In a recent move, India’s parliament has swiftly ushered in an extensive criminal justice reform package, hailed as the most significant update since the colonial era. This whirlwind enactment has sent ripples of concern through rights campaigners, igniting valid apprehensions regarding the expansive powers granted to authorities. Critics have fervently highlighted that beneath the veil of erasing colonial vestiges lie provisions that endow authorities with disproportionately sweeping powers. This abrupt overhaul, executed amidst the exclusion of opposition voices, forces a sobering reckoning of India’s commitment to harmonising security concerns with the protection of individual rights. This development demands a meticulous reevaluation of India’s trajectory, calling for a delicate balance between security imperatives and the safeguarding of cherished democratic values and individual freedoms.

Source: The Nation December 22, 2023 20:41 UTC