How the media covered the launch of ADMK and subsequent developments

How the media covered the launch of ADMK and subsequent developments

1 of 2 Landmark events: M.G. Ramachandran’s fans taking out a procession after garlanding the statue of C.N. Annadurai in Madurai on October 15, 1972. At right, MGR addressing a huge gathering from a special rostrum erected at the foot of the Anna Statue on Anna Salai, Madras, hours after he was sworn in as the Chief Minister on June 30, 1977.The Hindu Archivesprevnext

While carrying a substantial number of reports concerning the ADMK on the pages meant for the State, The Hindu, however, published prominently on the front page atthe time of key developments — be it the suspension of MGR from the DMK, or the formation of ADMK, or its spectacular success in the 1973 Dindigul Lok Sabha by-election

T. Ramakrishnan

The extensive media coverage of the maiden State-level conference of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by actor Vijay, has spurred interest among the intelligentsia in how the press fared at the time of the inauguration of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which was established by veteran actor and former DMK treasurer M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) in October 1972.

The Hindu’s approach towards vividly capturing the political events of Tamil Nadu can be evident from its coverage of developments leading to the formation of the AIADMK in 1972 and the events until after the party was voted to power in June 1977. A search in the newspaper’s internal archival system for the term, ADMK (Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which was how the party was called until September 1976), threw up 756 entries for reports published from October 1972 to December 1973.

While carrying a substantial number of the reports concerning the ADMK in the pages meant for the State, the newspaper, however, published on page 1 reports of key developments — be it the suspension of MGR from the DMK, or the formation of the ADMK, or its spectacular success in the 1973 Dindigul Lok Sabha by-election.

Start of the showdown

Even though the showdown between MGR and the DMK leadership began in the first week of October 1972 with his famous speech at Thirukazhukundram, there was an indication on September 29 that year that members of the MGR Mandrams (fans’ clubs) were planning a body of their own when they put up at a busy locality of Tirunelveli town a separate flag with the figure of a lotus in crimson hue at the centre. Till then, the leader’s fans had only the DMK’s flag for their Mandrams. This development was captured briefly in a report on page 12 of the edition dated October 1, 1972.

On October 8, MGR, in his speech at Thirukazhukundram, about 75 km from Chennai, urged town, taluk, and district secretaries of the DMK to make public the details of their assets. Sensing the political significance of the speech which was made a few days before the scheduled meetings of the party’s executive and general council, the newspaper carried a box report on his speech at the bottom of the front page the next day.

Two days later, when the DMK leadership announced its decision to suspend MGR from the party, a report was published on the right top of the front page on October 11, 1972. On page 12, an account of the reaction of rickshaw-pullers, women from slums, small-scale traders, and hoteliers was presented in two reports from Tiruchi and Madurai.

ADMK announced

On October 19, the newspaper published at the lower bottom of the front page a report based on MGR’s interaction with journalists the previous day wherein he had announced the formation of the ADMK. On November 10, MGR, along with his party colleagues and representatives of his allies — the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Republican Party — took out a “mammoth procession” over 10 km to the Raj Bhavan at Guindy. This event was captured in a three-column report that was carried in the middle of the front page on November 11, 1972, with a four-column photograph below.

Six months later, the ADMK’s resounding victory in the byelection to the Dindigul Lok Sabha constituency was captured in a seven-column report at the top of the front page on May 22, 1973. The report carried a profile picture of the winning candidate, K. Maya Thevar. On February 27, 1974, the newspaper had another lead story, spanning over four columns, on the ADMK-CPI combine securing an absolute majority in the Puducherry Assembly election. The heading of the report also mentioned, “DMK Routed.”

On the same page, there was a report on the ADMK’s victory in the byelection to the Coimbatore (West) Assembly constituency, besides a couple of more on ADMK and CPI candidates leading over their nearest rivals — the Congress and Congress (Organisation) candidates — in the by-elections to the Puducherry and Coimbatore Lok Sabha constituencies. In March 1977, when the Lok Sabha elections were held, the coalition comprising the AIADMK (by then, the ADMK’s nomenclature got two more letters — AI or All India), the Congress and the CPI bagged 34 out of 39 seats. On March 21, 1977, there was a report at the bottom of the front page with the heading, ‘Sweeping Success for Cong.-AIADMK Alliance.’

Absolute majority for AIADMK

Three months later, the Assembly elections were held. On June 15 and 16, 1977, the newspaper carried on the right top portion of the front page reports on the victory of the AIADMK, which had, among others, the CPI (Marxist) and the Muslim League as partners. On the first day, the item had a single column photo of MGR, too, as he was declared elected. Below his picture was that of his colleague, Nanjil K. Manoharan, who also emerged victorious. The next day, the same slot had an item, titled ‘AIADMK Gets Absolute Majority’. The top middle portion had a box item which referred to the ADMK becoming the single largest party in the Puducherry Assembly election. MGR was sworn in as the Chief Minister on June 30, 1977, and the next day (July 1), almost one half of the front page was devoted to the event with two stories and two pictures — one displaying MGR addressing the crowd on Anna Salai after the swearing-in and the other showing a section of the crowd.

Report on press conference

In addition to the report on the swearing-in, the newspaper had reported on MGR’s press conference wherein he had stated that the government would maintain cordial ties with the Centre (which was headed by the Janata Party, which had aligned with the DMK in the 1977 Lok Sabha election). On the remaining columns, there were stories on the Assembly commencing its session on July 4 and the AIADMK Ministry assuming office in Puducherry on July 2.

A scrutiny of the treatment of all these events shows the newspaper’s adherence to high standards of professionalism