Certain topics are insuitable to debate.. true?

Kalpana Heliya

Par 100 posts (V.I.P)
Freedom of speech is a defining mark of a civilised society, and to be meaningful it has to extend to everyone ..

However your freedom of speech does not give me a duty to listen to you, nor to have a discussion with you.. We all have to make decisions about what is worth listening to and engaging with..

Your views..
 
In civilised society each individual has right to listen to what he/she wants.
However, Listening and discussing are two sides of coins. Each individual has right to take the inputs whether good or bad. Person should be a good listener to debate on certain topics.
Few days back, there was hot debate on the type of awareness videos being played on BEST public transport in Mumbai. Videos being aired in BEST buses were of "Girl abuse & molestation". An NGO raised objection on the mode of awareness selected. They pointed; Public transport was not the right place to air such messages. I usually prefer public transport, and I do feel the make of advertisement was somewhat not fair, considering it will be played in buses.
Considering, there are few advertisements aired by few channels regarding awareness on social issues, the steps taken by BEST was appropriate. Though, BEST has stopped the videos, but there were no discussions initiated on how to spread awareness. Now in this case, Best was the listener and NGO initiated the discussion. But no solution came up on the discussion, BEST was left with only 1 option of not playing those videos. But NGO had options of appreciating the BEST for taking up the cause of awareness, Help Best to run the campaign in a better way, Listen to public, take new thoughts and ideas. But they did nothing and since the issue was resolved and so was the thread closed.
If we take above scenario, then may be it is a barter system. Take new ideas / thoughts, give new ideas / thoughts. Irrelevant of topics, but awareness is spread. A thought bank grows. New ideas float in. New innovations are made. New steps are taken. New processes are implemented.
 
I read an article by Pritish Nandy titled The Inquisitive Indian in TOI yesterday, which pushed me to inititate this discussion here..

Mr.Nandy decribes about how we Indian love to talk.. throw questions.. and debate over irrelevant issues..Some people believe things that are not true..

Most debates are on questions of opinion and interpretation, not of fact. In debates about fact, where one side is demonstrably right and the other wrong..

In a debate If everyone disagrees with you, it’s easy to get paranoid. If everyone disagrees with you because you’re wrong, that’s just tough..
 
i agree..... that some topic are irrelevant to talk abt.....
its not the question whether we live in a civilised society... its abt proving ur point.......n justifying it ....
debates are not discussions .... where u can poll ur opinion n gv a last suggestions....topics are basically important... and debatable topic shld b in such a way that u prove ur point n justify it...... n be on one side of the coin..... not trying to dance on both the points..........
 
i agree..... that some topic are irrelevant to talk abt.....
its not the question whether we live in a civilised society... its abt proving ur point.......n justifying it ....
debates are not discussions .... where u can poll ur opinion n gv a last suggestions....topics are basically important... and debatable topic shld b in such a way that u prove ur point n justify it...... n be on one side of the coin..... not trying to dance on both the points..........
 
Freedom of speech gives everyone the duty to hear what is being said however listening and accepting is not compulsory . Freedom of speech also confers the freedom not to speak and listen also which can be exercised by everyone.
 
It really depends under which circumstances u r talking about??
If it is in this site then it could be because people just want to increase the post or just modify a bit of what other have posted for the debate.
 
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