Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 defines Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the government established by law in India shall be punished.
Who brought this law and why?
The British brought the sedition law to India which is why it is called the law of British times. For the first time this law was made in Britain in 1661, and after that in 1798 America. However, there was no such rule in India before the British rule. This law came into force in India in 1870 when the British government was being opposed in different places in India.
The British wanted to suppress this voice of rebellion, so they implemented this law of sedition in India as well. Under which all could be sentenced to life imprisonment. The British used this law for the first time in 1891 on a journalist Jogendra Chandrabose. He was punished because he opposed child marriage and the economic funds made by the British. And the British were sure that after this sentence people would be afraid to revolt but it didn’t happen, the anger of the people against the British never subsided. After that, the British decided to make this law more strict. Samaj Sudharak and Bal Gangadhar Tilak were twice accused of sedition, in which they were sentenced to 6 years in one of the cases. Apart from them Mahatma Gandhi and many others were accused of sedition. At that time Mahatma Gandhi had said that the law of sedition is only to suppress the voice of the common people. Apart from Gandhi, Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru, and Sukhdev were also accused of sedition and Veer Savarkar was also convicted in this case.
The British wanted to crush India’s independence with this law, this was such a law on which there was no hearing and if you are trapped then you will have to be in jail for years.
It should have happened after independence that this law should have been removed earlier.
The surprising thing is that British law, which is discussed in India today, was abolished by Britain in the year 2009 and Australia in 2010.
Now is the time when new laws should come in India and British laws should be left behind.