In the winter of 2019, across India there were shouts of revolution and freedom, of the Constitution and secularism, of the freedom of speech and the right to protest non-violently. Not too long after, there were severe restrictions imposed by the government - preventing gatherings and protests, jailing student activists and even leading to a ban on protests at one point. 

But how can this be? Doesn’t our Constitution guarantee us the right to freedom of speech and expression? Aren’t peaceful, non-violent protests baked into the DNA of our nation? 

This episode explores the complicated history of restrictions on right to speech and why the right remains heavily contested in India today. Through the episode we explore the discussions on the free speech in the Constituent Assembly and the first amendment to the Constitution.