Dinakaran arson incident comes for worldwide condemnation

The attack on the Dinakaran offices in Madurai by DMK supporters Wednesday has come in for condemnation from press freedom organisations worldwide.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) mourned the deaths of three employees of Tamil daily Dinakaran who were killed in an attack on the newspaper’s offices. “We are horrified by the attack on Dinakaran newspaper and mourn these three deaths,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “Those responsible must be brought to justice.”

Two computer engineers and a security guard died of asphyxiation after a group of people threw firebombs into offices housing Dinakaran, Sun TV, and other media outlets during a protest. The protesters were angry with an opinion poll published by Dinakaran that indicated public support for MK Stalin’s bid for election as chief minister of Tamil Nadu, a post currently held by his father M Karunanidhi. Stalin’s chief political rival is his elder brother, MK Azhagiri.

The victims were identified as engineers M Vind Kumar and G Gopinath and security guard K Muthuranalingam.

Journalists at the affected news outlets held protests Thursday urging the arrest of Azhagiri, whom they held responsible for the attack. Chief Minister M Karunanidhi called on authorities to investigate the incident.

“Since the case concerned my family members, a probe by Tamil Nadu police is not sufficient and hence I have decided that the investigation should be done by the Central Bureau of Investigation,” said Karunanidhi.

Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) voiced outrage at the death of three employees in the incident. “The nepotism and political feudalism reigning in certain Indian states leads to this kind of violence against the press,” RSF said, urging the police to question MK Azhagiri immediately.

International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) President Christopher Warren said the shocking scenes sent a sobering message to the international community. “This appalling act of violence against Dinakaran is a gross violation on the freedom of speech and media safety in India,” Warren said.

“The deaths of Kumar, Gopinath and Muthramalingam are sad proof that journalists are not the only victims when the press is forcibly silenced; all media workers are at risk,” he said. “It is abominable that protesters are violently venting their frustrations on the media, the very people they rely on for information during these politically volatile times,” Warren said.

The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) expressed "shock and horror" at the attack and urged the government to take urgent steps to bring the culprits to book. It shot off letters to the Prime Minister and Tamil Nadu chief minister asking them to view the incident with "utmost seriousness" so that "miscreants and criminal elements" do not feel that they can force the press into submission.

"If criminal elements and miscreants are allowed to get away with such violence and threats and if coercive methods are used against newspaper for what they publish, then the freedom of press is under serious threat," the INS said in the letter.

The society also felt that "if newspapers and other media are unable to publish news and views without fear or favour, then the very foundation of the democratic polity will get damaged. The government must view that these developments with utmost seriousness and take urgent steps to bring the culprits to book" to ensure that "criminal elements do not feel that they can force the press into submission without fear of the long arm of the law."