The Hindu : Withdraw action against journalists: Vaiko

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 13, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Withdraw action against journalists: Vaiko

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI NOV. 12. The MDMK general secretary, Vaiko, today said the State Government should immediately revoke the arrest warrant against the six members — five from The Hindu and one from Murasoli — and not wait for three weeks granted by the Supreme Court to make a submission.

Mr. Vaiko, who has been in prison for about 16 months now, said the Supreme Court order staying the arrest of the journalists was a victory for the freedom of the Press, a victory for democratic and progressive forces and augured well for the future.

Though he was pained by the punishment and the subsequent events, he said that in one way, it was good for the healthy functioning of democracy. The incidents only showed that there were enough checks and balances in Indian democracy. He was confident that the democratic institutions would function unhindered in the future.

The punishment was "abominable, audacious and offensive" and had no parallel in the country. The crude attempt to gag the Press had been resisted with all the force that could be mustered, he said in a brief interaction with the Press at the Special Court for POTA cases, Poonamallee, even as the police formed a human wall around him and tried to prevent him from talking to the Press.

Terming the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa's claim of upholding the rule of law in Tamil Nadu "ridiculous," he said the State would head towards anarchy if the police were used to attack all pillars of democracy. Recalling the manner in which the police intercepted the car in which The Hindu directors were travelling in Bangalore, he said the police behaved more like "highway robbers" than custodians of law and order. ``What order will these very uniformed people maintain, if they have scant regard for even State boundaries,'' he wondered. The very fact that the police fanned out to different States in search of the journalists showed that the force would go to any extent to please their political masters, he said.

The Speaker, K. Kalimuthu, trying to shield the Chief Minister, was laughable. No one in the country would believe that the Speaker was acting on his own, he said.

On the Prevention of Terrorism Act review committee's sitting today, Mr. Vaiko said he would not want to comment on it. "I do not seek to influence the committee with any comments that I make."

Earlier, Mr. Vaiko and the other MDMK partymen (held under POTA) brought with him to the court, shouted slogans condemning the Chief Minister's actions and the jailing of the DMK MLA, Parithi Ilamvazhuthi, and praised the unity of the Press. Mr. Vaiko's advocates, who had gathered around him, raised slogans supporting the Supreme Court stay. All the MDMK leaders arrested under the POTA, wore black shirts protesting the ``attempt to gag the Press.''

Before Mr. Vaiko's arrival at the Special Court, the police requested Press photographers and video cameramen not to record the event. They said they were under instructions not to allow the Press to record what Mr. Vaiko had to say. Two officers said the last time Mr. Vaiko met the Press at the Court, the personnel on duty had been issued memos.

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