Freedom of the writer
SA Mansoor, Gulshan, Dhaka
This refers to Syed Shamsul Huq's article titled "I speak for the freedom of the pen" published in The Daily Star on 17th November. Perhaps the title could be "I write on the freedom of the pen", but then again the choice of the title is a freedom of the pen or more appropriately freedom of the writer. As a professional in engineering and management with over 55 years of the hobby of reading and writing in English, I hope to have the freedom to write down my views.Literary freedom is an accepted norm of society, but what is the limitation of this freedom? That is the main issue discussed in the article. Starting from the autocratic mode of censorship at one end, it can go down to the exercise of conscience in a more liberal and refined way of self-limitation. Writers do indulge in blasphemy, name-calling obscenity and sometimes down to earth sleaze. However the writer (if he / she is worth it) should be guided by conscience as to what is right and what is not. Conscience is not taught anywhere, but is the result of judgement and morality gleamed hopefully through education. It is, however, a somewhat scarce trait among some people in spite of all other credentials. Also many have different views and yardsticks to go by, and as the saying goes, "What is sauce for the goose is not sauce for the gander." Hence the final solution comes to litigation, which is the avenue of last resort. There too judgement varies in interpretation from country to country and is as different as the points of the compass. One does not clearly know where to draw the line. Finally, it is my personal opinion that the write up published reflects more as an outcome of emotion rather than a neutral presentation on various aspects of freedom of the writer.
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