On June 14, Delhi's Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena approved prosecuting Arundhati Roy under UAPA for a 2010 speech about Kashmir. Roy and Dr. Sheikh Shaukat Hussain face charges based on a complaint. The UAPA, with low conviction rates and criticisms of misuse, raises issues about free speech, national security, and human rights.
Script: Rani Jana & Avantika Mehta
Videographer: Vikram Sharma
Video Editor: Himanshu
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Script: Rani Jana & Avantika Mehta
Videographer: Vikram Sharma
Video Editor: Himanshu
Follow us:
Website: https://www.outlookindia.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Outlookindia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outlookindia/
X: https://twitter.com/Outlookindia
Whatsapp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaNrF3v0AgWLA6OnJH0R
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OutlookMagazine
Dailymotion: https://www.dailymotion.com/outlookindia
#UAPA #ArundhatiRoy #Kashmir #SheikhShaukatHussain
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00:00On June 14, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V. K. Saxena approved the prosecution of author
00:15Arundhati Roy under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act or UAPA for a speech she delivered
00:22in 2010. Also being prosecuted is former Central University of Kashmir professor Dr. Sheikh
00:29Shaukat Hussain. Welcome to Deep Dive with Outlook. In today's segment, we will be looking
00:34at UAPA. Last October, Saxena had already authorized the prosecution of Roy and Hussain
00:41under Section 196 of the Criminal Procedure Code for various offences under the Indian
00:47Penal Code. The charges are based on a complaint by Kashmiri activist Sushil Pandit, whose
00:53FIR claimed that during the event, Roy and others argued that Kashmir was never a part
00:59of India and advocated for its independence from Indian rule. In fact, what she said was
01:06something different. The UAPA aims to prevent activities that threaten India's integrity
01:30and sovereignty. A 2019 amendment allows the government to label individuals as terrorists
01:37without a formal judicial process. UAPA carries the maximum penalties of life imprisonment
01:43or death. UAPA has, however, a low conviction rate of around 2%. From 2016 to 2020, out
01:52of over 24,000 people charged, only 212 were convicted. This means over 97% of accused
02:00are still awaiting trial. The law says suspects can be held without charge for up to 180 days
02:08and makes bail difficult to obtain. In 2020, UN experts stated that UAPA contradicts several
02:15human rights declarations. Additionally, in 2021, former Indian Supreme Court judge Justice
02:22Aftab Alam described UAPA as draconian. The Delhi High Court has also criticised the government
02:29for expanding the definition of terrorist activity to include ordinary crimes. Notable
02:35individuals arrested under UAPA include Binayak Sen, Ronna Wilson, Stan Swamy, and Umar Khalid.
02:43These cases highlight ongoing concerns about the potential for misuse and the impact of civil
02:49liberties. As the debate around UAPA continues, the cases of Arundhati Roy and Dr Sheikh Shaukat
02:56Hussain brings these issues into sharp focus, raising important questions about free speech,
03:03national security, and human rights.