Everyone may be aware of the fact that the Coimbatore office of The Hindu, India’s national newspaper, has been attacked by a faction of Tamil chauvinist group last week.
The article titled ‘The dangers of Tamil chauvinism’ by Malini Parthasarathy, Senior Sub Editor of The Hindu, might have enraged the sentiments of the lesser known Tamil chauvinist group - Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam.
Malini Parthasarathy, in her above mentioned article, has clearly stated that the LTTE which is active in Srilanka is nothing but a terrorist group and the path it has been following over the years to resolve the issue of Tamilians has no respect in any democratic society. Over the years the LTTE has been engaged in murdering Srilankan ministers and innocent civilians who have got nothing to do with the political affairs of the State.
The Hindu in its editorial pages has condemned this inhuman and anti-democratic behaviour of the LTTE. The Hindu has never turned a blind eye towards the problems faced by Srilankan Tamils. I have observed it over the years as a reader of this finest newspaper – The Hindu.
I, as a student of journalism and as an ardent supporter of the freedom of press, disagree with what the Tamil chauvinists have done to The Hindu. In any democratic country political and social dissents are common and it is the duty of every responsible citizen to respect the dissents, if one cannot accept it.
In India we have every right to question each and every line what the newspapers publish. This questioning has to be done at the court of law; not on the streets by pelting stones at the office of such a highly esteemed newspaper.
The political parties of Tamil Nadu, too, are playing a cheap political game by forcing the central government to act on this issue. Srilanka is a sovereign country, as India is, and the way it has been dealing with the LTTE is the internal matter of the Srilankan government. One must, particularly the Tamil Nadu politicians, remember that the notorious LTTE has been branded as “terrorist” group by over 40 nations and it has been banned in those nations.
As the Indian state is facing problem from the terrorist groups like Indian Mujahidin, Srilanka has been facing many kinds of problems from the LTTE hooligans. The Hindu has rightly condemned this hooliganism of the LTTE by strong words.
The Tamil politicians must understand that this nation has lost a young and charismatic Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, for interfering in the internal affairs of Srilanka. Needless to say, the LTTE is the solely responsible notorious organization behind the murder of Rajiv Gandhi.
We, the Indians, do not expect any other nations to interfere in the affairs of Kashmir which is an inseparable part of this nation since thousands of years. In the same way Srilankans, too, do not like a neighboring country (read India) to interfere in its very internal affairs.
This is what every sane person has to understand. The attack on the newspaper offices and attempts by the anti-democratic groups to gag the freedom of the press has to be condemned. Every person who respects the freedom of expression must, keeping his political inclinations aside for a while, stand by the editorial board of The Hindu.
I, an ardent reader of The Hindu and a student of journalism, express my support to The Hindu and strongly condemn the rude and unconstitutional attack on The Hindu. Soon the Tamilian political leadership understands this; the better.
ಕಾಮೆಂಟ್ಗಳು