Chennai Press Club
Government Estate
Chennai-600 002
Phone: 25364184
Fax: 25393757
March 6, 2003
Dear Friend,
You must be aware, through the various media reports and even personal contacts, about the series of oppressive measures against journalists and attempts to muzzle the Media by the Tamil Nadu Government.
Even the faintest suggestion of constructive criticism meets with strong reactions from the Government. It has become a common practice for the Administration to launch defamation suits against media organizations and journalists, just to intimidate the Press, and to ensure there is no voice of dissent, not even an objective channel of true information for the people.
An illustration of this Government’s intolerance towards any media criticism can be seen in the number of defamation suits it has filed against news organizations and journalists. The Hindu is facing five cases, Dinakaran faces seven cases, Statesman has five, Dinamalar has two, Dinamani two, New Indian Express two and Junior Vikatan two.
When the AIADMK was in power the last time, during 1991-96, over 100 defamation cases were filed against media organizations and journalists. All these cases were withdrawn at one stroke just before the elections for obvious reasons.
The anti-Press attitude of the Government often reflects on the behaviour of the ruling party members towards journalists, as was seen during the recent Sattankulam Assembly byelection, when reporters who had gone there to cover the event, were hit by chappals and stones.
There have been series of police raids and arrests against the staff of the Tamil magazine `Nakkeeran’, which do not seem to follow the book of law.
Journalists in Tamil Nadu, including senior Editors, are participating in a demonstration being held at Chennai and all the district headquarters on March 10, 2003, at ten in the morning. The agitation, with black cloth tied to the mouth and holding pens aloft, is to express anguish at the Government’s attempts to gag the Media.
This is to request you to kindly inform your members to wear black badges on March 10th to express solidarity with your brethren here. Your support will go a long way in helping us fight for a Free Press in Tamil Nadu.
S M Balasubramanian / MUJ
A Elango / CPC
R Bhagwan Singh / JAGRelated link: Rising intolerence
http://www.cyberjournalist.org.in