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Champion of press freedom no more
Kolkata (PTI) -- A relentless champion of freedom of the press, C. R. Irani, who died in Kolkata on July 23, will be best remembered for defying the Indian government during the Emergency in the mid-1970s.

The Statesman, of which he was the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief, was among the handful of newspapers that did not obey orders of the censors during the Emergency. The paper left blank spaces in the space meant for news items and photos that were censored.

Born in 1930, Cushrow Russy Irani not only guided The Statesman for many years but was also the chairman of the Press Trust of India (PTI) for two terms. He was a member of the PTI Board for 20 years till the time of his death.

Irani also held several other important posts during his chequered career and was the first Indian to be the chairman of the International Press Institute in 1980 and 1981 and was again re-elected in 1990.

Irani was also the vice-president of the World Press Freedom Committee, the apex body of press freedom organisations all over the world and member of UNESCO's Advisory Group on press freedom. He was on the board of the International Press Institute.

Known for his tough stand against corruption in public places, Irani was also the recipient of a number of national and international awards including the ‘Knight Commander of the Order of Isabella Catholica’ by the King of Spain for highest loyalty to democracy in 1983.

He was a prolific writer and apart from authoring a number of books on current issues he regularly wrote his personal column 'Caveat' despite his poor health in recent times.

He has also written books like, 'Pax America-the war that lost Iraq its freedom', 'Ayodhya- demolishing a dream' and 'Bengal-the communist challenge’. Irani was also a member of the National Commission to review the Indian Constitution. Meanwhile, the Indo-Asian News Service adds:

The 75-year-old Irani was one of the handful of editors who stood up to then prime minister Indira Gandhi when stringent restrictions were placed on the media during the 1975-77 Emergency. Spearheading The Statesman, one of India's oldest English newspapers founded in Kolkata in 1875, Irani made the publication a vehicle for his crusade against corruption in high places.
He was an alumnus of St. Xavier's College, Mumbai and a legal luminary.
Among the books he wrote on corruption scandals, was one on the infamous Bofors scandal involving a defence purchase by the government of prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1985.

His columns in The Statesman, titled ‘Caveat’, were hard-hitting and went straight to the heart of the matter. The writings, usually featured in the Statesman's Page I anchor, were compiled into several volumes. Irani was bestowed the prestigious Astor award by the Commonwealth Press Union.
He also received the ‘Freedom Award’ of Freedom House, New York, in 1977.

Irani was here as Chief Guest
Mr. C.R. Irani was in Sri Lanka just last month as the chief guest at the annual Journalism Excellence Awards 2004 organized by the Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka in association with the Sri Lanka Press Institute at the Mount Lavinia Hotel on June 14.

The SLPI presented a miniature replica of the trophies awarded to the winners of the Journalism Excellence Awards, to Mr. Irani to take back with him as a memento.

Mr. Irani who died of kidney failure at the Rabindranath Tagore Institute of Cardiac Sciences is survived by his wife Threety Irani, a beauty expert, and three daughters. His funeral was held last Sunday.

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