T Kumar, a senior photojournalist and Tamil Nadu bureau head of news agency United News of India (UNI), died by suicide in the Chennai office on Sunday, 13 February, allegedly because of financial issues. It is being alleged that the agency had not been paying proper salary to Kumar for 60 months.
The 56-year-old, who was working with UNI since the past three decades, is survived by his wife, a daughter and a son.
UNI All India Employees Front has since released a statement demanding that the death of the journalist be thoroughly investigated.
'There Is Backlog of 60 Months of Salaries'
Strict legal action, it said, should be taken against those who are found responsible for abetting the suicide.
"We also demand that UNI should pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh immediately and clear all his legal dues within a week, failing which we will be compelled to launch an all-India level agitation."
"We have learnt that Kumar’s wife had met with an accident a few months ago and he had applied for an amount of at least Rs 1 lakh against his pending dues for her treatment. However he was sent a paltry sum of Rs. 25,000/- only. Also, Kumar's daughter's engagement was scheduled to be solemnized next week and it is learnt that he had applied for Rs. 5 lakh for the same, but the management was yet to respond," the statement read.
Further, the incident, the association said had shaken up all the 250-odd UNI employees across the country, who are reeling under severe economic pressure due to the delay/non-payment of their earned wages for more than a decade now.
"There is a backlog of 60 months of salaries, yet the management's callous attitude toward the dire crisis of the employees is unchanged. This month itself, a decision has been taken to stop payment of Rs 10,000/- against the pending statutory gratuity, pending salaries and other legal dues payable to former employees."
The statement added that all employees of UNI are suffering because of "this crisis" created by the UNI Board and management at the head office in Delhi.
"Against a 60-month salary backlog, the management has been doling out a sum of Rs. 15,000/- in lieu of monthly salaries. At superannuation, no employee gets gratuity, pending salaries and other legal dues," the UNI All India Employees Front statement read.
Stress Due to Delayed Salary Triggered the Journalist to Take Extreme Step
Senior journalist Vishwaa Viswanaath has also accused UNI of not paying salary to its employees for months on end. "Unfortunately, UNI is not giving salary for the last 60 months. All the UNI staff members are getting their monthly salary in instalments but even it is not frequently," wrote the journalist in a Twitter thread.
He added in another tweet that UNI has been getting approximately Rs 6 lakh as revenue from Tamil Nadu bureau. One of the best paid states for its news agency service is Tamil Nadu. However, lagging salary, stress has turned this Excellent Journalist and an Extraordinary good human being to commit suicide," he said adding that Kumar had joined the agency at his young age as an ordinary staff and through his hard work and knowledge rose through the ranks to become a bureau chief. "I strongly condemns UNI for its betrayal activities to its staff members," he said in his Twitter thread
UNI's chairperson is Sagar Mukhopadhyay of Manipal group, who is also one of UNI shareholders. The other two directors are Binod Mandal (also, Head Legal and Group Company Secretary Manipal Group) and Pawan Kumar Sharma. Its other shareholders include Jagran Prakashan Ltd, Kasturi & Sons Ltd, Express Publication (Madurai), HT Media Ltd, Statesman Ltd & Nava Bharat Press (Bhopal) Ltd, ABP PVt Ltd, and Times of India among others.
However, the statement says that UNI is mainly controlled by Manipal Media group. "Mukhopadhyay became Chairman with a promise to revive UNI last year. Mandal and Sharma are also directly or indirectly connected to Manipal Group."
The group, which has not brought any fresh investments, is controlling day-to-day affairs of the agency. On the contrary they have burdened the agency with monthly 20 lakh (approximate) expenditure appointing more than 30 contractual employees on key positions with hefty pay cheques. Thus, in a way they are directly responsible for the plight of employees, the statement read.
Speaking to The News Minute, Ajay Kaul, the editor-in-chief of UNI said, "It's extremely painful and tragic that we lost a colleague in such a manner. We all are in a state of shock. There's no denying that UNI has been going through financial distress and we are making earnest efforts to address the situation."
TN CM Offers Assistance of Rs 3 Lakh to Journo’s Family
Meanwhile Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday, 14 February, condoled the death of the journalist. "I am deeply saddened to hear that senior photo journalist and Chennai Bureau chief of UNI has taken his own life. I extend my condolences to his family and the journalist community," he wrote on Twitter. He also ordered the assistance of Rs 3 lakh to his family from a fund for the welfare of journalists.
Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami urged the state government to grant his family Rs 25 lakh.
Press Club of India demanded a probe and complete financial compensation for the journalist's family.
Condoling the death, Brihanmumbai Union of Journalists (BUJ) also expressed shock and anger. A statement issued by them demanded “a thorough investigation by law enforcing agencies against the UNI board of directors and management and strict action against those responsible for this tragic death and for the larger state of affairs in UNI.”
Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami urged the state government to grant his family Rs 25 lakh. AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam, in his message, said he was pained to note that Kumar ended his life due to stress.
(With inputs from The News Minute.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)