Updated On: 15 July, 2024 06:30 AM IST | Mumbai | Vinod Kumar Menon
Experts warn that the new law`s vague provisions may erode civil rights and reinforce authoritarianism

BNS provisions regarding sedition-like offences may bolster authoritarianism; say experts
While the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) aims to modernise India`s criminal code, it raises significant concerns about its potential impact on civil liberties and democratic values. Its provisions regarding sedition-like offenses may inadvertently bolster authoritarian tendencies within the state apparatus, reminiscent of the power structures from the colonial era. As Frantz Fanon highlighted, post-independence nations frequently perpetuate and replicate colonial power structures-the sedition-like provision in the BNS illustrate this phenomenon. In a nation grappling with maintaining its standing in the global democracy index and reconciling its democratic ideals with intricate social realities, the implementation of such laws could hinder progress toward a more inclusive and equitable society – says Arun Kumar PK, social science researcher (formerly at JNU, Delhi), based in Kerala.
mid-day had in its article titled `Draconian provisions of sedition continue in spirit in Nyaya Sanhita` dated July 13, highlighted experts` concern that while the word sedition was missing in the new law, its provisions have been retained with enhanced quantum of punishment.