Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane’s act of taking back his words against NGO Goa Foundation and stating that he didn’t intend to hurt someone, must be viewed as a benchmark of good legislative and ministerial behaviour.
The fact that he did it voluntarily and graciously will be appreciated. It will hopefully become a benchmark for elected leaders who will apply these standards whenever they utter words in the heat of the moment which have the propensity to cause hurt.
When a minister or someone in power decides to come more than halfway to rebuild, restore and nullify hurt and misunderstanding, then the discourse between the people and the government becomes strong, transparent and solid, as it should be in a democracy.
People’s dissent is a part of this discourse. But when the political leadership accepts that this is a part of the public duty carried out by public-spirited individuals, a person in power also retains the right to do what he or she feels needs to be done for the State. There may still be disagreements and opposition but no malice or enmity.
Evelyn Beatrice Hall who wrote the biography of French writer and public activist Voltaire, wrote this to describe the beliefs of Voltaire himself on free speech “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
The gracious retraction of remarks against the Goa Foundation by Vishwajit Rane salutes this maxim and the right to free speech and public action and rebuilds gaps and misunderstandings. This can only strengthen democracy.
