Tolerance is not acceptance: Tiruchi N. Siva to political rivals

In a message to political rivals, DMK deputy general secretary Tiruchi N. Siva on Friday (September 25, 2026) said his party’s tolerance of “bogeyman acts” of some leaders was not to be construed as acceptance, and his party would wait for the right moment to act. He was speaking at the release of a documentary film, The Misa Mark, and a book, Misa Vadukkal, by S.K. Sridharan in Chennai.

“We have never been afraid or have fled. We are just casually watching the bogeyman acts of some people. Tolerance is not acceptance. Tolerance does not mean we have accepted it or that we are not capable. The talented will wait for the right moment. Those are the words of [late leader and former CM] Anna. We know when to raise our arms. Then our voice will rise and our actions will change,” Mr. Siva said.

Recalling how the DMK opposed the Emergency imposed by the then Congress government under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the Rajya Sabha MP pointed out that, unlike in other States where crackdowns were imposed, in Tamil Nadu it was a choice taken by the DMK leadership. Mr. Siva also recalled that it was after the Emergency that he chose to follow the path of DMK leader M. Karunanidhi, abandoning his aspiration to become a civil servant.

Seeking to explain that Karunanidhi, who opposed the Emergency, eventually welcomed Indira Gandhi’s party forming the government by saying ‘Nehruvin Magale Varuga! Nilayaana Aatchi Tharuga!’, Mr. Siva said the DMK leadership chose to overlook its personal and organisational sufferings to ensure a stable government in New Delhi.

Dravidar Kazhagam leader K. Veeramani, who released the book ‘Misa Vadukkal ’, recalled his conversations with DMK president and former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in prison during the Emergency. Mr. Veeramani also recalled the injury he suffered under his left eye in jail and noted he was used to the pain by now.

CPI(M) leader K. Balakrishnan said that under the BJP government, there was an “undeclared emergency” in the country now. The Communist leader underlined the importance of documenting the sufferings of other party functionaries during the Emergency. Mr. Balakrishnan hailed Karunanidhi’s decision to oppose the Emergency even at the cost of the then DMK government. DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan recalled the struggles faced by the party functionaries during the Emergency.

Activist and writer Thiyagu said the Emergency was still in practice but in a different form and pointed out the prolonged detention of activist Umar Khalid under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). He also recalled the sufferings of former MP and Mayor C. Chittibabu (and eventual death), former Minister Arcot N. Veerasamy, among others during the Emergency. He contended that the scars suffered by individuals during the Emergency were indeed the scars on society as a whole.