The bigger hurt

Why free speech matters, even when it upsets people

In any free country, like India, people have the right to speak their minds. This right is called freedom of speech. It means you can say what you believe — in writing, in speech, even through art — without fear. But this freedom isn’t unlimited. The law says you can’t use it to harm or deeply hurt others on purpose.

Recently, two High Courts (which are very important judges) made some comments that have people a little worried. One was about a woman named Sharmishta Panoli who posted something on social media that many thought was hurtful to a community. The Calcutta High Court told her: “Yes, we have free speech, but that doesn’t mean you can say things that hurt others.”

Another comment came from the Karnataka High Court to actor Kamal Haasan. He had said that the Kannada language came from Tamil — a view that upset many. The court told him: “Even if you’re Kamal Haasan, you can’t hurt people’s feelings.”

At first, these comments sound fair. Of course we shouldn’t go around hurting people. But here’s the problem: if we say people can only speak when no one is hurt, then hardly anyone will feel free to talk. What if someone shares a new idea that others find strange or wrong? Will they be punished just because others don’t like it?

History shows that many big ideas were once seen as wrong. A man named Galileo was locked up at home for saying the Earth moves around the Sun. Another thinker, Giordano Bruno, was killed for saying the universe is endless. Their ideas hurt people’s beliefs at the time — but they turned out to be true.

That’s why India’s top court, the Supreme Court, gave an important reminder. It said people shouldn’t lose their right to speak just because some others feel offended. Not liking an opinion isn’t enough reason to silence someone. The best way to deal with words we don’t like is to respond with better words — not to throw people in jail.

So yes, we should be kind and thoughtful. But we should also protect the right to speak up — even when it’s uncomfortable. Because freedom of speech is what keeps a country truly free.

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