Youth recall inspiring works of Kalaignar

Not only DMK supporters, but also those with other political affiliations are waxing lyrical about his importance in Tamil Nadu’s legacy. Even college students and youngsters have been speaking about how much Kalaignar’s writings and poems motivate even today, decades after they were originally composed. 

“Kalaignar’s work in literature and screenplay has been a major influence in my life. I took to writing only after being engrossed by his creations. His linguistic ability is unparalleled. But what drew me to his work is the way he managed to seamlessly introduce important themes of social justice in his writing. Be it women’s empowerment, self-respect, shunning of caste-based discrimination and other cornerstones of Dravidian politics found their way into many of his works,” posted Sakthivel Kumar, an aspiring poet from the city, who also aims to be a filmmaker.

DMK president M Karunanidhi’s literary prowess has continued to be a very dominant contributor to his popularity. With his health continuing to be critical, his genius is being remembered by one and all.

The #Karunanidhi hashtag has been notably trending, and entrepreneur R Chakravarthy from Coimbatore stated that he wants to use this opportunity to make his followers more aware of the veteran politician’s achievements. “He was among the first to break the system of caste and fight for the backward. It goes without saying that he was instrumental in bringing the ‘Ambedkar phenomenon’ into Tamil Nadu. I still believe the Samathuvapuram social-equality scheme he brought about was revolutionary.”

He added, “Even though I’m in my mid-20s, when I came across his writings, it truly made me look at our state in a different perspective. His work is quite progressive and ahead of its time; I hope more students take it upon themselves to read it. If he does bid us farewell, one of the last pillars of Dravidianism shall have left Tamil Nadu.” 

Kavitha Krishnaswamy, a college student from Madurai was also among the many posting that the negatives during ‘Kalaignar’s’ many reigns shouldn’t belittle his contributions. “Yes, there was corruption and scams involving him, but I can honestly say that Tamil Nadu is still one of the best states in India when compared to the rest because of this man. Though I’m registered with a different party today, it doesn’t stop me from admitting that I have a lot of respect for him. Spreading awareness about caste in the state, giving respect to the opposition and supporting freedom of the press are a few of the things I’ve admired about Kalaignar,” she said.