London, 13 May, (Asiantribune.com): Tamil TV channels are busier than never before with two topical news items playing out to an already weary audience: the forthcoming election in the state of Tamil Nadu and of course, the emotive issue of the plight of Tamil civilians, caught up in the war in Sri Lanka.
The G TV channel that telecasts from somewhere in Europe, extensively talks about the ‘killings’ in Sri Lanka while conveniently turning a blind eye to the tormenters who hold them against their will. It does whip up the sentiments of Tiger supporters in the European capitals that in turn lead to the mass protest in European capitols, be it in parliament square in London or streets in Paris.
Deepam TV, with its registered official address at a place in the county of Middlesex in the United Kingdom, is in the business of attracting viewers for its audience. There is no better time than these few weeks, to gear up for that ambitious goal – its news items dominate the ‘killing’ of the Tamils too.
Both G TV and Deepam TV are minnows compared to their Big Brothers, the Sun TV owned by Maran’s and Kalaignar TV owned by Karunanidhi’s family. However, they all agree on one thing – the ‘killing’s in Sri Lanka must be a prominent news item in their regular news bulletin.
What is intriguing after all is the way these channels take the time only during the news to shed tears on their brethren in Sri Lanka. After that, they just do what they are really good at – doing business, and as usual; promoting movies and music to dominate air waves. So, those who really follow what these news channels say, have to alternately switch on two emotional switches at regular intervals – one for shock and one for fun – if they want to go with the flow.
Setting up your own TV channel in Europe can be done faster than pronouncing the name of the goddess of the new Eelam – Jayalalitha Jeyaram – thanks to the availability of cheap modern technology and the hunger of liberal-minded politicians to make the freedom of speech more widespread across the television dial. Obtaining a licence is not a Herculean task any more either. The birth of television channels like mushrooms just shows the emerging trend.
The tendency of those who abuse the concept to make mockery of the very virtue of freedom of speech is a different matter – at least until the guns are turned at the very promoters of that in Europe.
Those who sense the pulse of the Tamil Diaspora sense the emergence of more TV channels as the war is nearing its end. With the brutal hierarchy of the LTTE in disarray, the iron fist that used to control the finances has mellowed to a soft paw and the potential for prominent personalities to become very rich from the millions held in bank accounts, has never been better.
If they explore new avenues to invest in, a new television channel cannot be a bad idea. Television is the best platform to whip up sentiments – and then prosper too.
Both Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha know better than anyone else how their fortunes, both political and economical, revolve around the hyperactive rectangular box in the lounge.
- Asian Tribune -
Comments
No surprises here. No wonder
No surprises here. No wonder they say politicians are vultures. Like the vulture feeding on a carcass, the Tamil Nadu politician is using the plight of the innocent Sri Lankan Tamil civilian to their advantage. These innocent civilians should not be the object of our sympathy but subjects of their God given destiny.
The Tamil Nadu politician would do well to persuade by whatever means at their disposal, the LTTE to release the Tamil civilians held hostage and used by them as a human shield. Instead of that Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha were trying to throw a life line to the dieing tiger, Prabhakaran. Jayalalitha even promises Eelam to the Tamils in Sri Lanka to get votes but not amelioration from poverty in Tamil Nadu.
May I presume to advise the Karunanidhis and Jayalalithas of this world that - if you are genuine in your desire to help the Tamils in Sri Lanka, please do not go down the path the westerners took in colonising our countries (in fact Rajiv Ghandi also made the same mistake in Sri Lanka and unfortunately paid with his life). It never succeeds. Rather give whatever assistance you can to the GoSL to help the Tamils not only during this war but even thereafter to rebuild the north and east.
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