N Ram is a strange political animal.
Though a pucca Tamil Brahmin of Iyengar stock, he is also a thoroughbred, dyed in the wool Communist. A cloak and dagger personality, he moved into the executive editor’s slot, thanks to being a part of the Kasturi family that owns The Hindu.
For long, the family kept this maverick away and in the early 80s, our man was posted as the Washington Correspondent of The Hindu. He came back only to find that there was no slot for him in the main newspaper. So he hung around, saddled with the task of managing Frontline, Sportstar and Business Line.
Finally, he played his cards right and moved into the editor’s chair at Hindu. His move coincided with a significant shift in Hindu’s editorial slant. From being a known right wing newspaper, Ram laboured to tilt the slant to the left, keeping his leanings in mind. Mr Ram began by burying the ghost of Bofors, and then indulged in rambling eight column articles, which nobody reads. In 2003, he raised the hackles of the then Chief Minister, J Jayalaithaa by launching a tirade against her. The Poes Garden Madam did not take that lightly. She got the Assembly’s privileges committee to send in the cops to Anna Salai and they snooped around trying to ferret out as to who was behind the insidious piece of writing.
Ram was worked up and he launched a blistering attack on Amma. “The day's events showed not just intolerance, but crude authoritarianism of the worst kind. ... This is not the first time that Tamil Nadu is witnessing an assault on the freedom of the press, but this is the worst.”
Now he is on the attack mode again, this time the turf is Andhra Pradesh. Rattled by an all out assault on Ramoji Rao by the YSR government, the editor in chief of The Hindu has come out in open support of his good old friend. At a function last week, Ram said that Eenadu was being hounded in a political witch-hunt. Fine Mr Ram, we agree there is a political element in the Ramoji Rao case, but tell us how did your newspaper get an exclusive access to an RBI report giving a halo of respectability to Margadarsi. (See Wednesday’s Hindu front page anchor story).
Did you lobby with Mr Chidambaram and get the report that no other newspaper or television channel could lay their hands on?
Mr Ram, what is that makes you run to the aid of a man who has shown no such respect for others in his fraternity. Why did you not protest when employees of ETVs regional channels were treated like bonded labourers and then threatened with dire consequences when they dared to quit. Is there any other ulterior motive behind this bonhomie?
We need answers to back up your actions.
To quote Mr N Ram from an interview “There will be no room for opinions or comments in a news report. The job of a reporter or a correspondent is to write news. Then there will be objectivity and integrity in journalism.” And pray Mr Ram, what does Eenadu do? Please enlighten us.
For a man who played for Tamil Nadu in Ranji Trophy, it’s time we tell Mr Ram about what he is doing. ‘It’s just not cricket.’
11 comments:
hey vikky,
great yaar! this is wonderful and an eye-opener to those in the meida and those associated with it, including the politicians. ram, ramoji and radhakrishna should read this blog or someone guide them to this blog. everyone in the media know how did ram robbed credit from chitra subrahmanyam on bofors case and later sent her out. chitra toiled for the scoop and ram grabbed the tag. nice to hear ram speaking about ramoji. this gave us and everyone to know the real face of ram - the insider. well ram, i've a few questions for you, while accepting and understanding your compulsions to run in support of ramoji projecting it as an attack on the freedom of press.
1. does ramoji has any respect for the freedom of press except to use it to protect his own interests and has he ever had any respect to the journalists?"
2. what are his writing skills to be the editor of the leading newspaper? can he write a single para?
3. is it not true that he holds the editor post without any journalistic knowledge and experience? is it not exploitation of the real hard working writers of eenadu?
4. can't he be a printer, publisher and owner of the paper, leaving the editor slot to the journalists?
5. don't you feel ashamed to be called as editor of hindu, while a man like ramoji holds a similar post?
6. how many of the journalists in eenadu were sent away unceremoniously in the last four decades?
ram, enough man. u r enlightened person with good understanding of the subjects that you talk and make some sense. you also have good writing skills (of course i don't have to certify). this man has only money and nothing else. behind his jackal eyes, he has the state's worst cruelty. stop blindly supporting him.
a man who claims to have championed the cause of total prohibition, changed colours after he completed 'rfc' coz it needs liquor inside! ha ha ha... ram and ramoji... u r not the same and ram u have better things to do than provide a security cover around ramoji.
APMEDIA,
I like your columns. Please continue your enlighting columns in your blog.
-Citizen of AP
On N.Ram...
Hey Ram! God bless you. Let him also execuse your ignorance
With due respects to Ram.. Margadarsi has to pay Rs.2 crores perday from 3rd Jan for the illegal activity they were invilved in. We request Ram to help Babu and Amarsingh in mobilizing this amount.
BN
Abhey Vikram,
kya re maamu.. U did not mention that the two spirited journalists (Chitra and the other guy) who left unable to tolerate N Ram have joined the paper that stands for COURAGE... Pooora kahani bolna mama... dont hide key facts... teek hai. keep it up
There was a time when The Hindu was considered sacrosanct for its role in enlightening the average educated man. This paper too has now turned into a "Gumpulo Govindiah" among newspapers. Neither does it show any interest in catering to the reader's interests nor has any boldness to report true political events. Or should I say that the spirit to extend support to the cause of righteousness is no more on The Hindu's menu. A paper whose history is full of wonderful contributions and examples par excellence, the recent trend of compromising on political reporting in Andhra Pradesh is unpardonable.
Personal attacks and attributes apart, The Hindu bureau is more like an overemployed APSRTC, where everyone claims to be an expert. The daily reports from the political department are mostly written with an intention to keep the reader guessing.
Coming to N Ram in this context, it is time for him to haul up, in fact weed out redundants, who were professional once upon a time. If immediate damage control is not done, a day is not far away when N Ram would be forced to sell his paper to the cash-rich Marans and look towards Sharad Pawar to accommodate him in the BCCI.
Ram, if you know Ramoji...... well and good......, but please continue supporting a majority people and not the minority.
Raasa leelala Ramudu..donga communist. Chennailo ayana baagotaalu yevvarikainaa telusu. Costly life style and commmunist sermons...Chi..chi..
Sampath
Hyd
I am an avid reader of THE HINDU for the past three decades. Gone are the days , when we used to start the day by reading the Legendary “G.K. REDDY’S” reports. N.Ram is an aberration in the long list of illustrious Editors. Supporting Ramoji , who has openly violated all statutes by mobilizing deposits from the Public is nothing but abetting a crime.
This is just a Congress mouthpies. The writers are a bunch of people who love authority and power. Their sincerety is suspect when they unabashedly support the acts of vengeance of that hog called jayalalithaaaaaa in TN against the Hindu. So much for your credentials as journaists. U must be in DC in the company of non-writing editor Jayanti
This GUy RAM should feel ashame of himself for supporting illegal business holder the great RAMOJI and his caste based fanatics...
RAMOJI lost his reputation in the last one year. RAMOJI publishes with Photographs and stories about the small people who are taking 1000rs or 2000rs money ...
What about himself...He has collected 2600 crores as illegal...Isnt't it fraud or illegal or Crime???
I reckon this DRAMOJI should be taken into custody and should be Punished like Others...Afterall he is also a Humanbeing...and not a GOD...
RAM should feel ashame of himself for writing against Stategovt..he is a real StuPid..Blindly supporting RAMOJI and his activities...
All you did is ot indulge in character assasination of N Ram. WHy ? Becase of your inability ot respond to his editorial where he carefully laid out his reasons for opposing the draconiam AP govt. actions ? Or because of your heart burn against Eenadu and Ramoji Rao ?
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