Manmohan Singh lauds print media credibility

Kochi: Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh said the print media still had a special credibility at a time when the social media and other channels on the internet were bo mbarding the public with news of different sorts.

Inaugurating the Navathi celebrations of Mathrubhumi here on Sunday, he said the social media was playing an ever-increasing role in our lives.

“We live in times of great turmoil, which is being continuously reported to us in great detail by the media. Unlike in the past, the media too sometimes contributes to making news. This is particularly true of the social media,” he said.

“However, the relatively static medium of print retains a special relevance because it can be more credible and better informed,” he added.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the media had been witnessing a deterioration of values. It should be responsible, socially committed and neutral in its views, he said. Union Minister of State for Food K.V. Thomas also spoke.

Next: Yuva morcha black flags welcome PM

Yuva morcha black flags welcome PM

Kochi: For the second consecutive day on Sunday, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s youth wing, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha managed to break the security cordon for Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

The police caught hold of Srikanth Sreedharan, Ernakulam district president of Yuva Morcha near Menaka junction at Marine Drive here when he threw himself up carrying a black flag when the Prime Minister was about to pass by the place for inaugurating the Sathabhishekam (80th birthday) celebrations of former Meghalaya Governor M. M.Jacob, at St Teresa’s College auditorium.

The incident occurred after the police had effected preventive arrests of a 12-member Yuva Morcha group. Later, Srikantha Sreedharan was hospitalized as he suffered bruises in the melee. The Ernakulam Central Police registered a case against him under Section 353 of the IPC for obstructing police officials in the course of their duty. The 12 activists were released on bail after the Prime Minister left the city.

BJYM activist Sailesh being taken into preventive custody by police at southern end of Broadway minutes before the Prime Minister was about to pass through there to attend a function at St Teresa's College. —DC

The activists were protesting against the hike in non-subsidised cooking gas prices. However, it is learnt that the Prime Minister’s recent uncharacteristic no-holds-barred attack on Narendra Modi too had incensed the youth wing activists.

City Police Commssioner K.G. James said that a reward would be given to six police officials whose timely intervention had prevented untoward incidents. The BJYM activists had also made an unsuccessful bid to block the convoy of the Prime Minister at Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday.