New criminal laws not a welcome development: Amartya Sen

Kolkata, July 6: Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen said on Saturday that the three new criminal laws are not a welcome move since they were brought into practice without the necessary discussions.

The new criminal laws, Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively, with effect from July 1, 2024.

“The discussions required for such constitutional amendments were not held in this case. The problem in Manipur is not the same as that in Madhya Pradesh. Such amendments can be passed in a hurry by virtue of numerical strength. "However, that does not mean that such changes are always welcome moves,” Sen said while interacting with mediapersons on the sidelines of a seminar organised by the Pratichi (India) Trust at Santiniketan in Birbhum district.

The noted economist also said that without a focus on education, the unemployment problem in India cannot be solved.

“Unfortunately, not much stress is given to this area,” he rued.

Commenting on the results of the recent Lok Sabha elections, Sen said that in the recent past, there were even discussions at the school level on how a 'Hindu Rashtra' can be established.

“But it needs to be understood that the differences between two religious communities are not applicable in the case of children. So I think this tendency was prevented to an extent in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls,” Sen said.