K.Karunakaran, former Chief Minister of Kerala and former Union minister is one of the senior leaders of Indian National Congress. It is true that all media should give appropriate time and space for the coverage of his obituary story. Side light stories are expected in all Malayalam media. All these efforts are quite natural. Nobody have any doubt regarding the coverage offered to K.Karunakaran.
AICC president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh visited in person the body and offered homage to the national leader. This mark the importance of the personality. One among the most celebrity political leader grabbed maximum media hours and pages.
Actually our media are not reporting the incident. But they are celebrating by live shows and multiplied page designing. The last journey of K.Karunakaran from a private hospital in Trivandrum to his house in Trichur is accompanied by a large group of media Outdoor Broadcasting vans. Is it really necessary? What is the feeling behind such a follow? The answer is simple. We need some news to pass time. Otherwise more judicious approach could be reflected in our media.
Karunakaran stood for ‘development’. A lot of examples can be pointed out including international air port, University, Naval office… at the same time he was one of the terrible ruler during the period of emergency. A lot of allegations spread over him including scandals which made him to quit the position. He was a person of ‘own decisions’. To implement his decisions he used all ways. That is why he became “leader” to all.
Instead of analyzing the merits and demerits of the political giant all media focused to praise his activities and make live shows of the journey and funeral ceremonies. Two days continuously our media repeated the same. All incidents happened in these days drowned in the waves of the death. While in life, his death also made silence to other voices.
