Senthamizhan Seemanof NTK.
Credit: X/@Seeman4TN
Chennai: When the fiery Senthamizhan Seeman introduced all 40 Lok Sabha candidates of his Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK) in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry at a public meeting last week, an equal number of men and women occupied the dais with folded hands seeking votes for them.
NTK is perhaps the only outfit in India to provide 50 per cent reservation to women in distribution of tickets since the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The Tamil nationalist party is gaining traction among Tamils especially youngsters despite its impractical policies and divisive ideology for it defines only those with a Tamil lineage as natives of Tamil Nadu.
Not just that. As many as 16 of the 40 candidates fielded by NTK in the Lok Sabha polls are doctors, while the remaining come from diverse backgrounds, including youngsters who have returned home from abroad to usher in a “political change” in Tamil Nadu that have been ruled by the DMK and AIADMK alternatively since 1967. NTK is also consistent in fielding Dalits from general seats and not confine them to constituencies reserved for them.
Condemned and commended in equal measures, NTK emerged as the third largest party in terms of vote share in 2021 assembly polls by garnering nearly 7 per cent votes. One of the best orators in today’s Tamil Nadu, Seeman, a self- appointed fan of LTTE and its slain leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, made the political plunge in 2010 after the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka.
The party since it made its electoral debut in 2016 has been contesting alone after taking a conscious decision of not entering into an alliance with any political party.
At a time his popularity is on the rise, Seeman is facing his toughest political battle this April with the party losing its popular ‘sugarcane farmer’ to another outfit and faces the arduous task of popularising the new 'mike' symbol among the voters.
“It is plain politics to have not allotted the sugarcane farmer symbol to my party. They don’t want us to be popular. But that won’t make any difference to us. I am NTK’s face. People will continue to support us in large numbers,” Seeman told DH in an interview.
On fielding an equal number of women in the elections much like men, Seeman said he was only performing his duty and he was not doing any favour to women, who have played a major part in the evolution of the Tamil race. He also maintains that NTK is the only party in Tamil Nadu that walks the talk on social justice plank, which has been an integral part of the state’s political landscape.
“While others merely talk about social justice, I implement it in my party. Who else gives half of the seats to women? Who has the courage to field a Dalit in a general seat in Tamil Nadu? I believe this is my duty as someone who took to politics to redeem my race,” Seeman said.
To a question on criticism that his party adopts the 50 per cent reservation for women only because the chances of winning the seats were less, Seeman shot back.
“When they know they can win, shouldn’t they (established parties) give chance to more women and people from the oppressed class? It is only because of them not doing their job, I have come to politics to show them the mirror. People who claim to breathe social justice are the ones who have done social injustice to Tamil Nadu,” he said, taking a swipe at the DMK and AIADMK.
Why 16 doctors? Seeman says it was only to inform the masses that everything -- “the air we breathe, the water we drink, and food we consume” -- have become poison and tell them the need for a joint effort from the society to redeem old practices.
“Building libraries after libraries and schools after schools is development. But we only see hospitals mushrooming across the state, showing us how our people are sick. A society that keeps visiting hospitals cannot be called a developing one. Who better than doctors to tell people what is happening and the ways to redeem our Tamil society?” Seeman asked.
The NTK chief said his political party was established to “usher in a revolution” in Tamil Nadu and contesting elections was only one part of the job. “Revolutions take time and no one can expect a revolution in ten years or 20 years. There will come a time when we will win elections. Tamil nationalism will take time to find acceptance among people as the society is now “split on religion, and caste,” he said.
Seeman, who believes as a Union of States should not have a national party, is not contesting the Lok Sabha polls. “I will contest only in the assembly elections. The Tamil Nadu legislature is the place where I should be. My people will enter Parliament, not me,” Seeman added.