ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash EP-400 | S Gurumurthy on Tamil Nadu Polls, Vijay, Modi, Rahul, DMK, Sanatana & More
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Mar 24, 2026 S Gurumurthy, auditor-turned-ideologue and editor of Tamil weekly Thuglak, discusses Dravidian politics, DMK-Congress dynamics, and why star power like Vijay may not unseat established parties. He explores Tamil cultural identity, BJP’s struggles to build a regional ecosystem, media influence in Tamil Nadu, and his investigative clashes with corporate power and political figures.
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Offer Power Share To Calm Anti Establishment Backlash
- Share power in alliances to reduce anti-establishment backlash; DMK's refusal to offer Congress a power share increases public resentment.
- Gurumurthy argues a rotational or shared leadership would have dampened anti-establishment sentiment in this election.
Tamil Society Is Religiously Sanatana Despite Political Claims
- Tamil Nadu is deeply Hindu in social practice despite political anti-Hindu narratives; DMK's anti-Sanatana stance is political posturing.
- Gurumurthy points to temple worship, Tevaram and domestic traditions as evidence of Sanatana roots.
Classical Tamil Texts Show Deep Sanatana Links
- Ancient Tamil literature contains Sanatana concepts like varnas and rituals; Tolkappiyam references Vedic teachers.
- Gurumurthy cites Tolkappiyam's opening and Sangam texts to argue Tamil culture is intertwined with Sanatana Dharma.