The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Revive cultural ethos of State: Karunanidhi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 17, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Revive cultural ethos of State: Karunanidhi

Special Correspondent

Launches Tamil dailyThamizh Osai,published with PMK support

NEW ENTRANT: Dravidar Kazhagam president K. Veeramani (right) receiving the first copy of `Thamizh Osai' from DMK president M.Karunanidhi in the presence of PMK founder S. Ramadoss at Kamarajar Arangam in Chennai on Thursday. — Photo: M.Vedhan

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu should undergo a change so that Tamils can live with self-respect and Tamil language gets pre-eminence, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M.Karunanidhi said here on Thursday.

Noting that the State had experienced cultural degeneration in recent times, he said the change should come at least for the sake of reviving the cultural ethos. People should make it a reality, he said, launching the Tamil daily Thamizh Osai, published with the support of the Pattali Makkal Katchi.

He advised people to treat the newspaper as an instrument to bring about the change. Referring to an observation by Dravida Kazhagam leader K. Veeramani that there would be a permanent "chair" for him (Mr. Karunanidhi), Mr. Karunanidhi said the ideals of the self-respect movement, not the chair of Chief Minister, were important to him.

Common goal

On the social front he, along with Mr. Veeramani and PMK founder S. Ramadoss, had been pursuing a common goal of ensuring that the Tamil community imbibed rationalism and lived with self-respect. They were following in the footsteps of Dalit leader B.R. Ambedkar and leading lights of the Dravidan movement E.V. Ramasamy and C.N. Annadurai.

Mr. Karunanidhi regretted that journals no longer enjoyed the amount of respect and credibility they did in the past.

Clear aim

Dr. Ramadoss said the new daily was not against any other newspaper.

It was established with the aim of striving for the development of Tamil society. He wanted people to point out any deficiencies in the paper. He said it was Mr. Karunanidhi who chose the title.

Referring to observations of several speakers earlier on the issue of journalistic objectivity, he said there could be no neutrality between democracy and dictatorship, good and evil and political decency and indecency.

Mr. Veeramani wanted the Press to arouse Tamil consciousness. Communist Party of India leader R. Nallakkannu said journalists were straying away from their "dharma" (code). CPI (Marxist) State secretary N. Varadarajan criticised a section of the Press for "editorialising" news items.

The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president M. Krishnasswamy hoped that the daily would strive for the progress of Tamil society and culture.

Union Health Minister R.Anbumani and PMK president and publisher of the newspaper G.K. Mani said the daily would be a "newspaper with a difference," and maintain objectivity and high standards of journalism.

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