The Tamil daily ‘Daily Thanthi’ found by late S.B.Aditanar has a tradition of inculcating the habit of reading dailies among common people including rickshaw pullers of those days. India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had appreciated the yeoman service of the daily in enlightening masses on day-to-day developments. But unfortunately, while with the increase in literacy rate among people and with the advent of television news channels, the understanding and knowledge of even unlettered lay men had improved a lot, this daily assiduously maintain the same standard with which it was launched nearly six decades back; but nosedived in over-zealously pleasing the powers that be.
It was in that hyper enthusiasm that the daily has published an editorial itself hailing the anti-democratic practice of the present Chief Minister bypassing legislative debates, collective responsibility and all canons of parliamentary democracy and announcing everything including budgetary provisions under rule 110 of the House in order to avoid healthy debate and allow only applauds by minions and for cheap publicity.
The dailies, at least through editorials, have a duty to inform true opinions without fear for anybody if the rulers or the opposition parties committed mistakes. Dailies affiliated to political parties might differ in this respect. But is it fair for a neutral daily to exaggerate and hail something which had to be categorically castigated just to please the rulers and getting favours from them? Are they doing justice to their readers?
The editorial of the daily says immediately after the Speaker announces that the CM will release statement under rule 110, there is excitement among MLAs and journalists! There is political criticism for the CM reading out statements relating to other departments. But as the CM announces there will be caution and care at the level of officials, says the editorial. Does the daily mean that officials will not care if other ministers announced?
The daily applauds the CM reading out power plans for Rs.20,000 crore as ‘an announcement giving confidence’. But the CM herself had read out that those plans will give benefit after 10 years, so what is the remedy for the present power cut problem? Are not these announcements like saying a hungry man that he will get food after 10 years? Announcements under rule 110 cannot be criticised but only hailed. Does not ‘Daily Thanthi’ know this? Of course it knows well.
Then what is the reason for the daily to stoop so low? Even for the demise of Sivanthi Adityan who developed the daily to this level, the Chief Minister residing on the same road did not come in person to pay tribute. Still what is the reason for writing editorial like this praising 110 rule? Is it their fate?
It was in that hyper enthusiasm that the daily has published an editorial itself hailing the anti-democratic practice of the present Chief Minister bypassing legislative debates, collective responsibility and all canons of parliamentary democracy and announcing everything including budgetary provisions under rule 110 of the House in order to avoid healthy debate and allow only applauds by minions and for cheap publicity.
The dailies, at least through editorials, have a duty to inform true opinions without fear for anybody if the rulers or the opposition parties committed mistakes. Dailies affiliated to political parties might differ in this respect. But is it fair for a neutral daily to exaggerate and hail something which had to be categorically castigated just to please the rulers and getting favours from them? Are they doing justice to their readers?
The editorial of the daily says immediately after the Speaker announces that the CM will release statement under rule 110, there is excitement among MLAs and journalists! There is political criticism for the CM reading out statements relating to other departments. But as the CM announces there will be caution and care at the level of officials, says the editorial. Does the daily mean that officials will not care if other ministers announced?
The daily applauds the CM reading out power plans for Rs.20,000 crore as ‘an announcement giving confidence’. But the CM herself had read out that those plans will give benefit after 10 years, so what is the remedy for the present power cut problem? Are not these announcements like saying a hungry man that he will get food after 10 years? Announcements under rule 110 cannot be criticised but only hailed. Does not ‘Daily Thanthi’ know this? Of course it knows well.
Then what is the reason for the daily to stoop so low? Even for the demise of Sivanthi Adityan who developed the daily to this level, the Chief Minister residing on the same road did not come in person to pay tribute. Still what is the reason for writing editorial like this praising 110 rule? Is it their fate?
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