Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

The survey

Mr. Karunanidhi's contention that he was against the publication of the survey in Dinakaran on his possible successor, which provoked the violence, flies in the face of media freedom. While what Dinakaran did was legal, the violence that was unleashed was illegal.

M.D. Ravikanth,
Kancheepuram

If Mr. Karunanidhi knew, as he claims, that publication of the findings would create a law and order problem, why did he not take any proactive action to stop the attack?

C. Ramakrishnan,
Chennai

Is it not for the people to decide a political successor to a leader? The attack was in every sense an assault on the freedom of the press. Being a mediaperson himself, surely Mr. Karunanidhi could have done without the incident.

M. Sreehari,
Haripad

The root cause for the gruesome incident was the organisation that conducted the survey. It included questions that should have been avoided. The Government should take action against it too.

B.S. Selvakumar,

Vellore

Generally, motivated surveys are directed at the opposition parties. But the Dinakaran survey angered the PMK, an ally, and caused a deeper rift within the ruling DMK. It was ill-timed, badly conducted, and controversy ridden.

R.V. Raman,
Chennai

Emotions culminating in mob fury are the basis on which most parties function. In the Madurai instance, the war was internecine and the hunters turned on their own master. Technically speaking, the police are guilty of criminal negligence but unless they are freed from political interference, they cannot be expected to act without fear or favour.

C.S. Ramalingam,
Chennai

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