suppression of legitimate peaceful protests.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Proportionality in Law Enforcement:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Striking a balance between police action (e.g., tear gas, water cannons) and maintaining public order remains a critical administrative challenge, requiring strict adherence to standard operating procedures.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Digital Assembly and Internet Shutdowns:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Blanket internet shutdowns used to curb protests impede overall freedom of expression and economic activity, violating the principles laid down in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India (2020)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Way Forward<\/b><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Standardized Regulatory Frameworks:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Establish clear municipal and police guidelines designating specific spaces for public demonstration while preserving the right to free movement for non-protesting citizens.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Adherence to Judicial Precedents:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Ensure that executive orders under preventive laws strictly satisfy the criteria of necessity, rationality, and proportionality before restricting public gatherings.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Police Reforms and Training:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Train law enforcement agencies in de-escalation tactics, non-lethal crowd management, and human rights standards during demonstrations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Strengthening Alternative Dispute Mechanisms:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Encourage timely state engagement and dialogue with aggrieved groups to address concerns before protests escalate into public disruptions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The right to dissent is an indispensable pillar of constitutional democracy, giving voice to public grievances and holding authority accountable. However, liberty cannot exist without order. By ensuring that restrictions on peaceful assembly remain strictly reasonable, proportionate, and constitutionally sound, India can preserve both public order and democratic freedom.<\/span><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<blockquote><p><b>PYQ REFERENCE UPSC 2021<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q. &#8220;Analyze the constitutional provisions and judicial pronouncements regarding the right to freedom of speech and expression, especially in the context of reasonable restrictions.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><b style=\"font-style: inherit;\">SOURCE: <a href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/ccidist-ws\/th\/th_international\/issues\/210732\/OPS\/GBJGMCC52.1+G42GN9HHO.1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hindu epaper &#8211; Lessons on the right to assembly<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SYLLABUS: Indian Polity General Studies \u2013 : II Indian Constitution\u2014historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.\u00a0\u00a0 IN [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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