M. Kalanchiyam, who had been associated with the Naam Tamilar Katchi, recently left the party. He had also issued a statement explaining the reason for his departure. However, he remained silent for a long time without joining another party or starting a new one.
In this situation, following information that he is now actively working toward starting a new party, we met M. Kalanchiyam in person and spoke with him...
"What was the reason you left N.T.K.?"
"After the defeat in the 2024 parliamentary election, I requested that a consultation meeting be held regarding the election loss. But they did not even take it into consideration. In the 2026 assembly election, not only did we suffer defeat, but the vote percentage also dropped. Therefore, I asked that this be studied and the next course of action be taken. But they used those in the top positions of the N.T.K. to abuse me severely.
After the election defeat, DMK members have been holding review meetings asking, 'Where did we slip up...' and have been restructuring and preparing the party. But in N.T.K., no review meeting has ever been held for any defeat. Those around him, too, have been operating in such a way that no party member can even approach Seeman. So, in a situation where I felt I could no longer continue traveling with this party, I left the party."
"They say you left out of frustration because you were not given due importance in N.T.K....?"
"In politics, if I were someone who travels for positions, wouldn’t I have traveled in the ruling parties that hold power? I am the one who founded a separate movement for the Tamil nationalist ideal and have been continuously running it.
But in N.T.K., there is no basic organizational structure at all, such as district secretary, union secretary, executive committee and general committee member, or internal party elections, which are all part of a political party.
No matter who joins the party or how long they travel with it, no one gets any position beyond the role of 'State Coordinator.' In short, their only aim is that no one other than the chief coordinator Seeman should have any importance in the party."
I raised my voice from within the party itself, saying that all these shortcomings needed to be changed. Immediately, the N.T.K. members began to criticize me, saying that I was speaking against the party. With the view that one cannot continue to travel with conflict, I stepped away from the party."
"N.T.K. has no basic understanding or need of how a party should be structured, what action plans it should have, or how it should define its political stance in the journey toward Tamil nationalism. N.T.K. is being run as a movement under a dictator named Seeman, where there is no room for the question 'why.'
"They boast that during elections they field women candidates on par with men. In the 2026 election itself, they fielded 117 women candidates. Most of them were people who had nothing to do with the N.T.K. and belonged to the majority community in those constituencies. Instead of developing women within the party on an equal footing with men, is it fair to bring in people from outside as needed and make them contest? If, at the last minute, because no one is available, everyone who can be found is made a candidate, how can the party win?"
"So, are you saying you have no personal conflict with Seeman?"
"My intention is not to criticize Seeman. At the same time, as someone who had traveled with the N.T.K. in the past, I am now only explaining why I left that party.
Seeman, who roars on stage that he will eradicate Dravidianism, does not examine the reasons for his election defeat; even after the election, he is seen chatting and mingling warmly with DMK leader M.K. Stalin at a wedding house. If questioned, he lectures that “this is statesmanship.” If someone else in his party were to do the same, he would brand them a “traitor” and have party members themselves post attacks against them. So, the one who publicly claims to stand for Tamil nationalism is making no effort toward it, and instead is sacrificing NTK and its innocent younger brothers for the politics of RSS.
In Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, Seeman has been portraying N.T.K. as the only party that emphasizes Tamil nationalism, while pursuing politics for his own self-interest. In this situation, I am currently engaged in preliminary preparations to start a new party under my leadership, with the aim of establishing a party that truly upholds Tamil nationalism and wins true Tamil nationalism.
"N.T.K. has been continuously fighting in the field for the Tamil nationalist ideology and for the political liberation of Eelam, hasn’t it?"
"They have created such an image here. Sri Lanka says, 'We have completely destroyed the LTTE.' In European countries, 28 countries have lifted the ban on the LTTE movement. Yet the ban still continues in India, and even the image of the National Leader cannot be posted on the internet. Has anyone spoken on behalf of N.T.K. to change this situation?
The Katchatheevu issue is one that concerns the sovereignty between the two countries, India and Sri Lanka. In matters like this, one must examine international law and take legal action regarding constructive ways to reclaim land that was handed over by a government. N.T.K. does not care about all these constructive issues.
Instead, will merely observing May 18 as Martyrs’ Day in a ritualistic manner, and continuing to proclaim from every stage what was said about Eelam in Rameswaram 20 years ago, really provide a solution to the problem? How long will they keep doing this deceptive politics?"
"In the past, everyone who criticized Seeman like this and left N.T.K. has joined other parties such as T.V.K., hasn’t he?"
"We did not leave N.T.K. in order to join another party. We have come with the aim of building true Tamil nationalism.
Eelam Tamils hate those who speak of fake Tamil nationalism, claiming to oppose Dravidianism on the outside while targeting only T.V.K. and working for the RSS agenda. Even so, in the political climate of Tamil Nadu, they endure N.T.K.’s self-serving politics with the anguish and frustration that if they leave N.T.K., they have no other option."
In this situation, amid those who are pursuing self-serving politics with the arrogance of saying, 'There is no one else but us in the field of Tamil nationalist politics,' we will stand in the arena as the true Tamil nationalist party."
"But they say that since your efforts to join T.V.K. did not succeed, you are planning to start a separate party?"
"Critics can criticize whatever they want. I do not want to waste my time responding to all that.
Here, the Dravidian parties are in numbers that cannot be defeated. We have already held a consultation meeting in Tiruchirappalli with comrades who want to build a genuine Tamil nationalism that can uproot them completely. Soon we will hold the next meeting in Chennai. Then all true Tamil nationalists will line up with us!
There will be democracy in our party, with transparent financial administration, freedom of expression for everyone, and decisions reached only after discussing everything, good and bad. There is no place here for individual domination."
"What is the main objective of the new party you are about to launch? To what extent does your party have support?"
"All Tamil enthusiasts around the world are supporting our movement. Under my leadership, leading figures including S. Muthu Pandi, Pennicuick Balasingam, Dr. Arun Chinnaiya, Pulavar Krishnakumar, Palamedu Parthiban, Kanimaran, and Xavier Felix will build our new party. Tamil enthusiasts who have so far been traveling with other parties are also waiting to join us when we announce the new party at the end of September."