Madras Reporters Guild condemns arrest of publisher Badri Seshadri, seeks his release
Chennai (PTI): The Madras Reporters Guild has condemned the arrest of journalist-writer and publisher Badri Seshadri and his remand in judicial custody for his comments, allegedly derogatory, vis-a-vis the Manipur violence.
Demanding the government that he be released immediately, the Guild, also known as Chennai Nirubargal Sangam, said there is absolutely no need to arrest Seshadri for his comments however unpalatable they may be or even derogatory.
The government has the option to file a case against the writer and allow the law to take its own course, rather than take recourse to arrest, which comes in the way of freedom of speech and expression, and civil liberties.
It is upon the courts to take action, as they deem fit, in cases of contempt of court, if necessary. The Guild said it viewed with concern the strategy of governments all over the country, including BJP and non-BJP governments, to "straightway arrest persons for comments in the mainstream media and social media," rather than take the prosecution route.
"The previous AIADMK government had filed a large number of defamation cases and also arrested press persons. We request Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M K Stalin, to not follow this example," Guild President R Rangaraj and Secretary D Sekar said in a statement on July 29.
The Guild condemned the arrest and remanding of Seshadri in judicial custody till August 11.
The journalists' body urged Stalin to facilitate the immediate release of Seshadri and give necessary instructions to the police department not to arrest people for comments in the public domain on current affairs.
"Arrest should be the last resort and only on the basis of final court judgements after the due legal process has been followed."
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Trump returns from China; terms meeting with Xi as 'G-2'
Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump returned from a visit to China, describing his discussions with President Xi Jinping as a meeting of leaders of "two great countries".
Trump landed at the Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on the outskirts of the US capital on Friday evening, claiming to have struck important trade deals, including one for China's purchase of 200 aircraft from Boeing, with a promise for another 750, as well as agreements benefiting the American agriculture sector.
The US President reached here after a brief refuelling stop at Anchorage in Alaska.
“It’s the two great countries. I call it the G-2. This is the G-2. I think it’ll go down as a very important moment in history,” Trump told Fox News in an interview after meeting Xi on Thursday.
The Washington Post reported that Trump’s remarks put China on an equal footing with the US, exactly what Xi had aimed to achieve with the visit.
“Over two days of meetings here, the carefully choreographed pageantry and the reciprocal gestures of friendship and respect between the world’s two most powerful men displayed a geopolitical dynamic that the Chinese have long craved and Americans had resisted," the Post said.
Trump told Fox News that the relationship with Xi was important and suggested that China may not resort to any aggressive moves over Taiwan, at least till he is in office.
“It’s not a takeover. They just don’t want to see this place — we’ll call it a place because nobody knows how to define it — but they don’t want to see it go independent,” Trump said.
“I don’t think they’ll do anything when I’m here. When I’m not here. I think they might, to be honest with you,” Trump said.
"I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down," he said.
"We're not looking to have wars, and if you kept it the way it is, I think China's going to be OK with that," he added.
The US President said he had invited Xi for a visit to Washington in September.
“Xi has done something Chinese leaders have been working toward for decades — bringing an American president to Beijing as an undisputed peer,” said Julian Gewirtz, who served as China director on the National Security Council under President Joe Biden.
“Xi used the opulent optics of the visit to make clear to the world that China and the United States are the two dominant, equally matched superpowers. There is no going back.”
Trump’s friendly statements toward Xi and the Chinese people were being amplified in China’s state-controlled media, sending the message that “we’re getting along better with the Americans,” John Delury, a senior Fellow at the Asia Society, was quoted as saying by The New York Times.
It was understandable that Trump wanted to be polite to Xi, but that the American president’s gushing approach “weakens Trump and the US”, R. Nicholas Burns, the ambassador to China during the Biden administration, was quoted as saying in The New York Times.
“Xi did not hesitate to warn Trump over Taiwan. Trump should not hesitate to be frank about our concerns, too,” he said.
Trump and Xi are expected to meet at least three times this year.
The US President has invited Xi to the White House in September.
Trump may travel to Shenzhen in China for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in November. And Xi could come to the G-20 summit in December in Miami.
“This is a summit again that was heavier on symbolism than it was on substance — focus on managing problems, not on solving the problems that exist between the US and China,” said Rush Doshi, former National Security Council deputy senior director for China and Taiwan in the Biden administration.
“The way that both leaders talked about the future indicates that this is going to be part of a process that will play out this year,” said Kurt Campbell, former deputy secretary of State in the Biden administration.
