Some people have misinterpreted the phrase “Freedom of Speech” because they either do not fully understand the meaning of the phrase or have a different agenda in mind. Every democratic country provides this freedom to its citizens. The same is guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. As an Indian, you have that freedom regardless of your gender, religion, caste, or creed. This guaranteed fundamental freedom defines a country’s democratic values. India is fundamentally made up of the freedom to practise any religion and the freedom to express opinions and opposing viewpoints without hurting feelings or causing violence. Indians are notable for their secularism and commitment to spreading democratic values throughout the world. Thus, to save and celebrate democracy, India must enforce free speech. Freedom of expression is not only a fundamental right; it is also a fundamental duty that every citizen must fulfil to preserve the essence of democracy. We see “free speech” in developed democracies like the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and France that differs from authoritarian countries like China, Malaysia, and Syria, as well as failed democratic countries like Pakistan and Rwanda. These governance systems failed due to a lack of freedom of expression. The freedom of the press serves as a yardstick for measuring a country’s freedom of expression. Some governments become extremely hostile when confronted with any form of criticism, and they attempt to silence any voices that may oppose them. This becomes a dangerous governance model for any country. For example, India now has over a hundred and thirty crores of people, and we can be certain that no two people will have the same thought process, views, and opinions about the same thing. True democracy is defined by the diversity of opinions and the mutual respect that people have for one another in the policymaking team. Before making a decision, consider all aspects and perspectives on the subject. A good democracy will involve all citizens, supporters and critics alike, before developing a policy, whereas a bad democracy will marginalise its critics and impose authoritarian and unilateral policies on all citizens. During the pre-independence era, sedition law, a British-era law, was used in India to stifle criticism and limit freedom of speech. According to Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, if a person’s words, whether written or spoken, incite hatred, contempt, or tension towards a government or an individual, he or she can be fined, imprisoned, or both. The right to free expression cannot be absolute. Hatred, tensions, bigotry, and violence cannot be instilled in society in the name of free speech. Allowing freedom of speech in the first place will then be ironically wrong. Freedom of speech and expression should not be used to create chaos and anarchy in a country. When Article 370 was repealed in Kashmir, freedom of expression was stifled. Not that the government was trying to undermine democratic values, but they needed to keep fake news, terrorism, and communal tensions at bay in those areas. Before formulating any policies, a good democracy involves all of the people – all of their supporters and detractors alike. During the pre-independence era, India had the Sedition law, a British-era law used to stifle criticism and limit freedom of speech. According to Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, this law of sedition states that if a person’s words, whether written or spoken, incite hatred, contempt, or tension towards a government or an individual, he can be fined, imprisoned, or both. People use freedom of speech to spread hatred, unnecessary tensions, bigotry, and some violence in society. Allowing freedom of speech will, ironically, be wrong in such cases. People in our country have the freedom to express themselves, to share their ideas, views, and opinions openly, where the public and the media can express and comment on any political activities and can also express their dissent towards anything they believe is inappropriate. Different countries have different restrictions on free expression. And it is inappropriate to comment on that. Some countries do not allow this fundamental right, such as North Korea, where neither the media nor the public has the right to speak against or even for the government, and openly criticising the government or anyone, in particular, is a punishable offence.

Urbanization is a fantastic concept that is required for any country to develop. It refers to the concept of urbanising remote areas by constructing infrastructure, which leads to development. Infrastructure includes all of the structures and institutions required for economic development to occur in a given area. Educational institutions, such as schools, colleges, and vocational learning centres, are examples of infrastructure. Healthcare facilities such as hospitals and clinics, employment opportunities, food security, and so on are all part of a country’s infrastructure. It is common to see a large corporation set up a shop in a rural area, and then infrastructure is built around it, as well as development and urbanization. Jamshedpur is an example of such a place, where Tata Industries established itself many years ago and helped to develop the area. Thus, urbanisation encourages people to live better lives by providing them with more opportunities to do so through education, employment, and so on. However, it should be noted that urbanisation is one of the leading causes of pollution in today’s world. Pollution comes in many forms, including air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, and noise pollution. Every aspect of urbanisation contributes to one or more of these types of pollution. Factories and mines contribute to air pollution by emitting fumes into the atmosphere. The pollution of the water and soil around factories caused by their flowing septic is hazardous to both humans and aquatic life. Noise pollution is also caused by mine noises, the whirring of machinery in factories, and other sources. Furthermore, it is not only large industries that contribute to pollution caused by urbanisation. Part of urbanisation includes road development, which means more cars, buses, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, trucks, and so on on the road. All of these contribute to noise pollution due to constant honking, as well as air pollution due to the fumes emitted by all motor vehicles. Even when we are stuck in traffic in our cars, the fumes that surround us on the roads make it difficult to breathe. Imagine what so many fumes are doing to our planet if we are having difficulty breathing. Pollution occurs when unwanted substances contaminate the air, water, or soil. The fumes from factories and motor vehicles on the road contribute to air pollution. Soil and water pollution occur as a result of septic waste being released into the soil or water surrounding a factory. Even oil spills contribute significantly to water pollution, and all types of pollution are hazardous to live beings. Another type of pollution is noise pollution, which is caused by car horns, loud sounds in factories, the passage of planes and trains, and so on. The need for economic development leads to urbanisation. It refers to the process of making a relatively rural or remote area more urban by constructing roads, hospitals, schools, and offices, among other things. In this way, urbanisation promotes development, which is extremely beneficial to all countries. However, all of the wonderful things that urbanisation brings, such as factories to work in, motor vehicles to drive, and so much more, all contribute to increasing pollution. Even though urbanisation is critical for a country, it is also critical to address all types of pollution. One of the most pressing issues confronting our civilization today is pollution. Humans face significant challenges as their environment deteriorates daily. Pollution is defined as the mixing of any toxic element or contaminants in our natural environment. As a result of human activities, many contaminants are introduced into the natural environment, contaminating it too dangerous levels. Urbanisation is one of the factors that contribute to pollution. The negative aspect of urbanisation is the pollution emitted by manufacturers. Their equipment emits smoke into the environment, pollutes nearby water streams and land, and makes a lot of noise. As a result, there is a lot of pollution as a result of urbanization, which is extremely harmful to the environment when it first starts. Urbanization is responsible for the vast majority of pollution in our environment. It’s because factories are springing up everywhere, there are more cars on the road now, and so on. Urbanization is a huge step forward for any country, and it is and should be the primary goal of every country. All people on the planet should have access to adequate healthcare, education, sanitation, nutrition, and safety, and urbanisation can help us achieve this goal. However, in the process of achieving this goal, we must not forget that pollution caused by urbanisation occurs and is extremely dangerous for the planet and, as a result, all species living on Earth in the long run.