Kapil Sibal Quotes
We do not want to interfere with the freedom of press.
Sibal, Kapil. Statement on media guidelines. The Times of India, 24 Mar. 2012.
Two decades later Jefferson, after his Presidency, had developed a different attitude towards the press. See {585116}.
The statement was in protest to the Spanish arrest of a Syrian born journalist, Taysir Alluni, who had been accused of supporting Al-Quaeda cells in Spain by moving money to the cells. Alluni was well connected with Al-Quaeda as he had reported on them for some time and had personally interviewed Osama Bin Laden. Many believe that the cash was a cultural misinterpretation of the Muslim custom of sending cash as a wedding present which the Spanish authorities may have misinterpreted as financing of terrorism. Many believe that he is the victim of Anti-Islamic bias. While many legitimate news organizations are are troubled by this case, the Syrian protest is particularly ironic. In Syria there is not freedom of the press and any reporter can go to jail for offenses from insulting Islam to disparaging the Syrian government and its officials. There is no such thing as freedom of expression in Syria and there has not been since the Baathists gained control of the government.
Jefferson was visited by a famous German scientist who read a newspaper in the President's study which viciously attacked Jefferson. The scientist asked why this was allowed in America:
Note how the second paragraph nullifies the first of the government declares an emergency. This is a trick that is very common in constitutions.
Arguing against explicit guarantees of press freedom in the Constitution Hamilton felt that the freedom could be maintained by public opinion and the good will of government:
The evils of the time were even worse than in modern times. Most newspapers, journals, and periodicals were in 1835 actually owned and operated by political parties or people totally identified with political parties. In modern times, there are publications and blogs which are controlled by political forces, but most are not.
Virginia had adopted this right almost 20 years before it was added in the Bill of Rights to our Federal Constitution. Mason had drafted it.
Kapil Sibal is an Indian politician belonging to the Indian National Congress party. A lawyer, he formerly served at the helm of various ministries in the Congress-led UPA government over the years – beginning with the Ministry of Science & Technology, then the Ministry of Human Resource Development followed by the Ministry of Communications & IT, and the Ministry of Law & Justice.
