Meet ‘Savukku’ Shankar, the man who’s been a thorn in the side of Tamil Nadu’s political establishment for quite some time. A former government clerk turned digital rabble-rouser, Shankar has made a career out of airing the dirty laundry of Tamil Nadu’s power brokers.
His journey from a lower division clerk in the anti-corruption bureau to a YouTube cult figure in Tamil politics is as improbable as it is contentious.
‘Savukku’ Shankar’s modus operandi? Leak first, ask questions later.
His blog ‘Savukku’ (Tamil for ‘whip’) became notorious for publishing damning allegations against politicians and bureaucrats, often backed by leaked documents and recordings. But here’s the rub: while some hail him as a crusader for truth, others dismiss him as an opportunistic provocateur with a personal axe to grind.
His critics accuse him of being a political chameleon, praising the DMK one day and eviscerating them the next. They question the veracity of his ‘sources’ and wonder aloud about his true motivations. Is he really fighting corruption, or just settling scores? The Commune caught up with Shankar in an email interview. Read on…
The Commune: Introduce ‘Savukku’ Shankar to a pan-Indian audience.
Savukku Shankar (SS): We belong to an agricultural family. My father comes from a remote village in Thanjavur district. He was the first in the family to finish Pre-University in his village. He got a job at Standard Motors in Chennai through employment exchange. He was appointed as Lower Division Clerk in TN’s anti-corruption bureau.
In 1991, my father passed away suddenly, and I was appointed as LDC in TN Vigilance and Anti-Corruption. I was just 16 then and had completed my 10th standard. I never went to college and till now 10th standard is my only educational qualification. I got my promotions and became a Special Assistant in the Confidential Branch of the DVAC.
In 2008, a conversation between Vigilance Director Upadhyay IPS, and then Chief Secretary LK Tripathy got leaked. In the conversation, Tripathy was instructing Upadhyay to register a fresh corruption case against Selvi J Jayalalithaa, regarding the purchase of the Kodanadu estate. Upadhyay could be found refusing citing lack of evidence. This audio got leaked in the media and there was a Commission of Inquiry. The CoI said “I could be the one who leaked the audio” and recommended a CB-CID probe. I was arrested by CB-CID in July 2008 and got suspended. I remained under suspension till November 2022 and then the government dismissed me owing to my conviction in a contempt case by Madurai HC. The phone tapping case ended in acquittal in 2017, and after 11 years, the DMK government has gone on to appeal against the acquittal in the Madras HC.
After I got suspended, I did not have any work and was receiving a subsistence allowance. So I started assisting my advocate in his office in secretarial work. Right from a young age, I used to be a voracious reader and a keen observer of politics. Politics always fascinated me.
At that time (2008), the blogging concept was budding in Tamil where bloggers used to write about movies and literature. I broke the trend and started writing about corruption in the DMK government and bureaucracy. In 2010, I broke a story with documents about the then Intelligence Chief Jaffar Sait, who was very powerful in the DMK government. The next day, Jaffar Sait ordered my arrest in a false case and I was in prison for two days. The media reported it and my blog became popular.
This created interest in me and information started pouring in against the government. Since even then DMK kept the media under control, and my blog “Savukku” meaning whip, became the only outlet against DMK. That is how I got the acronym “Savukku” Shankar.
Till November 2022, I had been receiving a subsistence allowance from the government. Since I was getting around 40K from the government, I didn’t work anywhere or start any business as the 40K was enough for my sustenance. After my dismissal from the government, I had to do something. As I love journalism, I got help from friends and established Savukku Media in September 2023.
The Commune: You often mention ‘sources’ in your tweets. How much of that is based on verified information, and how much is masala?
SS: Look, people trust me. I know the reach of my information. The general audience trusts my information. Adding masala or exaggerating information will lead to a loss of credibility. Due to 15 years of experience in the field, I have the capability to sieve through real information and a plant. I agree that, at times, my sources may also be misled. But it happens rarely. If I think people are fools to believe whatever I write, there can’t be a bigger fool than me.
The Commune: Some call you a whistleblower, others say you’re a provocateur with a vendetta, or are you just out for revenge?
SS: I consider myself as a whistleblower. My trouble started in my department due to my questioning of IPS officers getting preferential seats in the premier Anna University engineering courses.
Vendetta portion I firmly deny. If at all I had a vendetta, I should have continuously been against the DMK for the custodial torture I suffered during my arrest in 2008 in DMK govt. But I took a firm stand against the ruling ADMK in 2011 till their term ended in 2021. I was writing continuously against the ADMK govt till 2021.
Agent provocateur, feel it is the precise reason to publish news.
The Commune: How was your latest jail experience? You’ve mentioned the extensive travel due to the multiple cases against you, but what did a typical day look like for you? What kind of food were you served, how did you spend your time, and what were your interactions with fellow inmates like?
SS: My current prison experience was extremely difficult and cruel. I bore the full might of the state. Everyone wanted to do something to me and score brownie points with the ruling regime. On the night I was remanded (4th May 2024), immediately after I was admitted to prison, I was blindfolded and assaulted by 10 prison wardens. My desperate plea for mercy fell on deaf ears. Due to this assault, I suffered three fractures in my right hand due to which I could not use my right hand for 2 months. Even after the fracture, treatment was not given for 4 days. By this time, blisters appeared in my right hand where the lathi blows fell. Being a diabetic, I feared gangrene. Later the court intervened and then I got treatment.
Due to the fractures, to eat I needed a spoon, and metal spoon is a banned object in prison. I was provided with a plastic spoon. In Coimbatore prison, where I was first lodged, the experience was horrible. The prison superintendent Senthil Kumar, who ordered the breaking of my hand, confined me in a section where prisoners with psychiatric illnesses are lodged. The lockups in these cells are never opened. He had terrorized the entire prison by warning that those who talked with me would face severe punishment.
For 20 days I was in Coimbatore prison and the Madras HC thankfully transferred me to Chennai prison.
Chennai Puzhal prison gave a different treatment to me. They understood how to torture me without touching me. They refused me newspapers, which I found very disturbing to me. After I fasted for 3 days, they allowed two newspapers, and once the month was over, they again stopped. Foreign prisoners who were confined in the same block were warned of cutting off ration when they shared their newspapers.
I was locked up within a section where a few non-Tamil prisoners were confined. Though more than 50 prisoners including 30 foreign prisoners were allowed to move freely inside the High Security Block, I was not allowed out of my section.
My typical day in prison started with meeting the Jailer who comes for his morning visits at 7. He will listen to grievances. My daily requests to newspapers were always denied with a smile by officers.
I was never allowed to go to prison hospital till I went out of Puzhal prison because DMK former Minister Senthil Balaji was housed there. My PoP for the fracture was opened by doctors only in my cell and not in the hospital. When I was fasting, an IV drip was administered by seating me in a chair and tying the IV drip to the prison bar.
Books were my only companion in prison. Though Puzhal prison officials gave me English fiction books available in the prison library, they withheld all the books given by my advocates.
In Madurai too I was kept separately with a few prisoners in a murder case. Here I neither had problems with newspapers nor with books. But the heat was unbearable. The prison built in 1856 used to radiate heat at night. It was 40 degrees in Madurai throughout my stay.
The Commune: What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of the DMK?
SS: Arrogance.
The Commune: Before 2021, you praised the DMK and said Stalin was the right person to save Tamil Nadu from Edappadi K. Palaniswami and keep the BJP out. You were also vocal in your criticism of AIADMK, even making personal attacks on its leadership. Now, your stance has completely changed. What happened? Didn’t you foresee how the DMK would govern, given its past reputation?
SS: I firmly believe that once in five years there should be a change in government. I felt there should be a change after 10 years of continuous ADMK rule. I also felt that DMK would have learned its lessons after not being in power for 10 continuous years. I don’t feel any change in me, as I continue to question the ruling party which I feel is the job of a journalist, not to question opposition.
The Commune: Do you think democracy is in danger in Tamil Nadu?
SS: I rather feel there is no democracy in TN. TN has become a police state. Supreme Court in several judgments insisted on the importance of Article 19 (1) (a) – Freedom of expression. Lack of freedom of expression instills fear in the minds of citizens and it tinkers with our thought process and affects the flow of thought.
My arrest and arrests of several people for tweets, FB posts, YouTube videos, etc., have scared most of the people in TN to express their thoughts against the DMK govt. My arrest was the last nail in the coffin.
The Commune: Why do you think the DMK should be eradicated?
SS: DMK has served its purpose. Time has come for it to perish I feel. All the terms of DMK be it the seventies, nineties, or the 2006 and the current regime, displayed arrogance of the highest order. The current regime is the pinnacle of arrogance. DMK has come far away from its ideologies. There is no social justice even within the party. There is only family justice. Neither the current President of DMK – MK Stalin, nor the future president – Udhayanidhi instills any hope of a revival. It has reached its expiry date.
The Commune: Udhayanidhi Stalin or Kanimozhi? Who is better suited to lead the DMK?
SS: Kanimozhi could be a better leader, but she lacks the will and drive. She is timid.
The Commune: People call you a proxy worker for Kanimozhi. What’s your comment?
SS: I feel Kanimozhi deserves a better place in DMK. She did spend 6 months in prison for the family. Only for family – to protect her stepmother from going behind bars at the request of her father. I know what prison is. I feel she should be given a better position. After all, even in family politics, there should be some fairness.
Compared to Kanimozhi, Udhayanidhi Stalin, never faced even a bit of difficulty in life. His life is the life of a prince in a palace. When he is about to be handed over the party, Kanimozhi deserves better I feel, and I spoke my mind.
The Commune: The DMK, while in opposition, kept the AIADMK on its toes with protests, social media narratives, and through cinema. The AIADMK, as the opposition now, seems lackluster. What’s holding them back from delivering stronger punches?
SS: I agree that ADMK’s performance is lackadaisical. True, they are missing out lot of opportunities to deliver a knockout punch on the DMK. But I understand the lack of power in the punches of ADMK due to the confusion prevailing regarding the existence of factions. But, I feel Edappadi Palanisamy is a canny player. His firm stand not to induct any of the factional leaders shows his resoluteness and firmness. This is a quintessential quality for a leader. He has his ears on the ground. I expect ADMK to deliver better in 2025. EPS very well knows that, if he doesn’t capture power in 2026, he will perish along with the party. It’s a final battle for him.
The Commune: How much of an impact do you think Vijay will have on Tamil Nadu politics? Or is he a proxy for the DMK to siphon off anti-DMK or anti-incumbency votes for 2026, similar to what Kamal Haasan did in 2021?
SS: Vijay is certainly not a proxy of DMK. And Vijay is certainly not Kamalhassan. But, even after the formal announcement of a political party, he has not commenced politics at all. Till his final film is released, I don’t think he will comment on anything fearing the business of his last movie, as entire theaters in Tamil Nadu are controlled by Udhayanidhi-owned Red Giant. Let him properly enter politics. We can then gauge him.
The Commune: What are three good and three bad things in the last 10 years of BJP rule?
SS: I am not able to see any good things in the BJP rule of 10 years. Regarding bad things, I can write multiple pages.
The two most important things that the BJP has done damage I feel are foreign policy and communal politics. All our neighbours have become inimical to us and BJP has not countered the existential Chinese threat properly. Due to communal politics, BJP has torn the fabric of the country on communal lines which do not appear to mend any time soon.
The Commune: You’re a supporter of Rahul Gandhi. Some argue that while it’s one thing to criticize the ruling government as an Opposition leader, it’s another to attack India from abroad. His comments have provided fodder for anti-Indian elements, such as the recent remarks regarding Sikhs that have been exploited by Khalistani terrorists like Gurupatwant Singh Pannun. What are your thoughts?
SS: I do not mind criticizing the ruling government anywhere in the globe. Truth can be spoken anywhere. PM Mr. Modi has gone to the extent of campaigning for Trump in a Presidential election. Regarding Khalistani terrorists, they increased their voice due to the botched attempt by India to assassinate such elements on foreign soil. This had armed the Western nations with a stick to beat India.
The Commune: Using caste slurs for any caste is wrong, yet terms like “paarpans” and “noolibans” used against Brahmins often go unchallenged. What are your thoughts?
SS: Regarding the word “Paarpans” I felt it’s not a slur as poet Bharathy had used it. If it offends people, I have to change. I have never used the word “Noolibans”.
The Commune: You seem to make personal attacks on individuals you dislike, whether it’s Sridhar Vembu, Ramnath Kovind, EPS, or certain police officers. Don’t you think criticism should focus on the merits or demerits of a person’s words or actions rather than being personal?
SS: No excuse on this aspect. I should mend. I evolve and learn constantly. Yes, I completely agree that criticisms should be on merits and actions. I regret making personal attacks.
The Commune: Who is your favorite politician on the national level, and why?
SS: Rahul Gandhi. I like the fighting spirit in RG. He appears to be undeterred, and he doesn’t hesitate to pull punches on anything that was considered taboo. One defeat can deter a leader. After three losses, he is up and fighting.
The Commune: Who is your favorite politician on the state level, and why?
SS: Edappadi Palaniswami. EPS doesn’t have savvy education. He is not a scion of any big political family. Surviving and taking over AIADMK after the demise of Jayalalithaa managing the factions and emerging as a single unanimous leader shows that he is a very good political player. Good players make any game interesting.
The Commune: Share one positive and one negative trait about each of the following politicians: Udhayanidhi Stalin, Annamalai, Edappadi Palanisamy, and Seeman.
SS:
Udhayanidhi Stalin
Positive – Very polite
Negative – Careless
Annamalai
Positive – Ambitious
Negative – Too ambitious
Edappadi Palanisamy
Positive – Self Confidence
Negative – Too slow in reacting to issues.
Seeman
Positive – Spontaneity
Negative – Thoughtless utterances.
The Commune: What are your favorite movies and TV shows? Are you currently binge-watching anything?
SS: Favourite movie – Vada Chennai, Viduthalai, Nayagan, Mudhal Mariyadhai, Satya
TV Shows – Game of Thrones, Money Heist.
I am not binging on anything as the numerous cases take my time. I spend most of my time with advocates discussing proceedings. Maybe after I get a breather after a few months, I will watch something interesting.
The Commune: Can you recommend three books?
SS: Freedom at Midnight by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins
India After Gandhi by Ramachandra Guha
The Last Moghul by William Dalrymple
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