5 Thug Life Moments of Kalaignar
”If Periyar lit the fire, Karunanidhi kept it burning—line by line, law by law.” They called him Kalaignar—the artist. But he was also a fighter, a lawmaker, a disbeliever, a dreamer, and a disrupter. He didn’t knock on history’s door. He kicked it open. His words sharp enough to draw blood . We all know him as a Chief Minister, a politician, a towering figure in public life. But behind the titles stood a fiery young soul—one that loved his mother tongue with fierce devotion, that cared deeply for his people, and had the courage to question power without fear. He never saw authority as something to fear. It made him restless. It made him speak. In a world where silence was safer, he chose the risk of resistance—and never looked back. he spoke. Even when it was dangerous. Especially when it was. Welcome to the black shirt chronicles .
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The Name war at Kallakudi :
In 1953, the quiet town of Kallakudi in Tamil Nadu became the stage for a defining act of resistance. The Central Government had allowed the town to be renamed as Dalmiapuram after a Indian industrialist from Dalmia group who set up a Cement Factory there . for everyone it seemed like a minor Administrative decision , But for a 29 year old member of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam it was a direct insult to Tamil identity and pride . Refusing to stay silent Karunanidhi, then 29, led a team of student activists to ‘Dalmiapuram’, to change its name back to Kallakudi. What followed was perhaps one of the first rail mariyals of Tamil Nadu . They stuck papers on the newly painted ‘Dalmiapuram’, to change it back to Kallakudi. he lay down on the railway tracks. Not in fear, but in fury. “Lie still, brothers. The tracks carry steel, but our spine must carry fire.” They lay there, unmoving, as the sound of an approaching train grew louder. Around him, fellow protestors chanted. Above him, the system loomed. The train was halted. The police arrived in large numbers, armed with lathis, rifles, ready to crush what they saw as rebellion.
They first ordered the crowd to disperse. “If a train must run over me to rename this town, so be it. But let it be known - I will not move.” But Karunanidhi and his comrades refused. The tracks remained blocked. The slogans grew louder. Then came the lathi charge a violent sweep meant to break bodies and will. Wooden batons cracked down on backs, shoulders, and heads. Chaos erupted. Protestors ran, bled, held their ground. The police opened fire , two protestors died there and many were injured . M.Karunanidhi was arrested with some of his comrades , he was dragged by the police with blood in his shirt and defiance in his eyes . They all were sentenced to 5 months in prison and to pay a fine of Rs.35 each . “Let them jail me. I will not buy my freedom with 35 rupees when my land is being sold off.” That day, Karunanidhi didn’t just stop a train. He started a movement.
“The soil I walk on is Tamil. The name I call it by will be Tamil too.”
2 . Even Silence Couldn’t Silence Him :
When The Central government declared a national Emergency in 1975, democracy in India was effectively suspended. Civil liberties were curbed, the press was censored, and opposition voices were silenced. Most state governments either cooperated out of fear or stayed quiet.
"If resisting injustice is a crime, then I’m proud to be guilty." (Statement from Karunanidhi after the Emergency was declared (paraphrased from early DMK resolutions) . Karunanidhi publicly criticized the Emergency, defended the rights of the people, and refused to let the central government override state autonomy . His party, the DMK, became one of the few voices of resistance in the country. In retaliation, The central government dismissed his administration in 1976, Karunanidhi did not erupt with rage . "We have been removed from power, not for any crime ; but for refusing to kneel." He made it clear that the DMK was being targeted for its refusal to endorse the Emergency and for upholding democratic values. While many political leaders went underground or compromised, Karunanidhi refused to align with the ruling Congress. "Governments may fall, but principles will not." He released a "White Paper" a detailed document that systematically refuted the charges made against his DMK government by the central government. It laid out the administrative actions, financial details, and development work undertaken during his tenure, and challenged the so-called ‘evidence’ used to dismiss him. "If you're going to accuse me, prove it." The Emergency continued until 1977, during which time Karunanidhi and the DMK remained politically isolated but morally unshaken.
"If opposing dictatorship is a crime, history will remember us as proud criminals."
3 . Two Hearts, One Law, No Gods :
In a land where marriage was seen as a sacred bond sealed before gods and priests, through fire and mantras Karunanidhi tore through it all. In 1967, armed not with a sword but with a signature, he passed a law that did something unthinkable, he made weddings legal without priests, without gods, and without permission from orthodoxy. This was the Self-Respect Marriage Act a legal revolution rooted in Periyar’s vision, where two consenting adults didn’t need to light a sacred fire or chant in a language they didn’t understand. They only needed truth, consent, and equality. “No caste. No gods. No middlemen. Just equality.”
This wasn’t just about law , it was a political strike against forced rituals. It gave legal legitimacy to the ideals of the Self-Respect Movement: rationalism, equality, and individual agency. “If a man and a woman decide to live together with mutual respect, that is holier than a thousand rituals chanted without love.”(Essence of Self-Respect ideology, often echoed in Murasoli editorials)
Karunanidhi and the DMK were accused of "destroying Tamil culture" by sidelining religion in one of the most sacred institutions. Ironically, this law was deeply rooted in Tamil rationalist thought , it was a defense of Tamil dignity, not an attack on it. Couples who opted for Self-Respect Marriages often faced ostracism from their families and communities, especially in rural areas. These unions were seen as illegitimate in the eyes of many, even after the law changed. DMK-led governments continued to uphold and protect Self-Respect Marriages.
Today, Self-Respect Marriages are a protected legal right in Tamil Nadu and a living example of how a bold law can challenge centuries of tradition and still endure.
“This law is not against god. It is for the people ; especially those for whom gods have never spoken.”
4. The Rationalist’s Gift to the Divine :
In 2007, during his tenure as Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi approved ₹6 crore for the reconstruction of the massive wooden chariot (ther) of the Thyagaraja Temple in Tiruvarur one of Tamil Nadu’s most iconic temple festivals. This Decision by him confused everyone . “I haven’t changed my beliefs,” he said.
“But that chariot is a part of Tamil culture. I did it for Tamil identity ; not for god.” it wasn’t about belief. It was about protecting Tamil heritage, even if it came wrapped in religion. Long before he became Chief Minister, a young Karunanidhi stood among the dusty streets of Tiruvarur, watching a grand spectacle: the Thyagaraja Temple chariot, pulled by hundreds of farmers and working-class men. It wasn’t just devotion it was back-breaking labor. Those who stumbled or slowed down weren’t offered water or rest they were whipped to keep the procession moving. Karunanidhi reconstructed the chariot, and when it proved too heavy for human effort, he sent in bulldozers. No more whips. No more humiliation. Just machines symbols of progress taking over where once oppression disguised as ritual had reigned. “When god wouldn’t move, Kalaignar moved him with machines.” An atheist Chief Minister, who had spent his life questioning religion, now using machines to move a god through the streets of his hometown not out of devotion, but to protect Tamil tradition and ensure a sacred ritual did not come to a halt.
“I didn’t push god. I pushed forward Tamil culture.”
5. Land, Law, and Liberation:
In India, women do the bulk of unpaid care work. They manage homes, raise children, work in fields, and hold families together. But when it comes to owning the very roof over their heads, they’re often left out. Traditionally, land and property are passed through men father to son, husband to heir. Women had no legal documents tying them to the home or land, leaving them vulnerable in cases of abandonment, widowhood, or domestic violence. Most women were seen as dependents not as individuals with legal identity or ownership. "What I speak is for freedom and social equality." So when Karunanidhi’s government decided to issue land pattas in the names of women, it flipped the script. And that simple change changed everything. Owning land isn't just about wealth. It means stability. It means being able to say, “This is mine,” without fear. It means having something to pass on to your children. Karunanidhi launched the Sothu Urimai Thittam (Property Ownership Scheme) during his time as Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister to make sure no one would be treated like a stranger on the land they called home. the scheme aimed to grant legal land ownership to the landless poor, particularly those from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other marginalized communities. It was a silent feminist revolution. By giving land rights to women, the scheme altered family dynamics and secured generations of empowerment. A woman with a patta is seen differently. She’s not just a “dependent.” She becomes a decision-maker in her family, in her community. "A society that denies rights to the modern woman has no life.” Even today, across Tamil Nadu, you’ll find families who built their first brick homes on land received through this scheme. Many of them will tell you:
"It was given in my mother’s name." And that made all the difference.
"Lighting one candle can ignite a thousand lamps. An enlightened woman can do the same."