In a conversation with South First, Shankar opens up about the challenges he has been facing in his decade-long career, particularly regarding his run-ins with law enforcement and political establishments.
Published Feb 10, 2025 | 8:00 AM ⚊ Updated Feb 10, 2025 | 8:00 AM
Savukku Shankar. (Supplied)
Synopsis: Independent journalist Savukku Shankar speaks about the legal actions against him by the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu. He claims that the actions were the result of his efforts to hold the government accountable. He further says that the DMK might lose power in the upcoming Assembly elections.
A whistleblower and journalist, Savukku Shankar is known for his brow-raising reportage in Tamil and English on his YouTube channel. Often subjected to legal action, including imprisonment, he has also made headlines several times over his stand-offs with the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu.
In a conversation with South First, Shankar opens up about the challenges he has been facing in his decade-long career, particularly regarding his run-ins with law enforcement and political establishments.
Q: As an independent journalist running a media house, why do you feel that you are being targeted?
A: I feel that the national media, especially concerning the BJP in North India, operates under a model where everything is controlled. Sadly, the DMK has adopted the same approach here (Tamil Nadu). Mainstream media is supposed to be independent. However, it has become dependent on government advertisements, ensuring no negative stories about the ruling party reach the public.
I believe that my independence as a journalist has made me a target. Unlike traditional media outlets, my YouTube channel thrives without government or private advertisement revenue, allowing me to cover stories others may avoid.
Somebody has to question them. Unlike mainstream media, I’ve been doing this for 10 years. I aim to fill the vacuum left by those who’ve failed to do their job. The government dislikes that I speak facts because I create impact.
Initially, government officials contacted me discreetly, urging me to stop. When persuasion failed, they resorted to intimidation — through legal harassment and arrests.
Q: What are the legal intimidations that you have faced especially during the most recent time that you had been arrested?
A: I have been targeted under the Goondas Act twice, endured five months of custody and interrogation, and had my equipment seized illegally.
The police told me directly: “Don’t talk, be silent. If you want income, we can support your channel”. But I can’t be quiet, and I won’t be. I lost thousands of subscribers, but I restarted with a new channel and continued doing the same work. They thought I’d be silenced, but they were wrong.
I also recall the psychological toll these actions had on me. The arrests and interrogations are deliberate attempts to break my spirit. Despite everything, I remain steadfast in my resolve.
Q: What is your take on the recent Anna University case, and do you think enough attention was not paid to the entire case by the government and the police?
A: (Following the incident) mainstream media was not interested in its coverage and the government was obsessed over image management.
Advertising and image-building are key to their power. They don’t like people who expose the truth behind their carefully crafted façade. Victims are subjected to humiliation, and their personal details are leaked, yet the media remains silent. That’s criminal negligence.
I also want to point out that the FIR details, including the identity of the survivor, were leaked. I believe the leakage caused severe distress for the survivor.
Instead of (the media and the government) holding the police accountable, the focus shifted to questioning journalists (for holding the establishments accountable).
The Chennai Police Commissioner should’ve been answering tough questions. Instead, journalists were targeted. The system protects its own, and accountability is non-existent.
Q: When it comes to accountability, do you think that the police follow that particular principle?
A: There is zero accountability. Take the Tirupati stampede — six lives lost due to mismanagement. What did the (Andhra Pradesh) government do? A token compensation of five lakh rupees. No real investigation, no accountability.
I would like to highlight other incidents such as child molestation in Annanagar, and the mishandled investigation by police, which were only corrected after court intervention.
I also want to include the scenario of mishandling the recent Anna University issue as one of my examples.
The government protects those in power, even when they violate Supreme Court directives. We’re not a Banana Republic or a barbarian society for justice to be served at the instant. Justice should come from the courts, not at the police level.
Q: Do you think the actions against you are a direct cause of questioning the state government led by DMK?
A: I was arrested multiple times, including a particularly troubling case where I was accused of making derogatory remarks about a female police official.
I’ve always advocated for police welfare. I even suggested the DMK create public toilets for female officers. However, since I’m difficult to control — too small to bribe, too stubborn to threaten — they slapped me with 17 cases, including two under the Goondas Act. The Supreme Court had to bail me out.
This isn’t democracy.
My experiences were emblematic of a broader crisis in Tamil Nadu — and across India — where independent voices are increasingly under threat.
Mainstream media is largely dependent on the government, creating an environment where real journalism is suffocated. Somebody has to do this job, and I choose to be that somebody.
Moreover, I think there is a high chance of Vijay (and his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam) joining hands with the AIADMK followed by a change in the state’s governance.
I also want to highlight that the absence of a strong Opposition party or alliance does not necessarily mean there will be no change in the current government.
With 11 months still left for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the PR stunts won’t help the DMK in the long run.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
