The Hindu : INS hails SC order

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 11, 2003

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INS hails SC order

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI NOV. 10. The Indian Newspaper Society has expressed its happiness over the Supreme Court order staying the arrest of five senior representatives of The Hindu and the editor of the Tamil daily Murasoli, ordered by the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker.

"This decision vindicates our full confidence in the Supreme Court as the upholder of freedom of press guaranteed in Article 19 of the Constitution and other fundamental rights," the INS president, M.P. Veerendrakumar said.

"The INS congratulates the press and news media of the whole country for the remarkable solidarity and unity they have demonstrated on this critical issue. It thanks all political parties and other organisations and individuals who have stood solidly by the press on this issue. The INS will, as a matter of priority, organise national seminars at various centres on important aspects of press freedom," he added.

The Madras Union of Journalists, the Chennai Press Club and the Journalists' Action Group said that "the apex court had yet again demonstrated that even in the worst of times when democracy is challenged by violation of fundamental rights and the freedom of expression by an oppressive State, the common man in this country can seek relief from it and be confident of getting it".

The Indian Catholic Press Association expressed solidarity with The Hindu and Murasoli and termed the move to arrest the journalists as an attack on press freedom and democracy.

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