Poetic freedom

The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict in a very old case pertaining to poetic freedom. The subject is most intriguing as it involves very large principles governing freedom of speech. The obiter dicta point the way to which direction the judges intended to take. As the case also involves the underlying principles of Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, pertaining to freedom of speech and expression, the judgment is something to be looked forward to.
The judges were emphatic in declaring that while even lampooning of national icons was permitted as part of literary criticism, they drew the line on using obscene language under the garb of artistic freedom. As the case pertains to a poem on Mahatma Gandhi, it is nothing short of a cause celebre. Surrealistic satire the poem may have been, but does poetic licence mean an allusion or metaphor can entertain reckless fearlessness of thought just for the heck of it?
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