Chennai, May 13: The Maran ~ Karunanidhi family divide is not the only thing that is out in the open in Tamil Nadu following the Madurai incident. The media too is a much divided house over whether the Wednesday attack on Dinakaran is to be seen as an attack on Press freedom.
Refusing to be quoted openly most working journalists, including office-bearers and members of various media associations, concede that it is a case of two powerful rivalries taking on each other with the employees caught in between. “The contention that the Madurai attack is a case of attack on Press freedom is totally unacceptable. One side is just picking a cause for Press freedom in order to cover up the family politics involved,†says a senior journalist working in a Chennai based English newspaper. “The cause of action (attack) was done by the Sun group which knew well who they were taking on. Moreover, if you look carefully you will also see that the incident has led to media employers closing ranks to desperately try and make a case for Press freedom. No journalist is,†the journalist went on to add. However, yesterday most journalists in Chennai went through the motion of a rally in city as planned to seek speedy action on the culprits and to demand a secure environment for employees in media. The rally was preceded by high drama among the journalistic organisations for two days.
On Thursday, a day after the incident, when journalists of Madras Union of Journalists (MUJ) had called for a meeting to condole the death of the three employees of Dinkaran, an editor-proprietor of a major English daily from the south took MUJ by surprise by taking the lead to make a case for Press freedom and announced a rally yesterday seeking immediate action to book the culprits behind the incident. The editor was incidentally related to the Maran family through marriage. While all the journalistic associations agreed to go along with it, the very next day, the same editor-proprietor proposed that the rally be called off in view of the assurance personally given to him by chief minister, Mr M Karunanidhi, that day. “In view of these assurances from the chief minister that nobody involved in the murderous attacks will be spared and that justice will be done…I propose that we call off the protest rally planned to create a better atmosphere for the investigation,†the editor-proprietor said. Disagreement on this line ensured that the rally was held as planned.
Interestingly, almost all journalists working in Dinakaran too held the view that the attack had nothing to do with Press freedom but chose to keep the view private. “One can claim it is a case of Press freedom as the attackers took offence to the published matter. But the real issue was only why he (Kalanidhi Maran) was doing it?†said an editor of an English newspaper speaking on condition of anonymity.
While most journalists take a view that they were worried over this development of media employees getting caught in management crossfire, a few others have differences too and continue to maintain it is a danger posed to journalists. “I will not say that the same survey in another newspaper would have produced such an effect. The newspaper was clearly targeted as it belonged to a particular group and those who targeted had a grudge only against it,†explains the editor.
“As journalists our concern is only that employees were caught in the crossfire when one mighty power took on another. While the survey was published by the management at its own risk, what is objectionable is that it had to be employees who paid with their lives. If the government is sincere in addressing the issue it must address the problem of criminalisation of politics,†says the editor.
Even if murmurs on Press freedom are slowly dying on this issue, the case of defence behind Press freedom is beginning to gain a louder cry in Tamil Nadu.
