Top India paper staff face jail

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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***The Hindu newspaper had carried stories critical of the state government. In a front page editorial on Saturday, the newspaper said the raid was a violation of the right to free speech. Shortly after the Tamil Assembly ordered the journalists’ detention, dozens of police officers, some in riot gear, raided the offices of the 125-year-old newspaper in Madras. ***](BBC NEWS | South Asia | Top India paper staff face jail)

What sort of parliamentary democracy is India, when a state assembly can vote to arrest journalists because they criticise the ruling party of government?

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Malik, do you have any experience of democracy? The same comments as yours are highly commendable from many Indian sources, but you have to count the existing democracies in Asia.

For your information Indian has never seen a military take-over, a ballet (not bullet) govt functions. There was a black period when emergency was declared, remained for only 19 months.
Pls compare it to other countries in Asia.

(Ps, Though I welcome your comments, as they are very practical in any democracy.)

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^You didn't answer the question Yahudi

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You want me to agree or disagree with Malik?

A parliament passes a law, legislation and people, media oppose it, make demonstrations against it…. this all is a part of democracy. The same is right now going on in Tamil Nadu. This means democracy.
And when the term of the parliament is over the govt will have to face the same public.
You poor guys have to learn to spell the word ‘democracy’. It is not your fault. It’s a gap of maturity.

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It wouldn’t be the first time the Indian media has been silenced after reports critical of the Government. look what happened to the ground-breaking web-site Telhelka:

Well worth reading some of the sub-links to get the full story of censorship gone mad in a democratic country.

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State censorship is hardly anything new here; India needs all the controls it can on its burgeoning poverty stricken disgruntled population.

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Unfortunately jayalalitha is capable of using the police to make a point by such crude tactics. A bunch of hooligans the whole dmk aidmk lot.

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Re: Top India paper staff face jail

I agree with you that it is a shame that such a thing has happened. But IMHO, the aftermath only strengthens the democratic credentals of the country.

If you follow this issue, you would see that the Hindu newspaper has moved the Supreme court and every attempt is being made to fight such misuse of power.

Also the poor cops had to follow orders but other no attempt was made to use ulawful means to enforce the warrant either.

I think this time Jayalalitha the Tamil Nadu CM on whose bequest all this is happening has bitten off more than what she can chew.

Follow the events if you wanna see democracy in action…

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BTW, if you guys are interested in Tehelka, I think they are back up as a newspaper. This should be good. That Tarun Tejpal rocks bigtime…

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A very appropriate terminology, I must say :k:

Its really a ballet. The media dances to the tunes of the government. Never a dull moment. :slight_smile:

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Faisal: *
A very appropriate terminology, I must say

Its really a ballet. The media dances to the tunes of the government. Never a dull moment. :)
[/QUOTE]

It's BALLOT, not BALLET, but That's not your fault, probably you have never heard the other type of ballot and that's why couldn't notice the TYPO. Anyways Let's compare :-

In India - Assembly issues arrest order which is stayed by the High Court.

In Pakistan - A Jounalist has to leave his country and seek Assylum in a third Country for writting against his govt.

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I laugh when people zero in democracy make comments at democratic countries.

In fact Tehelka or present day Tamil crisis are part of a democracy. Tehelka orgnizers and the accused political leaders are seen together enjoying some gathering, Tamil crisis will come and go and democracy will function.

How many countries you can count in Asia where democracy has run smoothly in last fifty years. India, Japan or may be Singapore (a small state).

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Court win for Indian journalists

The move against the journalists was widely condemned
India's Supreme Court has halted an order to arrest six journalists, five of whom work for one of the country's most respected newspapers The Hindu.
The arrests had been ordered on Friday by the state assembly in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

The journalists were sentenced to 15 days in jail for writing articles critical of Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister, J Jayalalitha.

Journalists and politicians described the order as an attack on democracy.

I stand for the cause of press freedom and I thank all who stood with us

The Hindu editor N Ram

"Every institution, be it legislature, media or judiciary, has to respect other institutions," the Supreme Court judges said.

The editor of The Hindu, N Ram, said he was delighted by the court ruling.

"Our confidence in the Supreme Court and highest judicial forums has not failed us," he told the Press Trust of India (PTI).

'Gross abuse'

Indian Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, who has spoken against the arrest order, described Monday's court ruling as "good for democracy", according to the AFP news agency.

Journalists across India have rallied round the 125-year-old newspaper, with protests in the Tamil Nadu capital, Madras, as well as in the national capital, Delhi.

The leader of the opposition Congress Party, Sonia Gandhi, said: "Such high-handed action by the state legislature is a threat to our democracy."

Editor N Ram says the courts have not failed the journalists
The committee of the Tamil Nadu state assembly objected to some descriptions of the chief minister contained in the paper last April, and invoked the right of legislative privilege to sentence the six to prison.

The Hindu has maintained the articles were simply "a rather measured criticism of the chief minister".

The journalists, including one from a Tamil newspaper, have evaded arrest and their whereabouts are now a secret.

This case is a sign of the ever-worsening relations between Ms Jayalalitha, a former film star and one of India's most controversial politicians, and one of India's most respected dailies.

Media associations in Delhi said the prison sentences were "a gross abuse of legislative authority".

Senior journalists in Delhi have said it goes further and amounts to an attack on the entire press.

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Tell that to the dude who wrote ballet. :hehe:

Baray ayay hamein “ballot” aur “ballet” ka faraq samjhaanay… typo kahein kay.

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^MeiNe pehle hi bol diya ki woh typo samajhna aapke bas ki baat nahin thi.

Now you are pretending that you knew the difference all along. :hehe: Yeah sure.

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This latest survey by the world renowned ‘Reporters Without Borders’ tells us where all states, whether ruled by the ‘ballet’ :hehe: or the military stand in terms of press freedoms.

World press Freedom Ranking.](Homepage | RSF)

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Court win for Indian journalists

The move against the journalists was widely condemned
India’s Supreme Court has halted an order to arrest six journalists, five of whom work for one of the country’s most respected newspapers The Hindu.
The arrests had been ordered on Friday by the state assembly in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

The journalists were sentenced to 15 days in jail for writing articles critical of Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister, J Jayalalitha.

Journalists and politicians described the order as an attack on democracy.

“Every institution, be it legislature, media or judiciary, has to respect other institutions,” the Supreme Court judges said.

The editor of The Hindu, N Ram, said he was delighted by the court ruling.

“Our confidence in the Supreme Court and highest judicial forums has not failed us,” he told the Press Trust of India (PTI).

‘Gross abuse’

Indian Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, who has spoken against the arrest order, described Monday’s court ruling as “good for democracy”, according to the AFP news agency.

Journalists across India have rallied round the 125-year-old newspaper, with protests in the Tamil Nadu capital, Madras, as well as in the national capital, Delhi.

The leader of the opposition Congress Party, Sonia Gandhi, said: “Such high-handed action by the state legislature is a threat to our democracy.”

Editor N Ram says the courts have not failed the journalists

The committee of the Tamil Nadu state assembly objected to some descriptions of the chief minister contained in the paper last April, and invoked the right of legislative privilege to sentence the six to prison.

The Hindu has maintained the articles were simply “a rather measured criticism of the chief minister”.

The journalists, including one from a Tamil newspaper, have evaded arrest and their whereabouts are now a secret.

This case is a sign of the ever-worsening relations between Ms Jayalalitha, a former film star and one of India’s most controversial politicians, and one of India’s most respected dailies.

Media associations in Delhi said the prison sentences were “a gross abuse of legislative authority”.

Senior journalists in Delhi have said it goes further and amounts to an attack on the entire press.

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Court win for Indian journalists :biggthumb

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Hahaha… saara waqt democracy ki maala jaapnay walay, stand next to Pakistani “dictatorship”. Tsk tsk… Poor Indians… even arrogance about their so-called democracy can’t teach them the fine art of press freedom. :hehe:

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shameful for both countries.. both are ranked below congo, Iraq and Rwanda..Djibouti, Burundi etc …

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India…democracy? :rotfl: