R Gopal

R. Gopal is a South Indian journalist. He was born on 10th April 1959 in Aruppukotai in Tamil Nadu. He is the founder, publisher and editor of Nakkheeran, a bi-weekly Tamil political investigative magazine. Gopal is the son of S. Ramanathan and Rajamanickammal. He attended the Municipal School of Aruppokotai and high school at the SBK Higher Secondary School in the same town. After completing a preparatory course at Devanga College of Arts, he earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the SBK College in 1977. During college, he was involved in artwork and was also part of the college hockey team. After graduation, he worked at a rice store for a short period before moving to Chennai in 1978 in search of a better job.

He worked at Butterfly factory for a short time. In 1983, he and his friends opened a rubber company with three thousand rupees. The company did not do well and caused Gopal and his friends lots of stress. Then he eventually fell ill and returned to his hometown where he rested for three to four months while developing his art skills. In 1985, Valampuri John Valampuri John was a director, Tamil writer, publi >> Read More... , the editor of the Thai magazine owned by the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M. G. Ramachandran, recruited Gopal as a layout designer. Thus he learned a lot about layout designing under John. He later joined Thiraichuvai where he learned about production work. He earned success and critical acclaim at Tharasu magazine for his cover layout that portrayed the message in a sensible manner.

He left Tharasu due to office quarrels. On suggestions by friends and neighbours, he returned to Chennai in search of a job in journalism. In 1988, Gopal decided to start his political investigative weekly journal. With the permission of K. Subbu, he named the then weekly magazine Nakkheeran and set up the office in Kipaul at the banks of the Cooum River. Nakkheeran’s first edition was published on 20th April 1988. The magazine grew in popularity and so he earned the title Nakkheeran Gopal. When Nakkheeran faced pressure against publishing an autobiography by a prisoner, Gopal challenged the Tamil Nadu government to a court case and won a decision in his favour upholding the Right to Freedom of Expression.

Since then, he has faced many problems with the Jayalithaa administration including the infamous POTA case. Nakkheeran is also the first magazine to interview and write articles on the notorious Veerappan brigand in South India. When Veerappan took hostages, Gopal and his team facilitated negotiations between the group and the government and rescued the hostages. Also he received the Thanthai Periyar Award, the Justice Krishna Iyer Award and Jaycie’s One of The Ten Outstanding Indians award. In 2005, he was also in the Times magazine list as one of the top 25 influential persons in Tamil Nadu.