“The defence of free speech seems particularly important this year, as India marks the 60th anniversary of her independence. The country has surprised cynics and sceptics by remaining true to constitutional parliamentary democracy. On paper, and often in practice, India’s film-makers, writers and artists enjoy the kinds of freedom that their counterparts in the west take for granted but which, unfortunately, are far from the norm in the developing world. In the past decade, however, activists of vir tually all faiths have objected vociferously to such freedom for artists.”