VZCZCXRO1105
PP RUEHBI RUEHCI
DE RUEHCG #0337/01 1301139
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 101139Z MAY 07
FM AMCONSUL CHENNAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0907
INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2501
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 0770
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 5039
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 1327

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENNAI 000337 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM CASC IN
SUBJECT:  ATTACK ON NEWSPAPER OFFICES KILLS THREE AS DMK SUCESSION 
TURNS VIOLENT 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  Three people were killed in an attack on a 
newspaper after it published a survey suggesting that the younger 
son of Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister has a huge lead over the older 
son in popular support to succeed the patriarch of the ruling DMK 
party.  The violence, an infringement of press freedom, is also 
rooted in the volatile mix of money, power, and media ownership in 
the DMK succession struggle.  Some observers point out that the 
anger of the older son's followers was actually directed at the 
owners of the newspaper - the family of Union IT and 
Telecommunications Minister Dayanidhi Maran - for suggesting that 
their family member is more popular than the Chief Minister's older 
son.  END SUMMARY 
 
¶2. (SBU) On May 9, a group of supporters of M.K. Azhagiri, the older 
son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi, went to the Madurai 
offices of the newspaper "Dinakaran" to protest a survey published 
by the newspaper that showed Azhagiri far behind the Chief 
Minister's younger son, M.K. Stalin, in the struggle to succeed the 
aging Chief Minister as leader of the DMK party.  According to media 
reports, the Azhagiri supporters (including the mayor of Madurai) 
started by burning copies of the paper at the gate, but then a few 
of them entered the newspaper building and went on the rampage, 
allegedly hurling "petrol bombs."  Two employees of the newspaper 
and a security guard perished in the fire.  The newspaper's staff 
said that police were present but did nothing to prevent the mob 
from entering the compound. (NOTE:  Azhagiri has a history of 
political violence and is facing prosecution for his role in a 2003 
murder.  Given that history, and the autonomy with which he has run 
southern Tamil Nadu since the DMK came to power, allegations that 
the police stood by are likely true. END NOTE.) 
 
¶3. (SBU) Azhagiri's poor showing in Dinakaran's May 9 survey titled, 
"Who should be the political successor to Karunanidhi?" set off the 
violence.  Three of the contenders listed in the statewide survey 
were the Chief Minister's children: sons M.K. Azhagiri and M.K. 
Stalin, and his daughter Kanimozhi.  The newspaper poll said Stalin 
had the support of 70% of DMK party members, while Azhagiri and 
Kanimozhi got only 2% each.  Journalist contacts said that the 
survey's overall showing of 2% for Azhagiri, with only 6% in Madurai 
District, is dubious on its face as it flies in the face of 
Azhagiri's established popularity in Madurai and adjoining areas. 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) The newspaper "Dinakaran" is owned by the Maran family, who 
are close relations of the Chief Minister and his family.  Kalanidhi 
Maran runs the family's immensely successful media ventures, which 
include south India's most influential television network, Sun TV. 
Kalanidhi told post on April 27 that Stalin would undoubtedly 
succeed Karunanidhi, clearly indicating that the Maran media empire 
would support Stalin in the inevitable struggle for succession after 
Karunanidhi leaves the scene.  The poll not only has Stalin ahead of 
Azhagiri; contacts interpret the Dinakaran survey's showing that 20% 
of those polled supported "others" to be a coded message that 
Kalanidhi's brother, Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran, has more 
popular support than Azhagiri and Kanimozhi. 
 
¶5. (SBU) COMMENT:  Local media highlighted the press freedom angle, 
with the influential daily The Hindu calling the incident "a 
murderous attack on press freedom."  But family rivalry and internal 
DMK politics played a huge part.  Stalin, a minister in state 
government, is no doubt the clear favorite.  While Azhagiri seemed 
to be resigned to the idea of Stalin succeeding Karunanidhi, the 
ascendancy of Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran, assisted by the media 
influence of his brother, has clearly upset him.  The dubious 
newspaper survey rubbed salt in Azhagiri's wounds as it suggested 
that he lacks support even in his home district.  Dinakaran went 
even further by implying that Dayanidhi is more popular than 
Azhagiri.  The resulting violence may be a precursor to things to 
come when the 84-year old Karunanidhi eventually leaves the scene. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) COMMENT CONTINUED:  Karunanidhi for his part seems to be 
deeply embarrassed by the eruption of the family feud at a time when 
the DMK party is preparing a May 11 celebration of the 50th 
anniversary of his first election to the state assembly.  Initial 
media reports said that he asked to cancel the celebration in light 
of the incident, but it appears that the event was too far along to 
cancel.  According to DMK insiders, the party is preparing to 
transport a million people from all over Tamil Nadu to a massive 
public meeting in Chennai that will be addressed by Prime Minister 
Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.  END COMMENT. 
 
¶7.  (U) On May 10 post issued a warden message (cleared by Embassy 
New Delhi and CA/OCS) to advise Americans of the gridlock likely in 
Chennai during the May 11 public meetings and the possibility of 
disturbances, which seem more likely than usual given the events in 
Madurai. 
 
 
CHENNAI 00000337  002 OF 002 
 
 
HOPPER