Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Privilege issue

The editorial saying that presiding officers of legislatures should move "Beyond self-denying tolerance" (Aug. 22) is thought provoking. Speaker Somnath Chatterjee's caution that "future reckless and contumacious conduct" will be dealt with "appropriately" suggests that the opinions expressed in The Pioneer have been ignored as a one-time gesture. If the paper was spared the consequences of its writings, it was only because the Speaker thought that it was "beneath the dignity of the House" to proceed further.

All players in a democracy need to be more circumspect in dealing with issues involving privilege. It is one thing to constructively criticise the specific action of a presiding officer and quite another to impute partisan motives. The media should observe the fine line dividing the two rather than suggesting that the presiding officers approach court. Unbridled freedom of expression can be as worrisome as is the injudicious exercise of the power of privilege.

J.M. Manchanda,
New Delhi

* * *

The controversy over the comments in The Pioneer on the Speaker was eminently avoidable. But the point is no one irrespective of his or her position is above criticism in a democracy.

V. Padmanabhan,
Santa Barbara, California

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

BJP's crisis widens and deepens
Engage positively with Iran
Posco venture: capital investment or exodus?
Sustaining our shared way of life
Minimum wage must be treated as sacrosanct
Indonesia's burning problem
Inevitable
Act tough
Irresponsible
Admission quota
Privilege issue
Gaza pullout
Time-tested food

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu