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Photo: M. Vedhan

Fearless Kanimozhi is following in the footsteps of her father

A new star has risen in the South- exclaimed newspapers when Kanimozhi, daughter of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi became a Member of the Rajya Sabha despite her initial hesitation to enter politics.

A well known poet in Tamil whose poetic acumen has been widely recognised by veteran poets and critics alike, she is also an activist and feminist. Amidst the rumours of a ministerial berth, she was in the city for the release of the Malayalam translation of her book ‘Karukum Marudani’ at the DC International Book Fair. Clad in an ochre-red saree, she was the same soft-spoken femme who, when her turn came, cast a spell over the listeners with her thoughts and poetic charm.

Formerly a sub-editor with The Hindu, she has found her new role as MP quite comfortable. “Many ask me how I manage my poetic self along with my political career. But I never see these two as conflicting elements. To me, they perfectly complement each other. These two roles are almost the same. In both, you express yourself. In politics, there is the additional advantage of being a decision making force, that’s the sole difference,” she explains. ‘Karukum Marudani,’ translated into Malayalam as ‘Karukkunna Mailanchi,’ is a collection of her essays on various social and political issues.

Kanimozhi has truly inherited her father’s literary prowess and passion for the Tamil language. He has even declared her as his ‘literary heir.’ “I adore him for his dauntless perseverance. He is a vibrant force even at this age of 84. He has always stood for the beliefs and ideologies which have guided him all these decades,” says Kanimozhy who has made a documentary on her father, the grand old man of Dravidian politics.

She is an avowed advocate of freedom of expression and has many times made the orthodoxy frown (remember her support for actress Khushboo who landed in trouble following her comments on pre-marital sex). The same vigour inspired her to start Karuthu, a non-political organisation to echo collective opinion. “Karthi (son of Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram) and I have launched a website for Karuthu. The forum is actively engaged in registering fearless expression of one’s views,” she says.

Kanimozhi has so far published two collections of poetry and another two of essays. She has also penned the lyrics for an album entitled ‘Silapathigaram’ with Bombay Jayasree.

She firmly believes that political disputes between States can be amicably solved through real effort. “If people can sit together and discuss matters in all fairness and honesty, I don’t think water disputes and other controversial issues will continue unsettled. The 33 per cent reservation for women has been approved by all but it still remains a dream. People need to put real effort in discussions to bring out results.”

While she will continue to pen poetry, fearlessly expressing her disgust with violence of all sorts, she is well aware of her responsibilities as an emissary of DMK. There are great expectations that she could emerge as one of the strong women leaders of South East Asia.

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