News Tamil Nadu

Is Media Controlled In Tamil Nadu Under The DMK Govt? Independent Journalist Flags Challenges Of Reporting In TN

March 7, 2024
The Commune

In a recent post on social media platform X, independent journalist Saikiran Kannan shed light on what he sees as a pattern of control and silencing within the Tamil Nadu media under the ruling DMK government. Saikiran cited a specific example from October 2022 when he was investigating the Coimbatore car blast and uncovered links between the five initially arrested individuals and the accused in the 1998 Coimbatore blasts.

Despite confirming this information with Tamil Nadu Police sources, Kannan was surprised to find that none of the state’s media channels reported on these significant connections – that those arrested initially were connected to the 1998 Coimbatore bomb blasts. Upon delving deeper into the matter and engaging with senior journalists and media professionals in Tamil Nadu, he discovered that reporting the Coimbatore blast as a terror incident brought immense pressure from state government agencies. There were requests to tone down the reporting, with the government initially referring to it as a car cylinder explosion.

In response to these challenges, Kannan took the initiative to share the verified information with national channels. Notably, he spoke directly to Rahul Kanwal late one night and worked through the night to publish the story past midnight (at 01:42 am IST). This report was the first to link the two incidents, prompting many Tamil Nadu-based channels and media houses to subsequently cover the story after a national channel had reported it.

The incident underscores the reluctance within the Tamil Nadu media to report on certain sensitive matters, particularly those involving the ruling party. Kannan suggests that while some journalists may willingly comply, others face constraints in reporting the truth.

If we compare the reportage of the 2022 Coimbatore bomb blast to that of the 2024 Rameshwaram cafe blast, it is appreciable that the Karnataka state government has acknowledged that it was indeed an act of terror, unlike the TN government which kept pushing the cylinder blast agenda.

How DMK Leaders Downplayed The Terror Attack

DMK Environment Wing Secretary Karthikeya Sivasenapathy belittled the issue that was investigated for possible links to an Islamic terror group, saying that that the suspicious cylinder blast is being talked about because people have nothing else to discuss. In an interview, he repeatedly said that the chemicals found at the residence of the now deceased Jamesa Mubin, were common ones that can be purchased by anyone in the state, in particular Ammonium Nitrate, and went on to imply that it could’ve been used for agricultural purposes.

Mylai DMK MLA Velu downplayed the explosion, saying,”Why these needless words. Those who incited the crime should be punished first, rather than the perpetrators. Entire Tamil Nadu knows who is the reason for this (alleged “cylinder blast”). Go to the butcher shop and put your head in there. Tamil Nadu will be peaceful.” Through his tweet, the DMK MLA implied that it was BJP who triggered the Islamist fundamentalist to carry out the blast in Coimbatore and that the BJP should be punished for this crime. He also attempted to ridicule Annamalai by calling him a goat (Aadu) and saying, “Go and keep your head in butcher shop.”

In another instance, Isai, the State Deputy Secretary of DMK IT Wing, had shared a clip from Tamil movie Kadhalan in which the antagonist discusses with another man about creating a law and order situation through bomb blasts in order to topple the government.

This clip was shared by the DMK IT Wing leader suggesting that the Coimbatore blasts was a handiwork of the BJP. The tweet by Isai was retweeted by Mannargudi DMK MLA and the party’s IT Wing head TRB Rajaa

This disparity raises questions about the challenges faced by journalists in Tamil Nadu and the dynamics influencing their reporting in different contexts. One can see this even in the most sensational news breaks, especially in recent days with respect to the drug busts that are potentially linked to members of the ruling party.

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