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Who is Kanimozhi? Interest in the 5-time Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi’s slightly less visible child has peaked after his death.
‘Kanimozhi’ is a Tamil name made up of two words – ‘kani’ which means fruit and ‘mozhi’ which means language. It basically translates to a woman who speaks sweetly, or has a way with words. To put it plainly, it is the perfect name for a woman who has at various times worked as a politician, poet, and journalist.
Kanimozhi has definitely inherited her father’s daughter creative penchant, for M.Karunanidhi himself was a famous writer and politician and was often praised for his silver tongue. Seen as Karunanidhi’s ‘literary heir’ (she is his daughter by wife Rajathi Ammal), Kanimozhi is the chief of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) wing for Art, Literature and Rationalism.
She has done quite a bit while holding this post, including organising work fairs, activities towards women empowerment, working towards the welfare of disabled and transgender people, and coming up with the idea of the Chennai Sangamam, a yearly open Tamil cultural festival. She also assumed office as a Rajya Sabha MP on 25th July, 2013.
But even before she became a politician, she did impressive work as a Tamil poet and a journalist. She even worked as a sub-editor for The Hindu for a while. Her professional success is something that one cannot miss.
It wasn’t all unicorns and rainbows though – she was accused in the 2G spectrum case only to be acquitted on 21st December, 2017. But the damage to her reputation had been done, and the episode will likely provide ammunition for her detractors in the future too.
She is flawed, like any other human being. But at a time when there are testosterone-fuelled verbal wars between Karunanidhi’s sons – M.K.Alagiri and M.K.Stalin – over who should succeed their father, one can’t help but wonder if Kanimozhi is a better choice.
Women politicians in general find it harder to establish themselves firmly in the world of politics because of the inherent patriarchy. But we already have a lady who managed to do that in Tamil Nadu – Jayalalitha or as she was fondly called, Amma. She wasn’t perfect, but she was worth looking up to. Maybe, Kanimozhi will be next. Who can say?
Image source: Rajya Sabha TV
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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