Dotting the i's and other moo points
This post nitpicks a reasonably good article. K Klutch Klan - Tehelka.
It is an article intended as a primer to those who know little about the TN political scene in general and Karunanidhi in particular. And to be fair to the writer, for the above stated objective, she does a pretty good job while also throwing in some interesting anecdotes, that I - who fancies himself quasi-literate here - didn't know about.
Usually, I'd also channel in a 'those Delhiwallas don't bother checking TN details and seem to be writing in a way to best reach a North Indian audience'. But this time there was a mix of appropriate and inappropriate detailing, that I thought: 'perhaps this is as good as it gets when reporting about anything. So I better take my salt-pinches when reading articles about other parts of India too'.
But the article had one too many ouch/funny moments. Details that could have been checked and some other slip-ups etc. that I want to bring up here. If not for anything else, just to show how lax our standards are, if we are to be take such things as 'par for the course' even in our leading journals.
Here goes:
GM: sorry paa naan idhula weak-u
Kamal: edhula?
GM: mathematics-la
a legitimisation of his iron grip over the southern districts for more than 40 years. ....
In the early 1980s, Karunanidhi had sent Azhagiri, then a bank employee, to Madurai.
Stalin stood as if in a trance, surveying the sweating mass of people ranged before .... their Ilaya Dalapathi (Young Lieutenant)Kaipullai Stalin: idhu uchakatta avamaanam
Murasoli had been an MP.... Murasoli's brother...The article actually does mention Murasoli the paper. Then gently introduces Murasoli Maran and then refers to him by 'first' name. One can only hope the motivation was wordlimit constraints.
As Azhagiri unleashed his kangaroo courts, extortion rackets and henchmen on Madurai, election after election, the city’s largely working class population kept voting CPM candidates to the Lok Sabha, and the AIADMK to the legislatureAs far as I know...
MP
from the time Azhagiri came to Madurai, the MPs were:
80s - AG Subburaman Congress - routinely defeated CPM
90s till 98 - his son AGS Rambabu (Congress) - '96 was in TMC alliance with DMK
98 - waeld famous Subramanian Swamy (Janata Party)
99 - finally CPM...P.Mohan against DMK
04- P.Mohan again but this time CPM was with DMK!
09 - AnjAnenjar himself
In fact before P.Mohan the only other communist leader to be voted to Lok Sabha was the legendary freedom fighter P.Ramamoorthi in the 60s.
So there is not much basis say "kept voting" CPM candidates to the Lok Sabha"
If anything CPM was consistently fielding candidates and losing the MP elections there!
MLA
Out of 6 assembly seats in Madurai I don't remember ADMK ever winning more than 1 or 2 in any election since the 80s. So here again, they're wrong on the details.
And I guess this kind of information should be very easily verifiable.
Let me move on..
The council’s president Ramanarayanan of Sri Thendral MoviesI had to include this. yevaryone knows it is Sri ThEnAndAL Movies :-)
But even if you didn't know/check that: 'Sri thendral' ???
With my weak powers of writing, I can't even explain why that's absurdly funny to anyone who knows Tamil.
The Dravidian legacy of empowerment and 65 percent job and education reservationsIt is 69% - give or take a few, I guess?
The article is written by one Rohini Mohan.
Mohan is Special Correspondent with Tehelka ..avarai pathi edhukku solreenga?
avarai pathi sonnadhu, arivaalaa thokkittu enga officekku vandhuradhinga avanga vittukku ponga nu solla :P
ReplyDeletewhoa man awesome analysis :)
ReplyDeleteSo I better take my salt-pinches when reading articles about other parts of India too'. Gold and it applies in a much broader sense as well. Once while watching a BBC story that was in part about RamJanmabhoomi, they showed a bunch of sadhus chanting "Om shanti ..." and it was translated as "Death to Muslims .." or some such. Appavey nenachen, "Hmm, so much for the famous trusted BBC coverage. I wonder how reliable is their coverage of other issues". BTW, Anjanenjan's kids and self are school mates in an IG sort of way, where all of us studied Sanskrit up to 8th class only. Oru petrol bunku, STD booth allotment ...
ReplyDeletekaradi :-) I just find it quite funny when the makeshift surnames are used as if they are surnames. Its not like it's a foreign country where they don't understand that it actually is a husband/father's name. Sounded silly.
ReplyDeleteBNB, LOL @ Om shanthi.
//Anjanenjan's kids and self are school mates in an IG sort of way, where all of us studied Sanskrit up to 8th class only.//
I think I know the school :-) All my cousins studied there. I've sent you a DM.