DH Interview | Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2026: We won’t let systemic homogenisation erase our linguistic identity, says Kanimozhi Karunanidhi

Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, deputy general secretary and Parliamentary Party leader, has emerged as one of the key campaigners for the DMK this April 23 assembly election. She has travelled across the state campaigning for candidates of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA).

In an interview with DH’s E.T.B. Sivapriyan, Kanimozhi spoke the state’s two-language policy, DMK’s anti-BJP stand, welfare measures, and the framing of elections by Chief Minister M K Stalin as Tamil Nadu versus NDA.

Edited excerpts:

Q: Chief Minister M K Stalin has projected the assembly election fight as one between Tamil Nadu and Delhi. Is it because the anti-BJP stand fetches votes for the DMK, or the party feels the state is being rendered injustice by the BJP-led Union Government?

A: This is not a matter of vote-bank politics; it is an existential defence of our state's rights. Our Chief Minister has rightly framed this as "Tamil Nadu vs Delhi", where we must vanquish the political forces attempting to homogenise and destroy Tamil culture. 

The DMK is the only party with the spine to consistently question the Union BJP government's centralisation of power and diminishing the states' rights. 

Whether it is the denial of disaster relief, the GST compensation delays, or the continuous imposition of Hindi, the injustice is structural, and we are fighting to protect our federal identity.

Q: AIADMK leads the NDA, but the DMK’s attacks seem to be focused on the BJP. Do you think AIADMK is declining? If so, why?

A: Our primary ideological battle is against the centralising, right-wing policies of the BJP, which threaten the secular and pluralistic fabric of India. 

AIADMK has compromised on the core principles of the Dravidian movement by acting as mere enablers for the NDA. 

When a regional party surrenders its voice and state autonomy to a national power, its decline is inevitable. We target the root of the ideological threat, not just its local proxies.

Q: There is a view that being friendly with the BJP will ensure more funds for the state – the AIADMK says it established 11 medical colleges in five years – and it is only the confrontational attitude of the DMK government that has made things worse. Your opinion.

A: Demanding what rightfully belongs to the people of Tamil Nadu is not a "confrontational attitude", it is our constitutional duty. 

We firmly believe that the optimum welfare of the nation can only be achieved when the Union and States work together in the true spirit of cooperative federalism. Subservience should never be the prerequisite for a state to receive its fair share of tax revenues. 

AIADMK's compliance did not bring genuine financial independence; it only compromised our state's rights.

Q: Recently, the CBSE issued a circular making three-language policy compulsory from the 6th standard. As expected, the Tamil Nadu government opposed the move. But why do you think that the Union Government continues to insist on the three-language formula?

A: The two-language policy is our non-negotiable shield. The continuous insistence on a three-language formula is fundamentally an "imposition of power" by the Union BJP Government to enforce Hindi and marginalize regional linguistic identities. 

This is exactly why Tamil Nadu has successfully resisted initiatives to bring Hindi, protecting our linguistic equity. Our stand remains absolute: we will not let systemic homogenization erase our identity.

Q: Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu allege that the DMK government has failed in protecting women. How do you respond to such criticism? What steps did the government take to prevent incidents of sexual assault against women?

A: The Vilathikulam tragedy was deeply painful, and I visited the bereaved family. We immediately formed 10 special police teams to conduct an intensive investigation, and the culprit was apprehended. 

We rely on scientific investigation, not political theatrics, and we have assured the public that the government will not shield anyone involved. 

Q: DMK’s attacks are centred on the BJP, not AIADMK. Does the DMK believe that attacking the BJP gets more votes than attacking AIADMK?

A: Our focus is entirely ideological. We are fighting a battle to defeat the forces out to destroy Tamil culture and those acting as their slaves. The BJP represents a direct threat to social justice, state autonomy, and linguistic rights of every non-Hindi-speaking state. 

AIADMK simply enabled these forces. We do not design our attacks for votes; our electoral success is a byproduct of our commitment to the Dravidian ideology.

Q: You headed the manifesto committee of the DMK. The Rs 8,000 coupon for non-IT paying families is being billed as a promise that will burden the exchequer further. Why is Tamil Nadu focusing on such consumerist promises when the state has all along focused on investments in the future like the Mid-day meal scheme?

A: I reject the notion that these are "consumerist" promises. The Rs 8,000 coupon scheme for non-taxpaying women to purchase household appliances like washing machines or microwaves is specifically designed to alleviate the uncompensated, crushing burden of domestic labour. 

By mechanising household work, women get the temporal freedom to pursue education and productive, income-generating activities. This is a profound investment in gender equity, not a freebie.

Q: TN is a pioneer in Direct Benefit Transfer schemes. But are the DBTs becoming a powerful political tool in the hands of politicians to mint votes? We saw this in Maharashtra, Bihar, and now in TN where women get Rs 2,000 special assistance for summer.

A: Welfare schemes are not tools to "mint votes." As many prominent economists have argued, putting money directly into the hands of the people acts as a massive economic stimulus. 

By enhancing the monthly assistance to Rs 2,000, we are fundamentally altering local economies by increasing the purchasing power and financial independence of over 1.3 crore beneficiaries. This drives equitable macroeconomic growth from the ground up.

Q: TVK chief and actor Vijay has projected the April 23 elections as one between his party and the DMK. Is the contest four-cornered or a bipolar one, as usual between the DMK and AIADMK? Your views on Vijay.

A: This is definitely a bipolar contest. And we have a proven governance track record, having fulfilled 404 of our 505 promises from 2021. 

Our young voters, who number over one crore in the under-30 category, are highly politically aware; they demand strong policies on employment and education, not just a star persona lacking ideological depth. 

DMK remains a formidable force, grounded in Dravidian principles and substantive delivery.