Author: BR Haran (Columnist)
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: June 11, 2011
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/344975/Jayalalithaa-helping-Marans-tide-over-crisis.html
The Marans' success story has been at the
cost of all market rules and, of course, the national exchequer. Curiously,
Jayalalithaa knew everything all along, but chose to train her guns only on
the Karunanidhi empire. Why?
"Virtuous living brings honour; but
Bad conduct brings unbearable ignominy"
(Verse - 137)
Thirukkural - Words of Eternal Wisdom
Business acumen, clubbed with wiliness and
backed by political power, invariably results in the flow of pelf. The Maran
brothers personify power and pelf. The phenomenal growth of their wealth and
arrogance serve as classic examples of acquisition through abuse of power
and perversion of law.
Kalanidhi Maran had his schooling in Don Bosco,
graduation in Loyola College and went abroad for higher studies. He returned
to India in 1987 after finishing his MBA in University of Scranton (USA) and
worked for the Tamil Magazine Kungumam owned by his family. Between 1990 and
1992 he ran a video magazine called Poomalai. Later, on Tamil New Year's Day
(April 14) in 1993, he started Sun TV on a bank loan of $86,000.
Within two years he became a millionaire and
within the next ten, in 2005, became a billionaire. In 2010, he became the
17th richest Indian with a net worth of $ 4 billion. Today, he owns a vast
empire of TV Channels, FM Radio stations, newspapers, magazines and movie
production houses. Recently he also acquired Spice Jet, the budget airline.
As the first son Kalanidhimaran focused on
building the business empire, the demise of their father Murasoli Maran in
2003 brought the younger son Dayanidhi Maran into politics. By then, the business
empire was well established, and after getting a ministerial birth with the
help of great uncle Karunanidhi, young Dayanidhi played his cards well to
improve and expand his contacts. The other DMK ministers at the centre were
no match for him and Karunanidhi could not control Dayanidhi as he developed
a separate line of communication with central politicians, particularly Congress
leaders.
Meanwhile, in course of establishing a monopoly
empire, Kalanidhi made mincemeat of smaller players by using all sorts of
devious strategies. Even a considerably healthy company like Hathway Communications
could not survive the onslaught of the Marans. As the DMK has been sharing
power at the centre for more than 15 years, the Marans created all sorts of
trouble for ADMK's TV Channel. Even when Jayalalithaa was in power for the
second term between 2001 and 2006, she couldn't move a finger against Sun.
It must be noted that Sun TV was inaugurated during Jayalalithaa's first term
between 1991 and 1996. During that period she was busy wreaking havoc in Tamil
Nadu along with her adopted sister and failed to check the abominable growth
of Marans.
When political power clubbed with money power
in 2004, the Marans' arrogance grew exponentially and they unleashed a reign
of terror in the field of mass communication, particularly in the cable television
network. This is evidenced by the facts emerging now, one after another. They
caused huge losses to the government (hundreds of crores) by secretly establishing
a telephone exchange with 324 connections inside their residence by sheer
abuse of power and authority; threatened former Aircel owner Sivasankaran
to sell his firm to their Malaysian friend and owner of Maxis communications
Anandakrishnan and, as is well known by now, accepted Rs 700 crore from him
for allotting spectrum.
Media sources in Chennai say that the 'third
family' has acted behind Sivasankaran, inducing him to voluntarily depose
before CBI. It may be recalled that the Marans rubbed Azhagiri on the wrong
side in 2007 by publishing an opinion poll in their Tamil Newspaper Dinakaran,
which said that Stalin was the most preferred successor with more than 60
per cent votes and Azhagiri was the least favoured with just 2 per cent. A
feud erupted within the family, resulting in Maran losing his ministerial
position. His job went to A.Raja, and after 2009 elections, Dayanidhi tried
to get back the same portfolio, but only in vain. So, when Raja was booted
out of the cabinet in November 2010, Marans hosted a huge dinner in a 5-star
hotel in Chennai for the 'second' family, which made the third family and
their supporters fume with anger. It may be recalled how both Dayanidhi and
Raja vied for the Telecom and IT ministry
The CBI report about the fact that the Marans
ran an illegal telephone exchange from their residence was first brought out
by Jayalalithaa way back in 2008 itself when Dayanidhi was in political wilderness.
However, the patch-up between the Karuna and Maran families helped suppress
the report. Due to her "own reasons", Jayalalithaa also refrained
from proceeding further on the issue. It may be recalled that Sun TV gave
excellent coverage for Jayalalithaa, including live telecast of her September
2008 public meeting in her constituency Andipatti.
As often stated by Dr Subramnian Swamy, Jayalalithaa's
adopted sister Sasikala seems to act like a bridge between Karuna and Jaya
through her DMK connections. Though Jayalalithaa government has mentioned
nationalisation of the cable TV business in Tamil Nadu in the Governor's address,
one must wait to see if she lives up to her commitment. A deal with the Marans
cannot be ruled out at this juncture.
