“Bol... ki lab azaad hain tere.” Lucknow will soon have greater space for tolerance when the Akhilesh government provides space for “free speech” in the Janeshwar Misra Park here.
“Bol... ki lab azaad hain tere.” Lucknow will soon have greater space for tolerance when the Akhilesh government provides space for “free speech” in the Janeshwar Misra Park here.
Based on the Hyde Park concept, the “free corner” in the park will allow people to freely air their views — unless their words disturb peace or communal harmony or are slanderous.
An official in the Lucknow Development Authority told this correspondent on Friday that the designated spot was being elevated to allow people to see the speaker but there would be no microphones or any other technology needed to amplify the speeches.
The speaker’s corner will be named “Bol... ki lab azaad hain tere” after a famous poem by Faiz Ahmad Faiz that goes by this title. The poem was written in 1971.
The speaker’s corner will come into existence from later this month but will be out of bounds for politicians.
“The idea is to allow the common man to air his views. Aspiring politicians may also use the facility but the authorities will step in if the speeches turn offensive. We will also make sure that the spot does not turn into a dharna sthal which is a permanent place for protest. We want creative artists, poets, singers, teachers, actors etc to air their views at the spot,” the official said.
The decision to provide the “free space” to the people of Lucknow was taken by chief minister Akhilesh Yadav who also decided on the name.
“Bol... ki lab azaad hain tere will take off where the traditional coffee house discussions ended. Since most of the coffee houses have ceased to exist, the common man has no place for a healthy discussion or exchange of views. Everyone has the right to expression and if that is curtailed, the pent-up feelings will find an unhealthy outlet. This corner will allow everyone to express himself before others,” the official added.
A senior Samajwadi Party leader said that the concept essentially belonged to Mr Yadav who “often thinks out of the box” and wants to do something creative and non-political.
