'Give me liberty or give me death' said Patrick Henry in 1775. 

Dissent, in the simplest form, is holding opinions that are often different from the generally accepted norm. In the simplest sense, it is going against the grain and popularly held belief. Therefore, the Right to Dissent then becomes essential for any country that wants to call itself a democracy, for a democracy is for the people, by the people and of the people. And people are different, even unique in many cases. 

The Right to Dissent is one of the most important pillars of a functioning democracy. Not only does it protect those whose opinions are different from your own, it also guarantees them the same rights as everyone else in the country. Which brings us to the current state of 'democracy' in India, where words are met with bullets. 

At around 8:15 PM yesterday night, noted journalist and a vocal critic of Hindutva politics, BJP and the RSS, Gauri Lankesh was shot 4 times and murdered in cold blood. Logic would tell you that the murderer could have been anyone but considering the history of her work and her vocal criticism of the current ruling right wing, and the fact that she was preparing for a retrial against the corrupt ministers who had forced a defamation suit against her late last year, it becomes increasingly difficult to believe that this wasn't a political murder. But this piece is not about pointing fingers and blaming one side. 

No, this article is to celebrate the values for which she stood for, primarily the right to dissent. "The Right to Dissent is being threatened," she said to The Indian Express in November of 2016, right after she was sentenced by a magistrate court for merely carrying an article critical of two BJP leaders. She went on to say that she wasn't worried about the judicial proceedings. But, what exactly did she mean by the right to dissent being under threat?

Violence for words: 

I have a little experiment. It'll be easier if you're a woman who is somewhat fairly active on social media. Simply go to a Facebook news page and comment something critical about the current government, then simply wait for a few hours. Chances are you'll end up getting messages from men calling you the most disgusting of things.  

They will resort to whataboutery, sexism, rape threats, murder threats and more, just to shut you up for a grave crime you've apparently committed. That crime is having a different opinion than the rest of the herd, or something that is not commonly accepted. Of course, if you're a woman, how dare you even voice your opinion? These men will make it a point to tell you that. 

We live in a country that refused to hold the government responsible for total administrative failure in Gorakhpur's BRD Hospital, instead, they merely found a scapegoat to blame and swept it under the rug. We live in a country where public lynchings are justified by common people, educated people who have grown up in privilege. We live in a country where we let people murder in the name of the cow. 

So does it really surprise you that these men, men who only know how to defend their baseless beliefs with violence, will resort to even more violence in response to words? The written word should be met with the written word, not with threats of violence that are then carried out. 

The Right to Dissent: 

Which brings us back to The Right to Dissent. A democracy is nothing if it does not allow its people to criticise it openly and willingly. A democracy is a sham if the people in it are afraid to speak out against the abuses of power of the government, and it doesn't matter which government is in power, whether the right or the left. Both wings have shown their penchant for authoritarianism around the world, but as of now, we are dangerously close to becoming a right wing authoritarian state, which is why it is imperative for us to protect our democratic institutions.   

This is where you, the student, comes in. You will inherit this country when you become citizens tomorrow. You will become voters, job holders, entrepreneurs, parents. Ask yourself if you really want a future where you can never question your elected leaders. Ask yourself if someone should lose their life for speaking against the establishment. 

stuMagz is not a platform for political writings, and yet, I'm writing this here for one purpose: students need to know. They need to know that as citizens of this country, it is their right to question everything the government does. It is their right to call out the hypocrisy of any ruling government or person and question them on the issues of policy. It is your right, and you need to protect it before it is lost. 

Gauri Lankesh's murder will not be forgotten. While the average Indian's confidence in the Police Force is a matter of comedy for our movies, expecting justice itself might just be a fool's errand. The similar murders of anti-establishment rationalists over the years remain unsolved, after all. I can only wonder if the perpetrators think this one murder will buy them the silence of thousands, while there are millions of others who are 'too cool for politics.'

Don't be afraid of what happened to Gauri Lankesh. Instead, be angry. Use that anger, and fight back. This country needs more rational people than those who celebrate the her murder, and they are indeed doing that. I suppose the political affiliations of those celebrating Lankesh's murder are also a mere coincidence. 

A democracy without a dissenter is impossible. So if you're the type of person that is privileged enough to ignore the politics around you, it is time to wake up. Because by the time you have something to say, it might be too late and there will be nobody left to speak for you.