Bengaluru: Freedom of speech and expression is a right given to us by the fathers of the Indian Constitution. 

To dissent is to ensure democracy thrives. 

But in Kerala, to dissent or to have your opinions is a crime, if it is anything expressing support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Let’s give you the story of a doctor named Ved Vyazz who worked in a Kerala hospital. 

It was in April last that he moved to Palakkad, his native place where he worked as an emergency medicine and critical care expert. 

But as he himself confides, he is a very opinionated person. Certainly having opinions is no crime, even if it means the opinions are heresies. 

Now, straight to the point. As the country has seen the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act, there have been opinions for and against it. This doctor fell in that bracket which supports the Act. 

The doctor in question put out his opinions on twitter, expressing his support for the Act. But as he alleges, a twitter handle @yehlog displayed all his personal information and even termed him as someone baying for Muslim genocide, purely because he supported the government. 

 

The story didn’t end there. A letter was written to the hospital authorities accusing him of bigotry and even forcing him to resign. 

 

As he was forced to resign in just three hours, he has left his possessions behind in the city of his forefathers, just like a thief would do when he would be caught red-handed. 
Ved Vyazz laments that through his ouster, it is the hospital which has lost a good doctor. 

 

The doctor, as he claims, left the hospital in a jiffy and even deactivated his account. 

And as he poured out his woes on social media, several people have thrown their weight behind him, including BJP Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar. 

 

Indeed, what has happened to him is criminally and morally wrong. Every individual is entitled to his opinions and can’t be targeted for having views which might not be in consonance with the majority. 

On the other hand, just imagine what would have happened if a Muslim had faced such banishment!