Whats a working class party like the CPI(m) doing promoting a capitalist venture like a TV channel? Thats the question Opposition parties are asking after a party founded in honour of Karl Marx decided to follow in the footsteps of Rupert Murdoch and other class enemies.
Malayalam Communications, the CPI(m)-backed 24-hour Malayalam channel slated for launch in August, has left the Marxists fielding charges of abuse of power and influence during a massive fund-raising exercise that took party secretary Pinarayi Vijayan on a sojourn to the Gulf states. With a project cost of Rs 50 crore, Malayalam Communications is a public limited company hawking its shares at a face value of Rs 100 to "anybody and everybody", according to executive director Siddharth Menon. "We want it to be a peoples channel that propagates Malayalam language and culture."
But there are doubts about the channels representative character. According to Congress leaders, the list of 25 promoters figures mostly those with close affiliations or sympathies with the CPI(m). The bulk of the shareholding so far also betrays a left-wing bias, Opposition leaders contend.
The controversy spiralled when news broke of the involvement of Malayalam stars Mammootty and Mohanlal with the channel. Critics see their induction on the board of directors as an attempt at window-dressing the partisan character of the venture. Both stars spoke in unison about the integrity of the channel, but were reticent about disclosing the extent of their shareholding. "They have fallen into a trap set by the CPI(m)," leader of the Opposition A.K. Antony points out. "They should back out before it is too late." Antony has moral reservations about the CPI(m)s fund-raising spree. "Kerala is a poor state. The exchequer is empty. It is outrageous that the CPI(m) seeks to raise such a huge amount for an entertainment channel, for which party leaders are moving around the world collecting money."
The litany of charges includes alleged concessions to liquor barons in return for bulk purchase of shares. One promoter is estimated to have invested
Rs 25 lakh in the company. The prevailing impression is that the CPI(m) has its eye on a controlling stake in the channel. "If it is an independent channel, why are CPI(m) leaders raising money for the venture?" asks Antony. Congress legislator Aryadan Mohammad points to a circular issued by Pinarayi Vijayan to the partys local units exhorting cadres to pick up as many shares as they could to ensure a dominant stake for the party.
Politburo member and Left Democratic Front convenor V.S. Achuthanandan, however, refutes the allegations. "The party is not a shareholder in the company. But party workers have been encouraged to purchase shares. The satellite channels mushrooming all around are trying to isolate and spread misleading news about the left-wing establishment. There is an unrelenting effort by these channels to influence public opinion against us. We want to counter this by supporting a channel committed to telling people the truth."
The CPI(m) leader points out that TV channels owned by political parties such as the DMK, the Telugu Desam, the Congress and the BJP masquerade as being part of the independent media while propagating their own political agenda. "There is no hide-and-seek in our position. The CPI(m) too wishes to convey its viewpoint and give a voice to those sections of the masses which support us, like agricultural labourers, students et al, and who are left out of the mainstream media," says Achuthanandan.
Then why run the channel by proxy, why not come clean and say the party would like to own it? "We would welcome any opportunity to start our own TV channel if we had the financial capacity for it," says Achuthanandan in response. "Since we dont have that kind of money, we have chosen to support a channel started by Left-minded people from different professions." The CPI(m) leader denies there was coercion or political patronage involved in the fund-raising exercise.
To which Antony stoutly retorts: "Do you think businessmen and liquor barons will voluntarily contribute vast sums unless they are induced or coerced?"
Amidst the cascading controversy, hectic preparations are under way to launch the channel to coincide with the Malayalam New Year on August 17. Meanwhile, actors Mammootty and Mohanlal appear to be facing a backlash from fan associations critical of their decision to associate with the channel.
Antony has another poser. "The channels survival depends on getting ads from multinationals. Is the CPI(m) ready to do that?" Achuthanandans ready reply: "We will show the world that a TV channel can run without advertising support from big business groups."
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