Chennai, May 17: Ms Kanimozhi, the poet daughter of DMK chief minister M. Karunanidhi, is likely to be inducted shortly into the UPA government with a Cabinet rank in one of the economic affairs ministries, possibly commerce, which is now held by Mr Kamal Nath, informed sources said.
The move could take place once the Congress decides on its nominee to succeed President Abdul Kalam, sources added. Should the present choice of Pranab Mukherjee stick, it is said that finance minister P. Chidambaram could be moved to external affairs and Mr C. Rangarajan, chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, may take over the finance ministry. It is said that commerce and industries minister Kamal Nath who has a running battle going with his minister of state Jairam Ramesh over a variety of issues, might be relieved from commerce and allowed to retain industries. The commerce portfolio could then be Ms Kanimozhi’s by the end of the year or sooner, sources said.
“When the UPA government was formed the DMK was allotted a quota of three Cabinet ministers and four ministers of state. After the exit of Dayanidhi Maran, Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) has not filled up the Cabinet post and has only decided on Ms Radhika Selvi as minister of state, taking the total number of DMK’s junior ministers to five. The Cabinet post has been kept vacant for Ms Kanimozhi and she might get the nod soon after the Presidential election, a couple of months after becoming a member of the Rajya Sabha,” sources said.
“Sure, there may be a lot of criticism that Kalaignar is inducting his daughter in the Rajya Sabha and sending her at once into the Central Cabinet. But then, (health minister) Dr Anbumani Ramadoss (PMK) and Dayanidhi Maran too were greenhorns when they were made Union ministers as first-time MPs,” said a DMK senior leader. Initially, it was believed that Ms Kanimozhi would get the forests and environment ministry after Mr A. Raja was moved to Mr Maran’s IT and communications ministry but later it was decided on an economic affairs ministry so that she could be part of influential Cabinet committees on economic and political affairs. With Mr S. Reghupathy (DMK) having been moved from home to forests and environment as the minister of state, it became certain that Ms Kanimozhi would take charge of some other ministry.
Despite being born into a political family, Ms Kanimozhi has kept away from active party work and was content focusing on socio-cultural issues and people’s problems until now. However, the articulate economics graduate is now on a fast-track learning to prepare for a new career as a politician. She was a keen watcher in the visitors’ gallery during the just concluded Budget session of the Tamil Nadu Assembly.
Even while she was getting ready for entering the Rajya Sabha through the biennial election slated for June 15, the sudden exit of her nephew Dayanidhi Maran as the high profile IT and communications minister after a family spat, created a void in the Capital that the First Family has decided to quickly fill up.
Although he was apprehensive until recently that her entry into politics might raise the pitch of opposition criticism, spearheaded by Ms Jayalalithaa of the AIADMK, that he has been promoting his family interests, Mr Karunanidhi recently okayed the political initiation of 39-year-old Kanimozhi. He had planned a firm grounding for his pet daughter in the Rajya Sabha before she could be considered for bigger responsibilities but the Maran affair hastened the decision to get her into the Cabinet, sources said.
While Ms Kanimozhi herself seems hesitant about jumping into national politics so soon and suddenly, sources close to her said she has been assured the support of her influential brothers, state local administration minister M. K. Stalin and southern strongman M. K. Azhagiri, in taking over the position left vacant by a disowned Dayanaidhi Maran —to be Mr Karunanidhi’s loyal representative in the Capital. Mr Maran’s late father Murasoli Maran was the commerce and industries minister in the United Front government and was the architect of the revolt of the developing and underdeveloped nations against the rich at the Doha WTO meet.
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CHENNAI: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Friday, May 25, 2007 nominated writer-activist Kanimozhi, daughter of Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, as one of the party’s two candidates for the Rajya Sabha biennial elections on June 15.
Ms. Kanimozhi, known for her deep interest in literary and cultural issues, promised to use the opportunity provided by the party to “work for the issues I passionately believe in.” Talking to The Hindu , she said she would continue to raise the concerns of the marginalised sections of society, women’s issues and freedom of the press in her new role.
A Tamil poet, the 38-year-old Ms. Kanimozhi started her career as a sub-editor of The Hindu in Chennai in 1992. She worked with the arts section of the newspaper, the Friday Review, till 1997. She was later in charge of Kungumam, a Tamil weekly. She actively took up the cause of freedom of expression on several occasions, including when actor Kushboo was hounded by sections of the political class for articulating views on pre-marital sex. Along with Karthi Chidambaram, son of Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, she launched Karuthu, a forum for free expression of views.
Ms. Kanimozhi was born in 1968, when the world Tamil conference was held in Chennai, and her parents- Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Thiru Karunanidhi and Rajathi Ammal - decided to name her as Kanimozhi, meaning sweet language.
She had her school education in the famous Presentation Convent and Church Park convent, where few other prominent women political leaders of today also had their education.
After her post graduation in Economics from the Ethiraj College in Chennai, she started her career in the editorial division of Young World, the weekly supplement in The Hindu and went on to become the Features Editor of the Tamil publication, Murosu, in Singapore.
Penning poems being her favourite past time, she is essentially recognised as a poetess with fire and ire against social injustice and a champion of women issues, and her works like Karuvarai Vasanai, Agathinai, Paarvaigal and Karukum Marudani came under many a critics scrutiny and appreciation as well. She also continues to air her views as a columnist in The Week.
Ms. Kanimozhi is greatly remembered for having organized, Namma Theru Vizha (Our Street Festival) showcasing Chennai’s long-lost traditional art forms. The concept was by Ms. Kanimozhi, which was taken forward by the Tamil Maiyam and the TN Department of Tourism and Culture. Chief Minister Karunanidhi flagged off the ceremony with a dance show, Sange Muzhangu, running through the evolution of the 2000-year old Tamil arts, literature and culture with 200 folk artistes sharing the space with classical performers in the six days of undiluted cultural display.
Ms. Kanimozhi says, I have always had a fascination for folk art forms. We wanted to have a cultural festival during Pongal (the harvest festival). In Tamil Maiyam, when we were discussing about celebrating the city of Chennai , which is an inclusive culture, we came up with this idea but did not expect it to make such a big impact. It was a surprise to have a first-hand experience about how so many forces, which can never come together for anything else, got together to work against something that they wanted to.â€
Ms. Kanimozhi is also known for being the driving force behind the online forum Karuthu along with Finance Minister P Chidambaram's son Karthi Chidambaram. The web site says its 'foremost task is to voice its opinion against repression and to safeguard the fundamental rights of freedom of speech and expression.'
In spite of her hundred per cent contribution and participation in any activity which she takes on, Ms. Kanimozhi has always kept a low profile and has kept her distance from controversies and therefore has a positive public image. She comes across as one who believes in maintaining courtesies with all including those who are from different sides of the political spectrum. She is watchful about the manner in which she airs her opinions and her live-and-let-live attitude has always gone in her favour.
Kanimozhi is credited with organizing Rural Job camps in Kanyakumari, Virudunagar and Vellore districts. These camps provided a remarkable meeting point for unemployed rural youth and corporates. Through these camps more than 30000 youth got jobs.
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