My writing is an expression of my roots: Thamizhachi

The Lok Sabha member touches upon various themes that inform her opinions and work and the importance of her roots in conversation with Shylaja Chetlur of Cinema Rendezvous

A sense of strong self-assurance of her identity is apparent with Thamizhachi Thangapandian, Lok Sabha member and Tamil writer and poet.

In a conversation with Shylaja Chetlur, founder, Cinema Rendezvous, Ms. Thamizhachi, touched upon various themes that inform her opinions and work and the importance of her roots at a meeting of the Duchess Club on Thursday. 

“Choosing to speak on my writing and my soil relates to speaking on my identity; so intertwined are the two today,” she said.

“Even though Tamil is one language with a rich cultural tradition, each region has a dialect and that is what makes it so beautiful. My roots are in an agrarian family whose livelihood depended on black soil that wasn’t very fertile and where the rain decided our fate.”

According to her, sharing one’s history was important especially as a citizen living in a post-colonial Third World country. 

To a question on the existence of a universal connect between women, Ms. Thamizhachi cited war and the ongoing hijab controversy to elucidate her point.

“Women are the first to experience war and wherever there is war, we feel the pain. Today, there is a debate on wearing the hijab in many parts of the world. Adorning a hijab is ultimately a woman’s individual choice which must be supported. Therefore, yes there is a universal connection,” she said.