India, June 23 -- In a great relief to those who uphold free speech, the Supreme Court on Thursday, June 19, directed the Karnataka Government to provide full protection for the screening of "Thug Life," the new film starring actor-politician Kamal Haasan.

The movie was set to open in Karnataka on June 5, but it was mired in controversy over Kamal Haasan's comment about the Kannada language being "born out of Tamil." "The remark, at an event in Chennai, led to anger among various pro-Kannada groups.

They demanded an unconditional apology from Kamal Haasan, but he stood his ground. He argued that his comment had been misunderstood, and while he respected the Kannada language, he held his fundamental right to freedom of speech and express...