- 4 hours ago
In an exclusive interview with India Today during the campaign trail in Dindigul, DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi discusses the party's vision for the upcoming elections and defends its welfare schemes.
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00:28Outro Music
00:44Okay, on the campaign trail, very busy time, obviously for every politician, but
00:48Kanimuri Ma'am has been kind enough to give us some time. Ma'am, Manakam, how has the campaign been
00:52going?
00:52Yeah, it's going good.
00:54Of course, all campaigns are.
00:56You've been part of, of course, the Manifesto Committee as well.
00:59So congratulations on that, on the Manifesto coming out.
01:02What was the vision like?
01:03And I want to talk, of course, about the details.
01:05But first, if you could tell us, what did you try to achieve with that manifest?
01:09You know, of course, the greatest challenge was our Chief Minister, because he not only
01:16delivered whatever he promised in 21, he's done much more than the poor promises.
01:22So to find the schemes and find things which he has not done.
01:26It was a big challenge.
01:28Is he difficult to kind of please?
01:29Is he a hard taskmaster?
01:31He was very clear that we cannot write anything in the manifesto, which cannot be done, which
01:38cannot be implemented, which is not possible.
01:40So we had to, you know, finish the manifesto, talk to experts and ensure that everything was
01:47doable.
01:48What was the thinking behind the coupons?
01:50I think that's the biggest headline that's emerged from the manifesto.
01:538,000 rupees of coupons for women.
01:56What was the thinking behind that?
01:57Because we've seen a lot of freebies, welfarism, whatever you want to call it in Tamil Nadu.
02:01But I think coupons is something we have not heard of so far.
02:04Where did that come?
02:05No, because we did not want to give something which people already had and they did not have
02:10a need for.
02:12And we see in every family, most of the domestic work or, you know, entirely the domestic work
02:20is on the shoulders of the women in the family.
02:22So something to reduce that, their burden.
02:25And we wanted them to choose what they wanted.
02:28We do not want to be telling them what they have to get.
02:32We wanted them to choose.
02:33We wanted to give them the choice of choosing what they wanted, which will reduce their burden.
02:39Since I mentioned freebies now, I think this has been an age-old debate in Tamil Nadu, which
02:44I very often refer to as the OG style of freebies.
02:47How do you really define it and how do you defend it?
02:50Because there's a lot of criticism that also comes that, look, this dents the economy
02:54of the state.
02:54It's not healthy politics.
02:58See, whatever you want to call it, I call it social investments.
03:03When you reduce the, you know, when Dr. Kalinger gave them double burner gas stuff, it reduced
03:15the time they had to spend inside their kitchens.
03:19And not only that, it also improved their health a lot because they did not have to, you know,
03:25work in the smoke.
03:27And, you know, a lot of women suffered from breathing difficulties and related diseases.
03:34That really came down.
03:36And when he said, like, get your daughters to finish their 10th, we will support you to
03:44get them married.
03:45That today has ensured that women have reached colleges.
03:50The highest number of women going to colleges is in Tamil Nadu.
03:55So I think all this is what you call as freebies and what we call a social investment.
04:02And same thing, like if you're going to again talk about, you know, students who go for higher
04:08education, they get thousand rupees, girls and boys.
04:12And chief minister in the manifesto has promised to increase it from thousand rupees to thousand
04:16five hundred.
04:17That's not a freebie because in coming from an underprivileged family, it is a big struggle
04:24to finish their college education and to buy textbooks, buy notebooks, whatever expenses,
04:29you know, even if education is free.
04:32There are other expenses and because they're not able to meet that, so many people drop out
04:37of their higher education.
04:39So this is to ensure that they are supported to finish that.
04:42And the breakfast scheme, I don't think there's anybody who would, you know, say that that's
04:50a freebie.
04:50This is for students in schools, they are not voters.
04:54But this is to ensure that we have a future healthy population and also that the children
05:00can concentrate on their studies and they don't have to go wait till the midday meal scheme.
05:07I mean, the food comes, you know, hungry waiting for that.
05:10Those are the counter to that, ma'am.
05:12And I understand what you're saying because those are truly game changers.
05:15And I think every other state is also kind of trying to emulate that.
05:18Yeah.
05:19My point is, for example, you know, a dole to a woman.
05:22Does that then stop those households from going out and earning because they're comfortable,
05:26they're getting that amount.
05:28So they're kind of like, you know, we're sorted now.
05:30No, what with thousand rupees is not going to cover everything they want to do, isn't
05:35it?
05:35Thousand rupees and now it's going to become two thousand rupees.
05:39It is to make them understand that what financial or economic independence is, because even this
05:46thousand rupees or the two thousand rupees they're going to get, they had to depend on their
05:53husbands or fathers or brothers to get that money.
05:55And they had to account for whatever they want to do with that.
05:59So today it is their money.
06:01So they understand what economic independence is.
06:04Even if that woman, you know, cannot change her life, she will make sure that her sister
06:11for her will be an economically independent woman.
06:15Good to go, ma'am.
06:17I know that you're waiting for the campaign.
06:18We'll catch you on the next leg.
06:19Thank you so much.
06:46Crowds gather in huge numbers.
06:48This is what a DMK Big Bang campaign looks like.
06:52This is the campaign for Periyasamy in Dindagal.
06:54He won with the biggest margin in 2021.
06:59And that's Kanimuri here campaigning for him, for the minister, for the MLA.
07:04Huge crowds that have gathered to see Kanimuri and also to be there for this canvassing.
07:10You can see flags that are part of other parties as well as alliance parties that are present
07:15across and so this is the election campaign in full swing here in Dindagal.
07:23We're going to catch Kanimuri next.
07:38In the campaign frill, let's get out.
07:40Pass kick to ma'am.
08:04Okay, so on the campaign trail with Kanimuri, ma'am, we've caught her when she's taking
08:07a brief break.
08:09Ma'am, you've been out and about.
08:10I've particularly noticed that women love to see you out on the campaign trail.
08:15Do you have a special connect with women voters as well?
08:18Of course, it's always a pleasure to see people and it's really nice to be among them.
08:26And of course, being a woman, you do.
08:29I mean, I'm sure.
08:30I think you relate and connect more with them and their struggles.
08:35But having said that, ma'am, with what's happening right now in the political scenario, I think
08:39one of the biggest questions being asked is whether the DMK's women vote will be cut
08:43with the entry of Vijay.
08:44I've been speaking to so many women who now say, you know, they're starstruck in a way.
08:49You think that will matter?
08:50No, I cannot deny that he's a big hero and people will be interested in going and seeing
08:58him and, you know, watching film stars.
09:02But when it comes to voting, people have a very clear vision about what the future of
09:08Tamil Nadu has to be.
09:09And the women of Tamil Nadu know who is going to empower them and what is just words, empty
09:18words.
09:18I think it's empty words.
09:20I was at a Vijay rally where Vijay reserved maximum of his criticism as expected for the
09:25DMK, said the DMK does nothing, spoke of the LPG crisis, said that the government, the
09:30Tamil Nadu government is doing nothing about the LPG crisis that people are struggling.
09:35See, sadly, I think a leader should understand that LPG is not what the state government can
09:48handle and decide.
09:50It is a union government which takes responsibility.
09:54And when a leader lacks that understanding, I think he also said that the chief minister
10:00has to go to Delhi.
10:01Go to Delhi.
10:02I mean, what difference is it going to make?
10:04Because our chief minister has written and to the, I mean, this day and age, you can write
10:12to people and you can send emails.
10:14And he's tweeted also saying that this crisis has to be taken care of.
10:20And we've spoken in parliament also about it.
10:24After that, going in person, what difference?
10:27Because I think the union government has been talking about make in India, make in India.
10:33What is the percentage of LPG gas which is made in India, which we completely depend on
10:42imports.
10:43And that is what has put us in this situation.
10:46And how much of LPG do we have stored?
10:51Hardly anything.
10:53That is the cause of the crisis.
10:55You see the impact here too?
10:56See, definitely we see that, you know, hotels are affected.
11:02The commercial LPG has, the prices have doubled.
11:07And, you know, hostels and facilities like that have nearly closed down because they cannot
11:13afford to run it at the prices which they're getting the LPG.
11:17So it is affecting lives.
11:19And I really hope we don't have to stand in another queue for LPG cylinders.
11:25We definitely hope the crisis ends.
11:27But you're right in highlighting that this is sort of state problem, which is what Vijay
11:30has put it out as.
11:32I'll highlight also what the AIA-DMK-BJP say.
11:34And ma'am, you know this well.
11:35The BJP constantly refers to the DMK as anti-Hindu.
11:39I know you spoke of this in Madurai, which is why I want to ask you as well.
11:42What's your response?
11:43And they constantly say you're against a certain religion.
11:45No political party, no government can afford to be very practical also, can afford to
11:53be anti-majority.
11:55So most of the schemes which the government rolls out obviously goes to the majority people.
12:01So nobody excludes the majority.
12:03Nobody excludes anybody.
12:04So obviously it is for the majority and we've never shied away from taking care of the temples
12:12in protecting the temple properties.
12:16Nearly 7,500 acres of temple property land has been taken back, has been protected, has
12:24been taken back by the government.
12:27And 4,000 temples they've done Kumbhami Shekham.
12:31That is not being anti-Hindu.
12:33That is being pro-Hindu.
12:34The question though is, maybe not anti-Hindu, but let's put it a different way.
12:40That they pander, that the DMK panders more to minorities.
12:44I think everybody has to be taken care of.
12:48We cannot support the CAA, which the AIA-DMK did.
12:54And then later, when they broke the alliance with the BJP, they said we made a huge mistake.
13:00We do not do that.
13:02We do not do something and take back our words and then regret.
13:05We stand by the people.
13:07Whether they're Hindus or they're Christians or they're Muslims, we stand by our people.
13:11That is what the DMK stand is.
13:13You come a lot to Delhi, ma'am.
13:15As someone in Delhi from Chennai, I think one of the questions most people ask me is, Tamil Nadu
13:21people are so religious.
13:23They go to temples.
13:24There are so many temples in the state.
13:26How come they don't vote on religious lines?
13:29Do you want to answer that once and for all?
13:31Tamil Nadu people, I think religion is a personal thing for people in Tamil Nadu.
13:36I mean, there are many people who are religious here and everybody has a right to their religion.
13:43Which is being denied in many states.
13:45In Tamil Nadu, whatever you believe, you have a right to believe in that.
13:49You can be a non-believer, you have a right to that.
13:51You can be a Hindu, Muslim, Christian.
13:54I think we believe that everybody has a right to choose their faith.
13:58And Tamil Nadu people want a secular state.
14:02We want peace and harmony.
14:04Only that will ensure further development and it will ensure a better future for their children.
14:10Finally, I have to ask you, one of the big heads that emerged in the last 24 hours is that
14:14there's going to be a special session in parliament to discuss women's reservation.
14:17What does the DMK stand on this?
14:19What do you think personally?
14:20Someone who's fought for this.
14:21I think they have to, you know, speak to the opposition parties, talk to other parties,
14:28find out whether it is possible and convenient for everybody to have in the middle of elections
14:34when five states are going for elections.
14:35You cannot call for parliament.
14:38Bang and off.
14:39Yes.
14:40I think they have to, this is a democratic country and, you know, it is not just a notice
14:45board that you can call us to parliament or a school where you can call, you know, say
14:52that parliament is on these days.
14:54I think everybody's opinion has to be taken into consideration.
14:58Thank you so much, ma'am.
15:00Sir, just quickly on you, sir.
15:01I know in the indegal, since we are in the indegal, I have to ask you, sir.
15:05Bigger record this time?
15:07Even bigger record wins, sir, Indawati?
15:09The people, the people will decide it.
15:13The margin will only, the people will decide it.
15:16The people.
15:17No, I'm not Aswari it.
15:19Only the people will decide it.
15:22Definitely, he always breaks his own records and I'm sure I'm looking forward.
15:26Okay, great.
15:26All the best, sir.
15:29Thank you so much.
16:01Hectic, hectic campaigns.
16:03So in between all of the craziness, you just have to catch these leaders and put your questions
16:07that's both, that's Kanimuri there.
16:09Every single day, grueling schedule of following and going and campaigning for one leader or
16:13the other.
16:14But we finally did manage to catch up with her.
16:17I feel like Anum Kanimuri, stärker than a fan, who won a music program?
16:27I'm not...
16:27I'm not a fan of the capability for how do I win this season-��테만?
16:33Yeah, same like a German range line.
16:38I know.
16:38Wooo.
16:39Beautiful.
16:40From Vibe the state, thisannya is where I can meet and delete my local Ukrainianβ Manual.
16:46you are a record break.
16:51He is the minister.
17:05He won by a record of over 1 lakh votes.
17:08So she refers to the fact that we asked that question
17:10about what record will he break now
17:12to loud, loud cheers.
17:14So she definitely knows how to play the crowd, what points to make, and constantly says I'm
17:19here to witness the spectacle rather than here to win for the candidate or help the
17:23candidate win.
18:03Thank you so much for watching.
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