‘Revolutions do not happen in a day, give me a chance’

Film director-turned politician Seeman launched his Naam Thamizhar Katchi in 2010. But his journey as an ardent Tamil nationalist and follower of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran began when he was a young student. In an interview to D Govardan and Jaya Menon, the 54-year-old talks of new age politics and his dream of an utopian state where there would be autonomy, one party rule and prosperity.
Q: You are riding two horses, with Tamil nationalism as the common target.
The concept of Tamil nationalism (Thamizh Desiyam) revolves around the need to secure the rights of Tamils in Tamil Nadu. This is in terms of their language and culture, economic uplift and development. They deserve respect for their way of worship, traditional farming activities that sustained them for centuries, method of safeguarding natural resources. The people deserve access to education, employment as per their qualification and fair remuneration. The people also should be given basic amenities such as uninterrupted power supply, clean drinking water and a pollution-free environment. Tamil nationalist politics revolves around all this. In the case of Eelam (the demand for a separate independent state for Tamils), the push is for Tamil nationalism.
Q: Vaiko was not so successful in advocating Tamil nationalism.
Vaiko did it for politics. I am doing it for ideology.
Q: Even a Dravidian major like the DMK has dropped the idea of a separate Tamil nation. Why are you taking up such a demand?
I am not asking for a separate nation. Dravidian parties too only sought a Dravida Nadu. During the Indo-China war of 1962, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru sought to ban divisive elements and DMK president Anna (C N Annadurai) dropped that demand. We are only asking for a government that will ensure equality and one that will be based on self-governance or autonomy (Thannaatichi). With the thrust on privatisation there is no national asset left. As a citizen of this country, what do I have to fall back on, when everything is either being sold or privatised?
Q: What is your ideology?
My ideology is the welfare of the people of this state. The Centre is deliberately doing certain things. How can we remain silent, after knowing the crisis that such actions will lead to? The Centre gives lessons on patriotism, but they themselves will not follow them. If only the media had given me enough space, there would have been a revolution.
Q: You are talking about the welfare of Tamils. But your vote share has not risen beyond 3%. Why?
In 2016, when I got 1.1% vote, people said I will not be able to go beyond that number. Now I have already crossed 3%. A revolution cannot happen in a day. Lenin said as and when the situation comes, when people start thinking that the life they had lived cannot be lived again, the revolution will happen. But we cannot remain silent until then. We have to work for it. Around 17 lakh people have voted for me now. When Kamal Haasan, who acted for 60 years in the film industry, entered politics, the media celebrated him, but kept me at a distance. Even T T V Dhinakaran hogged the limelight and spent several crores of rupees to get only 5% votes. I have no background. Only youngsters are backing me.
Q: You are fielding 234 candidates. But isn’t fighting elections expensive?
We are going to spend only 3 lakh per constituency. We used to spend only 1 lakh or 1.5 lakh earlier. Now that we have grown, we will be spending more. Even Election Commission officials who see our expenditure reports wonder how we are running a political party by spending so little.
Q: But how do you manage that?
We seek donations, well-wishers contribute ₹10,000-₹50,000. Now, we have created an election fund and are seeking help. We have collected ₹12.5 lakh so far and expect to raise 50 lakh. We are literally begging, but we are doing it discreetly. Tamils from here, who are working in the Middle East, and only Sri Lankan Tamils, who are members of my party, contribute.
Q: Why did you call on V K Sasikala?
She is a relative on my wife’s side. Since, she was unwell, I went to ask about her health. There was nothing political about it.
Q: Your opposition to the DMK is more strident than others?
I oppose them for letting Tamils down in their hour of need for the DMK’s political goals. I was brought up with Dravidian principles. After seeing what happened to the Tamil brethren in Sri Lanka, I realised the harm the DMK caused them. My path and my journey became clearer and the person who showed it to me was my brother (LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran).
I was an atheist. But if I have to follow the path of Tamil nationalism, I have to take along our people’s religious beliefs and culture. It is like a farmer pulling a plant out of soil, without damaging its core roots, to replant it for better growth. Not just the DMK, even national parties are not needed for this country. When states become autonomous, where is the need for a national party. Between the Congress and the BJP, there is only a party change, no policy change. It is the case with the two Dravidian parties — DMK and AIADMK — too. We are directly fighting the mother of all Dravidian parties — the DMK. When the DMK falls, there is no place for the AIADMK too. What will a hero do without a villain?
Q: How long will you continue to contest alone?
An alliance is required only when a party does not trust its people. When people get fed up with these two Dravidian parties, they will look for a real alternative. I would have emerged by then. My message to people is clear — I did not commit the mistake of joining hands with others for a few seats and money because I believed in you. When I talk of change, it is not just about change of government. It is about changing the approach to politics and the way a government runs. I consider politics a life science, while others see it as trade. Defeat is only when I change my policy and not by the number of seats I win or lose.
Q: Who is your political opponent?
I do not have any opponent for my principles. I want to politically defeat the DMK and ideologically defeat the BJP. In 2026, you will see me heading an alliance with like-minded parties.