National

Pinarayi sounds caution on ‘media monopoly’

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Pinarayi Vijayan has described as disturbing the reported takeover of a premier TV channel in the State by the media conglomerate controlled by Rupert Murdoch.

Imperialist forces had intervened in the State’s politics during the ‘Liberation Struggle’ by using the media from a distance, but the takeover of the TV channel by Mr. Rupert Murdoch would mean direct imperialist intervention. This could not but be a cause for concern for those within the media and outside, Mr. Vijayan said while inaugurating the golden jubilee celebrations of Kerala Service, the journal of the Kerala NGO Union, here on Monday.

Mr. Vijayan said Kerala, along with West Bengal, had all always been a major focus of the imperialist forces because of its Leftist political traditions. During 1957-59, they used the media to meddle in the State. It would be wrong to think that the anti-Left forces were no longer interested in the State.

In fact, the situation was grimmer than 1957-59 and this was reflected in their attempt to control powerful media organisations in the State, he said. An appropriate expression of concern was yet to come from within the media fraternity, he pointed out.

The CPI(M) leader called for greater vigil from the State government employees, among whom Kerala Service had its presence, about such developments in society.

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