Ramki,

>> why dont we amend the constitution...

If you thought I was suggesting constitutional amendment you are more stupid than I thought.

Arun,

>> why should we not change as we modernize and democratise.

Modernization occurs at its own pace. It was not so long ago that books like "The Grapes of Wrath", "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and even "The Diary of Anne Frank" were banned by one or more institutions in the United States.

By the way, courts have ruled that there are exceptions even to the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech, such as inciting immediate lawless action, libel, slander, child pornography, inflicting  severe emotional distress intentionally and knowingly, and threats of violence that are directed at a person or group of persons that has the intent of placing the target at risk of bodily harm or death.

 I would only say that let us enact a new law, that is applicable to all artistic works of future. The law should be consistent and uniformly applicable to all gods/prophets of all faiths.

Let every artistic piece of work be certified that it does not hurt or defame any religion or any god or any prophet and then only released to public.

Now question comes like - does this blanket law remove all rights of free thinking and free speech and questioning of all religions etc etc..

The answer could be this - If a piece of art (film, theater, painting) etc offends any faith, let it be certified as a special A grade film, can be shown only to adult audiences and more importantly must be taxed at special rates (or through special cess) and the taxation money should be used to protect places of worship (from offensive, inflammatory folks) and also maintain law and order.

Maybe as India developes , urbanizes etc, we slowly remove this restriction and become fully free nation even as we also alter our constitution and remove those sections like Article 370, separate civil code for some faiths etc ...

This is just one of the suggestions... We need an informed debate...

But moral of story is - the status quo at present - where only one religion (hinduism) is the punching bag while all other faiths are holy cows is SIMPLY SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE.

 Anwaar >> Such material has previously been depicted in some European documentary shorts, but India is a tinderbox, and such themes in a mega-release film which will reach massive audiences may be considered by some to be problematic.

The constitution of India, a largely perfect legal structure has some flaws in giving special privileges to one state (because they follow some faith in majority) and some provisions such as separate civil code for some communities. This theme is a problematic one that hints that some other communities which are also part of India do not deserve any sympathy or attenting.

So why dont we amend the constitution and make it truly secular in every sense?

 Anwaar ... OK so it is fact. My question really was why is it so that India is a Tinderbox. The "why" you seem to suggesting is we are "emotional". Assume you are right, why should we not change as we modernize and democratise. Why keep solving the problem by playing into this "emotionalism" rather than deciding this isn't the way to modernize and democratise?

Our colonial masters thought of us as adult-child and hence needing the colonial masters as the parents. Our current elite, including our masters (political or social or economic) have taken the same page from the colonists and want us to continue that way.

We are regressing.