Tamil bi-weekly had carried a report describing Jayalalithaa as a beef-eater
The office of Tamil bi-weekly Nakkheeran was attacked by AIADMK activists on Saturday after it carried a report describing Chief Minister Jayalalithaa as a beef-eater.
AIADMK workers came in batches, burnt copies of the magazine and threw stones, damaging window shields, cars and other vehicles parked inside the office.
‘Maattu Kari Saapidum Maami Naan (I am a Brahmin woman who eats beef)' was the title of the write-up, featured as the cover story of the Nakkheeran issue that hit the stands on Saturday.
The article which did not mention any source was presented as a narrative of Ms. Jayalalithaa discussing with a group of people the developments in the wake of the expulsion of her former friend Sasikala and family members from the AIADMK and her Poes Garden residence.
The story claimed that Ms Jayalalithaa told her friends that there was no basis for the allegation that a ‘Mylapore mafia' had entered her residence after Ms. Sasikala's expulsion.
Ms. Jayalalithaa was reported as having taken exception to the alleged “campaign by DMK president M. Karunanidhi and Dravidar Kazhagam president K. Veeramani,” that a Brahmin coterie had replaced Ms. Sasikala and her family.
Recalling how AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran promoted her as propaganda secretary to take on Mr. Karunanidhi, brushing aside the apprehension of many party seniors such as S.D. Somasundaram, K.A. Krishnasamy and C. Ponnaiyan that her Brahmin background would be a handicap for a Dravidian party, the article reported Ms Jayalalithaa as saying that MGR had argued that she could not be considered a Brahmin as she had even cooked beef for him.
The article infuriated AIADMK workers. A group of them entered the Nakkheeran office on Jhani Jahan Khan Road at Royapettah here after assaulting the watchman. They demanded the arrest of Nakkheeran editor Gopal.
After they were arrested another batch led by Velachery MLA M.K. Ashok arrived and locked the office. They were also arrested. The police broke the lock and released mediapersons who had gone inside to collect reports.
After some time, a few Chennai Corporation councillors reached the spot with their supporters. Besides burning copies of the magazine, they hurled broomsticks and footwear into the office. Later, senior AIADMK leader E. Madhusoothanan staged a protest in front of the office.
In a statement, Mr. Gopal said that though the City Commissioner promised security, police personnel remained mute spectators, allowing the ruling party workers to complete the task of attacking his office.
“There is no security for our lives and belongings,” he said and sought the support of journalists, political parties and social organisations to withstand the attempt by the ruling party to trample upon the freedom of the Press.
Mr. Ponnaiyan denied the allegations attributed to him in the magazine, saying whatever the magazine had reported was “utter falsehood.”
No arrests made
Chennai police made no arrest till Saturday night following the attack on the office of Nakkheeran.
However, police sources said, there is no complaint lodged by the authorities of the magazine following the attack but had requested for police protection for their office fearing more such attacks.
On Saturday afternoon, a group of AIADMK lawyers met the Commissioner of Police J.K. Tripathy and submitted a petition urging him to take immediate action against Mr. Gopal.They also snatched copies of the magazine from many newsstands and threatened shopkeepers not to sell the magazine hereafter, police sources added.
Keywords: Nakkeeran office attack, report on Jayalalithaa
Sensationalism sells so The Hindu is not wrong in publishing the story carried by Nakeeran. These are really bad times for newspapers and journalists. The economy is stagnating and the UPA government is in a limbo. So newspapers resort to sensationalism or plumb for pictures of bikini-clad models to fill the front page. One must of course also remember that it's 'bad' news that sells.
Before commenting about 'The Hindu' let Mr.Cho search himself.Has he not degraded himself recommending Jaya for PM?! It's not the job of a Journalist but a Politician!Since when Cho joined AIADMK?
The outburst of cho Ramaswamy in his THUGLAK function that the hindu had covered the nakkerean issue matter in first page is absolutely wrong as it is to be seen as a report and the issue involved is a Popular CM and a weekly magazine . The news of the hindu never had supported the act of nakkerean gopal or anybody and it only brought the whole issue in detail to the readers and cho's view that it was unethical is wrong. Also his accusation that it was intentional seems to give a feeling that the Hindu is always to jayalalithaa which is not to be anyway.
Cho has rightly commented that The Hindu has degraded itself by publishing verbatim translation of Nakkheeran's defamatory perverted story about Jayalalitha. What a fall, Oh The Hindu!
JAYA PRAKASH,Do you realise you contradict yourself, while praising people as political activists when it concerns professional sacrifice you also mention that the same people are slaves - make up your mind
It is interesting to note that the AIADMK has discovered only now the real face of 'Nakheeran'.
No Political party can sit silent when his/her leader is portrayed and written in such a cheap language. There has to be some kind of respect given to the CM of a state. Nakkeeran lost its credibility as magazine and has to take moral responsibility of these incidents. One cannot write everything and say freedom of press. Utter nonsense from you Nakkeeran. Police should not be silent with these miscreants who ransacked the magazine's office.
If Jayalalitha is eating or cooking beef, that is her personal choice. We should not intrude into her private life. In what way it effects the public activity that she undertakes as a politician? Nakkeeran is making unwanted news for sensation and acting on behalf of an ex-CM who wants to demoralize Miss Jayalalitha in any way.
I am getting into a different dimension now. In good old days there used to be some magazines referred to as " Yellow magazines ". Those magazines indulged in casting aspersions on the morality of famous but unblemished celebrities to blackmail emotionally to extract monies. The celebrities wanted to believe that Caesar's wife should be above suspicion and hence to muzzle the yellow journalists would pay them off.Those magazines flourished even under the British regime.The magnificent life of one Mr. Thiagaraja Bhagavathar who was magnanimous enough to decline even the Knighthood from the British Crown was utterly ruined thanks to the dirty games of a magazine.The publishers of the latter editions of the magazine were driven out of Madras thanks to the newer generation of politicians. Perhaps that speaks of what works and what does not in the climate we live in. Alexandre Solzhenitsyn said, " We have freedom for the press but not for the readership ". Curb the yellow magazines.
It has got to be Tamilnadu. India is only a phoney democracy and everything exists only on paper. People in power doesn't tolerate anything that is written against them and media does not have any ethics.Both tolerant politicians and independent media are the foundations of a strong democracy. In India especially in Tamilnadu, cutting across party lines, its only personality and worship of power that goes on. People below the leader are ready to stoop to any level to please their leader and that includes police machinery.This place (TN) has become so unlivable with every party pursuing their personal/family agenda and rampant corruption at all levels, I will never return to live in Chennai where I cherished my childhood.
Gradually, these people will drive out every peace loving citizen from TN making it the home of intolerant Rowdys and The Corrupt. TN has already started going backwards and will not be long before it competes for the spot with UP & Bihar.
'Nakheeran' is doing a great job and it is the only tamil magazine which does investigative journalism and I would like to compare it to Wikileaks. Nakheeran has exposed many serious crimes and corrupt officials during both the DMK and AIADMK rule. They didn't restarin from writing in depth about the 2G Scam and those bigwigs involved in it. It is seriously a murder of press freedom and the esteemed press like The Hindu should take it to the common masses and demand justice.
Neither the magazine nor the ruling party are showing the maturity to rise above pettiness. Mr.Gopal wants his right to free speech to be protected, but doesn't realize that free speech works both ways. Correct me if am wrong here, when the ADMK workers protest and call him names, they are invoking their right to free speech too..no? Just out of curiosity, would Mr.Gopal have the cojones to write another offensive piece on a popular Muslim-personality like Dr.APJ highlighting a supposed proclivity for porcine meat? Why do you pick on a soft target, Mr.Gopal?
Freedom of speech and writing is the vanguard of democracy at the same time it should not arouse avoidable flare up in society or in the life of the common law abiding citizen. Whoever or whichever fraternity is involved with the issue in question should dwell on their vituperative personal and professional tirade against each other wielding the microphone on the streets all over and do introspection before hurling abuses and vandalising. Who is wantonly effected by this act of vandalism, rabble rousing and the damage caused to private and public property, it is the sad fate of the timid but honest common man. The police and the courts have not only blinded their eyes but also deafened their ears, courageless. In broad daylight a police fraternity was done to death and still no action whatsoever is taken. Where is the Rule of the Law and Rule of the Land. Mr. Ram Sir, do something in your capacity and take up the cudgels for the sake of civilised fear free and peaceful society.
Finally the Nakeeran Gopal mission is completed successfully. From this incident in a single stroke he has got more publicity and money after a long gap.
What is surpraised me is that Jayalalitha not yet come out and instruct the cowboys to stop this attack. It shows clearly CM likes this attack. I have nothing against AIADMK but the way the party workers behave and the way the party leadership accept shows me Jayalalitha not changed yet. SAME OLD STORY!!!!!!
While the attack by AIADMK activists is condemnable, it is a matter of anguish that the new Tamil bi-weekly magazine Nakkheeran has indulged in personal vilification campaign against the Chief Minister of Tamilnadu in describing that she is a beef eater. Media should act with responsibility. The reports and articles should produce more light than heat. Provocative articles without any provocation are counterproductive. Misuse of freedom of expression and then crying hoarse over the consequences would do precious little to serve public interest.
Nakkeeran's article is new low in Indian journalism.The author of such filthy article can not claim the protection of freedom of press.Freedom to abuse the political opponents of 'the proxy owner'? Press freedom cannot be abused to wage political wars.The article has infuriated the people.See the performance of the bi-weekly during the last six months or so.The journal has been consistently crossing all limits.'I can do anything'attitude should be firmly dealt with.If any political party has engineered such filthy article,as is widely believed,the same party may have to face still worse articles in future.The govt should initiate strong action against the journalist.
It is well known that Nakkeeran magazine is dead against Jayalalitha and would carry articles and headlines vilifying Jayalalitha in worst words from it's imaginary stories. Is there no one from the Press to condemn Nakeeran for such yellow journalism. Jayalalitha and her followers can very well file a criminal case against Nakeeran Gopal, Kamaraj etc. and throw them behind the bar for such bad yellow journalism instead of indulging in attacks on Nakeeran office.
NAKEERAN is always against Jayalalitha because of which this sort of article has cropped up. By their foolish activities AIADMK cadres are trying to make NAKEERAN GOPAL a martyr even though it wont materialise.
What Nakkheeran published in its article would not have reached many.. even within Tamilnadu,if it crossed the limit of freedom or right of expression is also worth a debate, But the reaction from the Government??!!... (oops.. or should I say,The ruling party?..nevermind..I think it all means the same in our country!).We have to give a serious thought to it.... the Police helpless, no arrests made, the officials say no complaints received, do you really have to wait for a complaint when public property is being destroyed right infront your eyes?? What democracy or rule of law we talking about? its all made slaves to the people in power...we the common people feel ashamed...but the people in power feel proud!! they have showed their muscles to the world!!!
One should gauge the administration and the ability of the CM in the development of the state, rather than commenting on one's personal traits. Neither of the thing should have happened.
This particular magazine has a dubious distinction for sensationalism which it uses to the point of being vulgar(towards a particular community and religion) and offensive. According to them, obtrusiveness and clamorous unsubstantiated coverings taking up the most trivial and personal aspects of the famous and also others whom they hate dishing out exaggerated and out of context convulsions are called 'scoops' and presenting conflicts associated with worthy issues in a biased way with blatantly disregarding any forms of regulations are 'news'. They don't do business to educate or empower readers, nor do they care about social responsibilities.
This article tries to give a picture that NAKKEERAN has reported something genuine that the ruling party cannot digest. And for the pro-Nakkeeran commentators, Nakkeeran is a notorious and fictious bi-weekly that deserves condemnation. Nakkeeran has defamed many public figures and has ruined many lives(eg. Actress Renjitha). About truthfulness and impartiality, it is second only to Murasoli. And of sermons about democracy and press freedom,both can be exercised with a minimum amount of responsibility. The article (and for a matter of truth all articles of Nakkeeeran) doesn't give any proof and democracy is not about lying.
THE NAKEERAN NEWSPAPAPER HAS NOT REPORTED ANY THING THAT IS
VULGAR OR INDECENT. THIS ATTACK ON THE PRESS HAS ONLY EXHIBITED
THE QUALITY OF AIADMK AND THE IMMATURITY OF ITS LEADER
MS JAYALAITHA.
When I was in the US, sometime back in 2005,I came across an article,in Wall Street Journal on Mother Theresa.The doubts she expressed on the generally accepted Christians' believes,addressed to the Pope,was the central theme of the article.I was carefully scanning the pages of News Papers, in the subsequent days.I found no response of the kind we see in our MOTHER LAND!
Orchesteraised by the high command to instil fear in the media. While the mass hysteria generated the wanton destructions, what pains me is the Lawyers Cell of the AIADMK snathcing and threatening shop keepers. The same lawyyers would have been fighting for the fundamental freedoms in the previous regime. Sycopancy thy name is politics in Tamil Nadu.
It is yet another mockery of pricipal that Karunanidhi is notorious for. He condemns the attack on Nkheeran and 'bleeds' for the press and their independence. Where was this man's concern, when Dinakaran was attacked by the goons of his son Alagiri. Further, Nakheeran Gopal has taken the standard of jounalism to the lowest ebb by personal vilification and campaign. Karunadhi should be fully exposed and characters like Gopal should be severely dealt with.
Mr.T.S.Krishnaswamy...your comment insults a true Tamilian!! you talk about sacrifice of the Police personals on duty in US.Do you know how much a Tamilian Sacrifices? He may not have enough money to buy even a bottle of milk for his baby crying in hunger but that won't deter him,he will somehow buy a pot of milk and climb a 100 feet cutout and make 'palabhishekam' on his favourite filmstar or Politician!He will forget his wife,kids,mom,dad,in short every single individual who depend on him for survival and happily 'theekuli' for his beloved leader!How's that for a Sacrifice??!!We are UNIQUE(??) AND DIFFERENT(??)never compare us with others!!Don't ever use the word Rowdys for us,you may call us Political Activists!!
As a seasoned journalist 'Nakkeeran' should have known the bounds of reporting.He did nothing better than spitting at the sky.Obvious are the results.It is a pity that he needs to know a lot about fearless yet decent reporting.The sooner he learns the better will be his esteem.
Nakeeran's article smacks of personal vengeance and does not qualify in any way near decent journalism. Press in general need to do little soul searching, before trying to support the bi-weekly. On the same hand, AIADMK cadre need to restraint their anger.
though we condemn attack on nakeeran office,the editor should be very careful in publishing provoking articles just for publicity
How can citizens live with fear and suspense when rowdies are not controlled by Police? I am reminded of the incident when Agriculture College girls were burnt alive inside the bus. IPS officers belong to the Central cadre, and the Centre should remove or transfer IPS officers who are not protecting citizens.Although I do not endorse the views of Nakkeeran, citizens are to be protected whether it is DMK or AIADMK regime.
If a government cannot or does not want to control wanton destruction of lives or properties of citizens that government has no locus standi to continue to stay in office and that government should be dismissed and the elected officials should be arrested for aiding and abetting a violent crime. In 1967 or 1968 when there were violent clashes between employees of Madras State Bus Service and college students the police at the behest of the elected leaders failed to take any action to control the violence and stood as silent spectators of the violence with the result many people died. The state government followed a doctrine of " Masterly Inactivity ". The central government should have dismissed the Madras government but did not. Of course people get only whom they vote for. In the subsequent election in 1971 the same ruling party was voted in.Police personnel who do not make an effort to contain violence have no business to continue to wear their uniform.Say no to Machiavellianism.
Nakeeran should be punished severely. Press should not take the advantage of writing anything as they wish especially the CM) and finally claiming that press freedom is cloaked. And spoiling the name of good ones like "The Hindu".
First of CM should be treated as first citizen of a state and respect should be given whatsoever the matter until unless the matter is justified. Besides, eating habit is the freedom of any individual born on this democratic country, which is far beyond while comparing the same with the freedom of a press.If M/s Nakeeran wants to make money for his cover page, he should have opted some other way and not pulling the Honorable CM.
Nothing unexpected, such incidents are bound to happen when AIADMK is in power, ask the then Election Commissioner MR.TNS,he will vouch for it.So much for the talk of transformation the CM and the party has adopted!! Can't blame anyone,We the people chose our own destiny.No doubt Nakkheeran started it,you cannot write nonsense and call it freedom or right of expression. Looks like Tamilnadu Politics and Politicians have to go a long way, to be even called, Mature.
To be fair to AIADMK , the title of this news item should have mentioned unfounded Reporting by the bi- weekly. The truth is that the weekly reported some thing personal and unfounded information about the CM that infuriated party workers! The editor of the magazine shall be held responsible for this.
There is no need for translating the published content in Nakkeeran,verbatim for The Hindu.This is not The Hindu of yesteryears.Your reporting is unwanted.Normally these news will not find a place in the front page at all.
This picture tells what 1000 words can't tell! Greatjob - congrats to the photo journalist who took this.
The Article on Nakkheeran is not Political disparagement it is Personal attack on the CM. Nakkheeran may not like the individual who is occupying the chair of CM, but as a Journalist they fail to respect the Post of CM. It is clearly intended to needle the cadres of the ruling Party and to create commotion. This is not repression of Press or suppression to Freedom Of Speech as claimed by the Editor.This is extremely condemnable. At least from now this News Magazine should desist from these cheap coverage and not to Publish article to please others.
It is the lowest level of attack on any CM. We have to note that we dont have great leaders like Kamarajar with clean public and personal life to lead our country. Vegetarinism is a part of Hinduism, it doesnt belong any particular group/caste. It is good for health.
It is ironic that incidents of this nature should happen right on the heel of Mr.Amartya Sen's article commenting on the glory and blemishes of India's press media. When rowdyism shows its ugly head if the police under the auspices of a ruling government does not protect the lives or the properties of the citizens that government should be dismissed forthwith. I hope that the state governor advises the central government to dismiss the state government. In USA in any crime scene the police on duty or off duty is expected to identify himself and subdue the criminals even if the criminals can overpower the police at that moment. Time and again I have known in USA of incidents where policemen have sacrificed their lives in the process of protecting the public and subduing the criminals.Incidents as in the above news report speak of the moral bankruptcy of Indians even while those Indians in a false sense hubris claim moral ascendancy over the western culture. I hope the governor acts.
What is democracy? One should be able to say (and write) anything - even if it is foolish or untrue. The attack of AIADMK workers on the Press office is to be condemned. The chief minister should instruct the Police to take action against those who indulged in the vandalism. The proper way to act against the article is to file a case of defamation in the court. Or just ignore it. If one looks at western countries, there are so many things written about their leaders, comical, funny and also sometimes abusive. They dont go breaking offices or attacking the writers. They just ignore it. Only in this country, when some fool puts up some foto of a national leader in face-book, then a union minister calls for prohibition of it by the company. This is laughable! When would we come out of this low level reactions??
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