PM Modi's Homage To Cho S Ramaswamy Turns Political Event

[580 words]

From TSV Hari

Southern Features & News Service Exclusive

Chennai, January 15 [SFNS]: Lavish praise from Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi etched the uniqueness of the late journalist, satirist, dramatist and political guru Cho S Ramaswamy at the 47^th annual meet of the weekly news magazine Thuglak here Saturday.

It was a major political event. Chennai's premier concert hall - the Music Academy was full. The crowd spilled on to the parking lot of the southern metropolis's Mecca of classical music. 

“If someone has to write the political history of India, it cannot be done without including Cho Ramaswamy and his political commentary,” Modi observed.

Terming Cho’s December 7 demise a ‘personal loss,’ Modi pointed out that India had lost an intellectual “who offered invaluable wisdom to whoever came his way.”

The PM stressed on the Hindu scriptural and almanac-linked importance of January 14. By dovetailing the various nationwide important events on the Hindu calendar, Modi subtly conveyed the message that Cho was a national figure.

Modi pointed out that Cho had incredibly turned adversity to advantage. The instance of miscreants pelting eggs at the editor who in turn asked his tormentors not waste them but supply omelettes instead recalled by the PM had the audience in splits.

Paying encomiums to the magazine and its editor, Modi said, “Thuglak had become a weapon against divisive forces”. “Cho would carry views hostile and abusive of him in his magazine,” the PM added emphasising on the democratic character of Cho.

India’s highest paid ‘superstar’ Rajnikant supplied funny moments in a somewhat restrained speech which also quietly touched on the financial brain of the late editor and also of Cho’s successor – auditor Swaminathan Gurumurthy.

“Several years ago, when cricket’s Indian Premier League began, Cho advised me to buy the Chennai cricket team franchise – then costing only a few lakhs. I turned it down. I now know it is worth several thousand crores,” the thespian said, causing commentator Sumant C Raman – seated in the front row to squirm.

Raman has been supportive of one of cricket’s modern-day alleged villains – N Srinivasan.

Chennai Super Kings, the team owned by disgraced cricket administrator N Srinivasan continues facing a 2-year ban imposed by the courts. In this connection, India’s former skipper MS Dhoni and maverick politician Dr Subramanian Swamy had recently met Srinivasan – whose firm India Cements is said to be close to decision-makers of the main Tamil Nadu opposition party – the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

It was the turn of RSS ideologue Gurumurthy to frown when Rajnikant made a clear reference to the “consultation charges” of the auditor. “People faint when they hear the figure,” the actor said.

In his acceptance speech, Gurumurthy pointed out that Rajnikant is India’s highest paid actor. “When compared to what Rajnikant charges for a movie, my fees would be a very minor figure. For me, editing Thuglak could entail lesser income. But, it is a historically necessitated responsibility bequeathed to me by Cho,” Gurumurthy averred.

The new owner of Thuglak – Varadarajan – who runs the successful Kumudam Group had his tense moments as well.

Without naming the state’s political upstart Sasikala, Gurumurthy revealed that ‘friends were advising to take it easy’ on the ongoing political imbroglio in Tamil Nadu.

Significantly, Kumudam group’s weekly “Reporter” has a soft editorial stance towards TN’s indirect ruler VK Sasikala and her husband Natarajan – which is diametrically opposite to the line being pursued by Gurumurthy.

Speaking from a prepared speech in English, The Hindu scion N Ravi recalled two instances of Cho’s humorous methods of journalism that disarmed his adversaries.

When the crowd began melting, a few journalists were heard remarking in a cynical tone that that ‘though a PM in harness addressing a homage meet of magazine editor was unprecedented, the political milking of the apolitical Cho’s legacy had begun’.

RM/M/KMT/TSV

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