Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s visit to lyricist Vairamuthu’s house on his birthday on July 13 has been criticised by many. Hours after the CM's visit, Thirumavalavan, the founder of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and an ally of the DMK also wished the lyricist. Writer and poet Meena Kandasamy questioned political parties for “associating with a molester” and stated that it is “denigrating to women” in the party. Vairamuthu has been accused by several women of sexual harassment, including singer Chinmayi Sripada.
Speaking about how she had never had to wish any senior poet in the past 20 years, Meena said, “ In twenty years I've never HAD to wish any senior male poet on his birthday. Any poet, any language. I've never had to call on any senior male poet with flowers. Even for a poet to survive and flourish---she doesn't need these blessings, this flex, this association.” Meena Kandasamy’s poetry collection Ms Militancy is well known for her sharp and witty feminist poems which tackles subjects like religion, caste, and sexuality. Meena is the author of novels like When I Hit You, The Gypsy Goddess, and Exquisite Cadavers, among others.
Questioning why politicians choose to publicly associate with people who have been accused of sexual harassment, Meena said, “If a poet can exercise this degree of autonomy and independence, especially in a field with immense gate keeping and coercion, why is it that politicians need to hobnob, embarrassingly, in the public gaze, with a poet who's been accused of being a sexual predator.”
Highlighting how young poets can “find their feet” in the industry without having powerful mentors, Meena asked why politicians feel the need to associate with a “scandalous” person like Vairamuthu. She said, “When young poets can find their feet without such godfathers and industry-patriarchy to pull them up---how is it that established, powerful politicians feel the need to associate, and advertise their association, with this scandalous person. What do you gain? How do we read your tweets and photo ops?”
Recalling the ideological leader of the Dravidian parties, the writer said, “If there's one thing I learned from Periyar it is to never lose Self Respect. Associating with a molester is denigrating to your public image. It's denigrating to the women in your parties. Please think this through…”
Expressing solidarity with Chinmayi, singer TM Krishna also criticised MK Stalin for sharing space with Vairamuthu. He said, “It is unbecoming of Chief Minister MK Stalin to share space with Vairamuthu. Repeated, unquestioned celebration of Vairamuthu and people like him dis-empowers survivors of sexual harassment. Insensitivity to Me Too across the political spectrum is deeply disturbing.”
Chinmayi criticised MK Stalin for the visit. She also called out Thirumavalavan. She said, “The gentleman [Thirumavalavan] that speaks for the oppressed will willingly platform, protect and support a serial harasser. Not only does he wish him in his personal capacity, but he does it on behalf of his political party. Why does this happen in Tamil Nadu?”
Chinmayi said that these parties are not too different from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which is standing with Brij Bhushan, the former chief of Wrestlers Federation of India (WFI), who has been accused of sexual assault by multiple women. She said, “Does it not bother you that so many women have named your favourite poet as their molester? While Brij Bhushan is protected by BJP, all of you here protect this molester. How are you all different from BJP since you keep claiming you are better? Do you expect women molested by Vairamuthu to trust you that you’ll stand for safety for women?”
Speaking about how political leaders, including the state’s Chief Minister stand in support of a person accused of sexual harassment while she has been banned from the industry, Chinmayi said, “You, the Chief Minister of Tamiladu MK Stalin, all of you stand behind a known serial harasser while I stand alone; banned. Tell me how it makes sense in your political world. Or is it OK if one of your friends goes about molesting women and you all will continue protecting them? As usual none of you great, powerful men will respond and invite the molester to your next political event.”
In November 2018, Chinmayi was expelled from the South Indian Cine, Television Artistes and Dubbing Artists Union (SICTADAU), soon after she spoke out in support of two women who had accused actor-politician Radha Ravi, the president of the dubbing union, of sexual misconduct.