Opinion and Expression are a gift to the mankind by nature, and this is one of the many things which differentiates us from other mammals. Through opinion and expression, we are able to convey our thoughts, feelings and messages clearly to other humans around us. Every human being is entitled to the right of opinion and expression as we all have been given the ability to communicate the same, thus it is held as a basic human right. The same right is also guaranteed by the Indian Constitution to each and every citizen of India. Although, often times we come across certain people who are not able to utilise the same right, or are restricted by others to do the same.
This is a very common scenario from the perspective of psychosocial disability and madness. It is also suggested that civil mental health laws validate the ontological nullification of users and survivors by codifying the concepts of psychiatry and the mental health paradigm in such a way that they are generally impenetrable. The above study highlights the risks of using a functional test of mental ability as the legal standard for authorising involuntary mental health interventions. It is stated that seeing freedom of expression through the lens of psychosocial impairment and lunacy supports the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’ conclusion that such interventions violate international human rights norms.
The Indian Constitution states that all citizens have the right to freedom of speech and expression (Article 19(1)(a)). The right to freely express one’s own convictions and opinions by words, writing, printing, photographs, or any other methods is known as freedom of speech and expression. It so encompasses the communication of one’s ideas through any media or visible representation, such as gestures, signs, and the like. The freedom of the press is covered in this category because this expression also connotes publication. Free propagation of ideas is very important, it is not supposed to be limited to all the mentally well humans, but also to the ones who are disabled. The objective of freedom of expression is to serve four main special purposes:
- It assists a person in achieving self-fulfillment.
- It aids in the search for the truth.
- It improves an individual’s ability to participate in decision-making.
- It provides a system through which an acceptable balance between stability and societal change can be achieved.
- Every member of society would be free to create their own beliefs and openly share them with others.
It is often seen that the psychosocial disability which arises from mental health issues often deprives an individual from many social events and rights. It is essentially because of the way the society looks upon the mental health issues, and it is far more prevalent in our society. This is due to the fact that many of us were never educated about mental health issues, and when we encounter such an event, it is bewildering for us and a majority of our society makes fun of these people and deprive them of their rights.
To ensure that such a thing does not occur in the society anymore, we have to start imparting education to the new generation and teach them about various mental health issues; and also teach them how to help individuals who are deprived of their rights. This will help the world be a better place to live in for every individual.