Report No. 101

4.8. Present position anomalous.-

Having taken into consideration all aspects of the matter, we have come anomalous to the conclusion that to limit the fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression to natural persons (as is the position at present) leads to serious anomalies. It has the effect of excluding a pretty large number of entities who deserve the protection in question as much as natural persons. As we have tried to show, such bodies and associations have come to acquire a role of their own and to leave them out of protection of Article 19(1)(a) amounts to denying the benefit to a fairly sizeable proportion of humanity within the country, whose claim to a constitutionally favourable climate for its self-expression cannot be seriously disputed.