Date:13/11/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/11/13/stories/2003111307260400.htm

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

`Another infringement on press freedom under AIADMK rule'

By Our Special Correspondent

VILLUPURAM Nov. 11. The Pattali Makkal Katchi founder-leader, S.Ramadoss, has said henceforth the AIADMK rule will be cited as an example of infringement on the freedom of press and speech.

He was speaking at a press conference convened here on today.

Dr. Ramadoss earlier participated in a "human chain", formed from the railway station to the new bus stand here, to protest against arrest warrants issued against five members of The Hindu, and the imprisonment of the MLA, Parithi Ilamvazhuthi.

The freedom of the press was affected on a number of times during the AIADMK rule. In 1982, when M.G.Ramachandran was the Chief Minister, the editor of Ananda Vikatan, S.Balasubramanian, was imprisoned for three months. A.M.Paulraj of Vaniga Murasu was kept in prison for two weeks.

In 1992, an arrest warrant was issued against K.P.Sunil of The Illustrated Weekly, forcing him to move the Supreme Court. So far, over 57 cases were filed against newspapers.

The Speaker, K.Kalimuthu, who was moulded on the thinking that the Speaker enjoyed "sky-high powers", conceded in his letter to the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K.Advani, that he respected the Supreme Court verdict.

The "human chain", from Chennai to Kanyakumari, was the manifestation of the displeasure of all sections of society against the functioning of the AIADMK, Dr. Ramadoss said.

"The hands joined would remain so until the Jayalalithaa Government was ousted." Mr. Ilamvaluthi's arrest smacked of vengeance, he said.

M.K. Stalin, DMK deputy general secretary, presided over a human chain agitation organised in Tiruvannamalai. Hundreds of party workers and functionaries, including D.Venugopal, Tirupattur MP; E.V.Velu, Thandrambattu MLA; K.Pichandi, Tiruvannamalai MLA and former minister, R.Sivanandam, former Arni MLA, all belonging to the DMK, and members of the Congress, the PMK, the MDMK, the CPI (M) and the CPI participated.