R.K. Radhakrishnan: 20 Years of Anti-Tamil Journalism
Is the New "Refugee Documentary" Just Another Mask?
Senior journalist R.K. Radhakrishnan (@RKRadhakrishn) has proudly announced the release of his 22-minute documentary Faceless People, claiming it highlights the plight of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees. He even secured the presence of former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin (@mkstalin) for the event. However, behind this new humanitarian mask lies a two-decade-long history of consistent anti-Tamil journalism.
During the 2009 Mullivaikkal genocide, while reporting from Sri Lanka, Radhakrishnan largely echoed the Sri Lankan military's official narrative. He downplayed or ignored the shelling of hospitals, the massacre of civilians in "No Fire Zones," and the scale of atrocities committed against Tamil civilians. Instead, he extensively propagated the Sri Lankan government's version of a "humanitarian operation."
His reports in prominent Indian media outlets like Frontline consistently portrayed the Tamil struggle as "terrorism" and "extremism." He went so far as to attribute killings within the Sinhalese political establishment to the LTTE. He was widely perceived as a defender of the Sri Lankan state and even referred to by some as the "RSS of Sri Lanka" in Tamil circles.
He enjoyed close access to the Presidential Palace (Temple Trees / Alari Maligai) and maintained warm relations with the Rajapaksa regime, especially Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Now, the same individual who once justified or remained silent during the genocide is positioning himself as a voice for Tamil refugees.
Furthermore, he chose M.A. Sumanthiran (@MASumanthiran) — a politician known for his controversial stances on the Tamil national question — to launch the documentary in New Delhi.
This is not genuine concern. It is an attempt to whitewash his past and commercially exploit the suffering of Eelam Tamils for personal gain and relevance.
A true journalist who has erred in the past would first acknowledge his mistakes, seek forgiveness from the Tamil people, and then begin anew. But R.K. Radhakrishnan continues to operate without any accountability, wearing a fresh mask while cashing in on the very pain he once helped obscure.
This is not journalism. This is the continuation of anti-Tamil politics under a new guise.
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