September 09, 2024 • Makkal Adhikaram
Mutharasan is the state general secretary of the Communist Party of India. On behalf of makkaladhikaram magazine and the Tamil Nadu Social Welfare Journalists Federation, we heartily appreciate the statement made in the State Executive Committee of the Communist Party of India with concern for the welfare of small and small newspapers and journalists.
CPI state general secretary Mutharasan said that even though there were many political parties in Tamil Nadu, there was not the slightest concern for the welfare of these journalists. I have been reporting on this in makkal adhikaram magazine for more than five years continuously. Not a single political party has spoken about this news even in a humanitarian manner.
Whatever request I have been making to the Director of the Information Department, (Vaidhyanathan)the same request has been made by the Communist Party of India State General Secretary Mutharasan in the same statement in the working committee today.
This is because I am grateful to him for his social concern and concern for journalists. If you take Tamil Nadu, there are more than 1000 political parties, big parties and small parties. I have approached many political parties. No one opened their mouths about it. But he has brought a good thing to the notice of the Chief Minister. That’s something to be very welcome.
Also, I have spoken to the director of the news department even now. Sir, give us concessionary advertisements so that we can run a newspaper. Every month, we have to fight. They will run the newspaper with the taxpayers’ money. We can only show as much circulation as we can with our own money. Give us the same money? We can also show that circulation. I am fighting to give it to people who deserve it.
There are so many qualified journalists who have been able to run a newspaper but they have left it halfway without the economy. We’re all struggling. But the director said one thing. He has promised me that I will try my best and that means we will give me an accreditation card and bus pass by this September.
Also, I said, if you want to fix this journalism today, you should bring our website into the circulation of the magazine. Because today there are very few newspapers that people buy and read. Otherwise it won’t even sell. This is the state of print media.
Today, the Internet is taking news to the people. Come up with how to define it. Moreover, as Mutharasan Ayya says, bus passes for everyone, irrespective of whether it is a small magazine or a big newspaper, and those concessions and advertisements should go to those who can run it in an orderly manner. Only then can these magazines be run by people who care about this community! Non-commercial motive.
The department officials should understand this by doing this well. Not only that, but today I am telling you the truth. The legal notice sent to my lawyer Muthusamy to the Press Council of India has been sent to give us important information about it. A letter has been sent to send all this within three weeks.
I hope it will investigate the central and state government’s media departments.