Mumbai: The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) and Press Club, Mumbai today (Feb 4, 2004) adopted a 'Mumbai Declaration' calling upon all the political parties in the country to make commitment of protecting the Fundamental Rights to freedom of expression by adopting appropriate laws defining the powers and privileges of the member of the Houses as mandated by the makers of Constitution.

The declaration, moved by INS President M P Veerendrakumar and Chairman of PTI at a seminar on 'freedom of the Press and legislative privileges' in Mumbai, said, "the political parties will ensure that members of both Houses of Parliament and of the Houses all State legislatures will act expeditiously to protect the Fundamental Right to freedom of expression enshrined in Article 19 (a) of the Constitution of India by adopting appropriate laws defining the powers and privileges of the members of the Houses as mandated by the makers of our Constitution."

Veerendrakumar said the journalists and the proprietors of the media organisations are not on two different sides and would fight for the protection of freedom of press.

The legislative power to punish anybody is turning out to be draconian and cannot go on as it is, he added.

The beginning made by the INS on taking up the issue of press freedom was just a beginning, he said adding, a wider platform to raise the issue will be made by engaging other organisations.

'The Hindu', Editor N Ram, said the law of defamation was misused freely by the Government against the Press and time has come to decide on the issue.

Though, India was in an amicable position on safeguarding freedom of Press, he said their was a need for its revision following problems to the Press freedom in last few years.

The State Government was registering criminal cases against publications, Ram said adding, one-fifth of those in Tamil Nadu were against his newspaper.

He said it was a great opportunity to settle the core issue of Press at stake, the status of Press in India, adding, it was better to have specific and different core of law for the freedom of Press.

Ram said codification will not solve the entire issue but do magic to the press freedom. Time has come for judiceprudence, he said expressing confidence over the Supreme Court to come out with it.

Apart from demanding codification, he said, the matter should be taken up seriously with the Court as there was growing concern on whatever is happening to freedom of press. Senior counsel of the Supreme Court, Jimmy Pochkhanawala pointed the various flaws in the legislations defying protection to freedom of Press.

The ambiguity of the Indian psyche has helped those in power time and again to oppress the freedom of speech and expression, he said.

Pochkhanwalla further added that "we lack the maturity of accepting fair comment on any issue."

He said it was a God-send chance to show the Supreme Court that if the legislator's powers are not checked then the Press can be given a bad treatment.