Modi Erasing symbols and signs of British Slavery

Omkar Dattatray

We may have difference of opinion with the PM Narendra Modi ‘s government ,his ideology and his style of functioning ,but we must admit that he is the top executive of the country who is trying a lot and doing much for erasing the British signs and slavery from India .It is a bitter truth and hard fact that we are still being ruled by the British laws of pre-independence era and there is no independence so far as the governance and providing justice to our citizens is concerned .We may be much forward and developed but our minds are still slaves of the British and this is a great tragedy .People of this country called Bharat should be linked with its roots and cultural legacy and should call a goodbye to the colonial laws and  the centre government with Modi at its head is making serious efforts to clean the country from colonial legislations and laws .

Modi deserves praise and commendation for making genuine efforts to do way with the British laws which unfortunately still are in vogue in India even after 75 years of freedom from British yoke .Modi should and cannot be criticized for trying to erase the symbols and signs of foreign slavery and thus connecting the people with their rich roots .It is not that the PM is doing this noble work in haste ,but it is the result of deliberate discussions from last several years and the centre government of Modi is doing this herculean task of cleansing the countries legal system and judiciary from the British laws .It is a fact that there can be no real freedom ,unless and until we are freedom from the laws of pre –independence era of Britishers. Therefore what Modi government is doing in this behalf is really praise worthy and all the political parties and general people need to cooperate with the centre government initiatives of purging our legislative and judicial system from foreign laws which are more than 150 years old .

The country has to change with the changing times and we cannot be immune to change but welcome change and so it is in the fitness of things to purge the country from the symbols and signs of slavery ,otherwise there is no meaning and sense in having political freedom where we still have British  laws like IPC ,Evidence act and other laws which have the bad odor of foreign slavery and the government should make efforts to erase the symbols and signs of British slavery in India and then and then only we can boast to have attained freedom from the British otherwise not .

In a landmark overhaul of colonial era criminal laws ,centre government introduced three bills in lower house to replace IPC ,CrPC and Indian Evidence Act ,proposing among other things repeal of sedition law and introducing a new provision with a wider definition of the offence .In the proposed bills the terrorism is for the first time defined .It is so good that India’s government proposed legislation in parliament that seeks to replace a British colonial era sedition law with its own version .The government also submitted a bill that it said would better protect women and children by providing greater punishment for sexual crimes .Modi has said that our government has junked 2,000 British era laws and this is very important for shackling slavery and its symbols and this is also needed to Indianising the civil and criminal justice system .Modi government scrapped 2,000 British  era laws which were a sign and symbol of slavery .

The colonial laws used to punish Indians for ordinary issues and on flimsy grounds .Modi also said sending someone to jail over small issues reflects slave mindset and he has launched a campaign to get rid of such thinking .Modi further said, ’’We changed the laws and revamped the system, which helped us considerably improve our rankings .’’Modi government has not stopped and is continuously scrapping colonial era laws for the benefit of the countrymen and all the political parties need to cooperate with the centre government in abolishing of such laws .Amit shah made it clear that sedition law will be repealed and introduced three bills to replace IPC ,Cr PC ,and Indian Evidence Act in Lok Sabha .Union home minister Amit Shah introduced three bills in the Lok Sabha as a substitute for the Indian Penal Code,the Code of Criminal Procedure ,and the Indian Evidence Act –laws that originated during the British era .

Amit Shah said provision of sedition offences will be completely repealed in the new bill replacing the IPC.I can assure the house that these bills will transform our criminal justice system .The new bills such as Bharatiya Naya Sanhita,2023,the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha,2023,and the Bharitya Sakshya bill,2023 will be referred to a parliamentary penal for through examination .In the new laws there will be maximum capital punishment for crimes such as mob lynching and rape of minors .There will be provision to provide first time community service as one of the punishments for petty offences. There will be provision to try absconding criminals such as Dawood Ibrahim in absentia .The bill also lists new offences such as acts of secession ,armed rebellion ,subversive activities ,separatist activities or endangering the sovereignty or unity and integrity of India .Through the substitution of the three laws it will aim to prioritize the protection of rights for the citizens of India .Shah said that from 1860 to 2023 ,the country’s criminal justice system functioned as per the laws made by the British .

With these three laws there will be a major change in the criminal justice system in the country .Shah further said the intention is to shift from punishment to the provision of justice .Punishment will be administered to foster a sense of deterrence against criminal activities .It is excellent and really great that something worthy is done which should be appreciated .More than century old laws are replaced is a right thing and it will provide real justice to the countrymen .It is so good that the centre government is making serious efforts to replace the colonial era laws to erase the symbols and signs of slavery .

Modi-Amit Shah duo are replacing the British era laws and there is urgent need for making the old laws in tune with the changing times and circumstances and the colonial laws have become redundant as they are incapable to be used in the current times and so these laws need a drastic change to make them worthy of application in the present times .So Modi government is doing a commendable job of erasing the symbols and signs of slavery and making laws to be used as per the present requirements as the old laws are a sign of slavery .Replacement of the old laws with the new ones should not be politicized but instead all the political parties should cooperate with the centre government to erase the signs of slavery and Modi government deserves a pat at its back for doing such a wonderful and challenging job.    

(The author is a columnist, social and KP activist)