Venkataraman Ganesh

Not the typical IIT-IIM-Consultant.
Passionate about politics, serious about development. Views expressed are personal :)

[Venkataraman Ganesh @Venkyis]

@Akshita_N TN has normalised violence - in words and actions - against anyone they perceive to be Brahmins. It's like there is a political and social consensus that calling TamBrams "curd rice" et al. is OK, deserved and "funny". What @Akshita_N is facing is casteist.

[thirdmainroad @thirdmainroad]

📍 WHERE: Government Museum, Egmore, Chennai
🗓️ WHEN: Saturday, 13 June
⏰ TIME: 11:00 AM

Bring your love for history. Bring your anger. Bring your voice.

Let us show up in numbers and demand accountability.

Tamil Nadu’s heritage cannot be left under rubble, pipes and concrete.

See you there.

@CMOTamilnadu @htTweets @the_hindu @NewIndianXpress

#SaveTamilHeritage #MadrasMuseum #Chennai #TamilNadu #Chola #Hoysala

[Major Pawan Kumar, Shaurya Chakra (Retd) 🇮🇳 @major_pawan]

Freedom is not free

A request to all citizens to be wise in enjoying your freedom , don’t exploit it

Jai Hind 🇮🇳

[thirdmainroad @thirdmainroad]

Update: The Hindu has now picked up this issue from this tweet. Thank you to everyone who shared, reposted and amplified this.

https://t.co/yuYgPvSrT1

But this is not over. The damage is still happening. These priceless Chola, Hoysala and other ancient artefacts are still being damaged while work continues around them.

Will anyone join me in a peaceful protest at the museum site?

We cannot just be armchair sharers while our heritage is destroyed in front of our eyes. We have to physically show up, demand accountability, and save what is left.

[thirdmainroad @thirdmainroad]

⚠️ DISASTER AT MADRAS MUSEUM! ⚠️

Priceless ancient artifacts dating back to the 3rd century & earlier are being treated like worthless junk. Rushed renovation work is happening directly on top of & around these irreplaceable treasures, leaving beautiful historical sculptures buried under construction pipes, rubble, and heavy machinery as seen in attached images and videos!

[B. Kolappan @kolappan]

The chamber of Social Justice Minister Vanni Arasu is often overflowing with visitors from various parts of the State. They come with requests and grievances relating not only to his department but also to several other departments. The Minister spends hours patiently listening to them, offering guidance and, when necessary, speaking directly to officials over the phone to explain their situation.

While his accessibility and commitment are commendable, dealing with such large crowds on a day-to-day basis is not sustainable. A more structured system may be needed. His personal assistants and staff can handle many of these representations, with the Minister stepping in only when his intervention is absolutely necessary. This would allow him to devote more time to policy matters and administrative responsibilities while continuing to remain accessible to the public.

[Malay Krishna @Malay4Product]

You probably have no idea who Salim Kumar is, but every Indian should read all about him today.

Salim Kumar was a Malayalam actor who passed away on Saturday night in Kochi at the age of 56. If you don't watch Malayalam cinema, strap in because his story is one of the most remarkable careers Indian cinema has produced, and it deserves to travel beyond Kerala.

He came from nothing. Born in North Paravur, a small town in Ernakulam, into a family that struggled with money. Government school. Graduated from Maharajas College.

So, no film connections, no family wealth, no shortcuts.

He started as a mimicry artist with Kalabhavan, a performance troupe in Kochi that has been the launchpad for dozens of Malayalam actors. Stage shows, comedy routines, television spots.

He was funny in a way that was impossible to ignore, the kind of performer who could make a room laugh in an instant.

His first film was Ishtamanu Nooru Vattam in 1997, a small role nobody remembers. For years he played supporting parts & background comedy.

Then the 2000s happened. His role as Mattancherry Mammathu in Satyameva Jayathe gave him his first real recognition, and after that the comedy roles started coming fast.

Pulival Kalyanam. Thuruppugulan. Kunjikkoonan. Marykkundoru Kunjaadu. If you grew up in Kerala in the 2000s, his face was in half the films you watched. He became the comedian audiences showed up for, the one whose scenes people replayed and quoted at family gatherings.

What separated him from most comedians was precision. He did not rely on volume or slapstick. He used his face, his body, his pauses.

He could get a laugh from the way he blinked. Directors started writing characters specifically for him, because they knew he would take whatever was on the page and make it three times funnier than they imagined.

For over a decade, he was the biggest comic face in Malayalam cinema.

Then came 2010 and a film called Adaminte Makan Abu.

A quiet, small-budget film directed by Salim Ahamed. The story follows an aging Muslim couple in a Kerala village whose only dream in life is to go on Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca.

They save every rupee. Things keep falling apart. The film is about their dignity, their patience, and their faith through one disappointment after another.

Salim Kumar played Abu. The man who owns nothing except his wife and his belief, and holds onto both with everything he has.

There is no comedy in the role. No punchlines, no funny faces, no playing to the gallery. It is the complete opposite of everything audiences had ever seen him do.

The entire performance is built on stillness, restraint, and pain carried quietly behind the eyes.

He won the National Film Award for Best Actor for it. That is the highest acting honour in Indian cinema. The film was also selected as India's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards (Oscars) that year.

In one role, Salim Kumar went from "the funny guy from Malayalam films" to one of the most respected actors in Indian cinema.

He simply disappeared so completely into a character that you forgot you were watching a comedian at all.

He followed it with more serious work. Achanurangatha Veedu, which won him the Kerala State Award. Traffic, still considered one of the finest ensemble films in Malayalam cinema. Perumazhakkalam.

Each time, he proved the National Award was not a fluke. The man had range that most actors who only do drama cannot match.

Unfortunately, Salim Kumar suffered from liver cirrhosis, a condition he said was hereditary in his family and not related to alcohol. His brother had the same illness. He underwent a liver transplant a few years ago. He tried naturopathy. He talked about all of it openly, without shame, without self-pity.

He kept working between treatments. He kept being funny. He kept showing up, even when his body was failing him.

He was also fearlessly outspoken about politics and social issues, which in any film industry can cost you work. He did not care. He said what he believed and lived with the consequences.

He passed away Saturday night at a hospital in Kochi. He was 56. The Kerala government bore the funeral expenses and gave him police honours.

The Chief Minister paid homage personally. Mammootty, one of the biggest names in Indian cinema, mourned him publicly. Thousands of people lined up at the North Paravur Town Hall on Sunday to say goodbye.

350 films in three decades. A National Award for Best Actor. An Oscar entry. A career that started from mimicry stages and ended at the very top of Indian cinema.

The reason most of India does not know his name is because Malayalam cinema, despite being one of the best film industries in the country, still does not get the national attention it deserves.

Actors like Salim Kumar live and work in a language bubble, and their stories rarely cross over the way a Bollywood career would.

This is a loss for everyone who never got to watch him. A man who came from poverty, made millions laugh, then proved he could make them cry just as hard, and fought his own hardest battle with utmost dignity.

If you watch one film after reading this, make it Adaminte Makan Abu. It is a masterpiece.

[K.Annamalai @annamalai_k]

அன்பு சகோதர, சகோதரிகள் மற்றும் நண்பர்கள் அனைவருக்கும் வணக்கம்.

தமிழகத்தில், ஒரு அரசியல் மாற்றத்தை உருவாக்க வேண்டும் என்ற உன்னத நோக்கத்தோடு தொடங்கப்பட்டுள்ள நமது We the Leaders இயக்கம், உங்கள் அனைவரின் பேரன்பையும், ஆதரவையும் துணையாக கொண்டு, தொடங்கப்பட்ட மூன்று நாட்களில், 17 லட்சம் உறுப்பினர்களை நெருங்கிக் கொண்டிருக்கிறது. அனைவருக்கும் எனது மனமார்ந்த நன்றிகள்.

இது சிறு தொடக்கம் மட்டுமே. ஒவ்வொருவரும் ஒன்றிணைந்து, தமிழகத்தில் அரசியல் மாற்றத்தை நிச்சயம் உருவாக்குவோம். அதற்கான ஆயத்தப் பணிகள் நடந்து கொண்டிருக்கின்றன. தற்போதைய சூழலில், நான் உட்பட, அனைவருமே இந்தப் பேரியக்கத்தின் ஒரு அங்கம் மட்டுமே தவிர, யாருக்கும் எந்தப் பொறுப்புகளோ, பதவியோ வழங்கப்படவில்லை. தகுதியானவர்களைத் தேர்ந்தெடுத்து அவர்களுக்கான பொறுப்புகள் விரைவில் வழங்கப்படும். நான் முன்பே கூறியிருந்ததைப் போல, நிரந்தரப் பதவி என்பது நமது இயக்கத்தில் இருக்காது. இந்த ஒரு மாத காலம் என்பது உறுப்பினர் சேர்க்கையில் மட்டுமே We the Leaders இயக்கம் ஈடுபடும்.

இந்தச் சூழலில், சில தன்னார்வலர்கள் இணைந்து, எனது பெயரையும், புகைப்படத்தையும் பயன்படுத்தி, சில இயக்கங்கள் தொடங்கியிருப்பதாகத் தெரிய வருகிறது. மேலும், மாவட்ட வாரியான பொறுப்புகளும் அந்த இயக்கங்களில் அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன என்பது தெரிய வருகிறது. இது முறையான செயல் அல்ல என்றும், அந்த இயக்கங்களுக்கும், நமது We the Leaders இயக்கத்துக்கும் எந்தத் தொடர்பும் இல்லை என்பதையும் தெரிவித்துக் கொள்கிறேன். ஒரு நல்ல நோக்கத்துக்காக தொடங்கப்பட்டுள்ள நமது முயற்சி, ஒரு சிலரின் இது போன்ற செயல்பாடுகளால், நீர்த்துப் போய்விடும்.

ஏற்கனவே, எனது பெயரைப் பயன்படுத்தி அண்ணாமலை அன்புக் கூட்டம், அண்ணாமலை நற்பணி மன்றம் போன்ற பெயர்களில் தொடங்கப்பட்ட அமைப்புகளுக்கு, இனி எனது பெயரைப் பயன்படுத்த வேண்டாம் என சில மாதங்களுக்கு முன்பு கடிதம் எழுதியிருந்தோம். ஆனால், தொடர்ந்து இது போன்ற செயல்பாடுகளில் அந்த அமைப்புகள் ஈடுபடுவது வருத்தத்திற்குரியது.

எனவே, அண்ணாமலை அன்புக் கூட்டம், அண்ணாமலை நற்பணி மன்றம், அண்ணாமலை மக்கள் இயக்கம் என, எனது பெயரைப் பயன்படுத்தும் பல்வேறு அமைப்புகள், உடனடியாக எனது பெயரையோ, புகைப்படங்களையோ பயன்படுத்துவதை நிறுத்திக் கொள்ள வேண்டும் என்று பணிவுடன் கேட்டுக் கொள்கிறேன்.

நமது இயக்கத்தில் இணைய விரும்பும் சகோதர சகோதரிகள் https://t.co/bpwUirXkR4 என்ற இணையதளம் மூலமாக தங்களை இணைத்துக்கொள்ளுமாறு பணிவன்புடன் கேட்டுக்கொள்கிறேன்.

[Rahul Shivshankar @RShivshankar]

ANNAMALAI 2.0 IS THE 'ALTERNATIVE"?
Here's a look by @nimumurali at Annamalai's stategy and idea.

‘We The Leaders”, aimed squarely at Tamil Nadu’s youth

Lean, non-political core team: The project is reportedly being driven by about two dozen close-knit group of friends, professionals, management graduates and tech experts rather than established politicians or industrialists.

Rajinikanth factor: Sources indicate Annamalai expects moral support from superstar Rajinikanth, adding another intriguing dimension to Tamil Nadu’s evolving political landscape.⁠

Gen Z-first politics: No traditional press conferences, no old-school cadre-building

⁠The movement is being built through social media, digital outreach and online registrations, already claiming over 10 lakh sign-ups.

Nationalist, but Tamil-first: Annamalai’s pitch seeks to bridge the long-running “Tamil identity vs Indian identity” debate, arguing both can coexist.

Not BJP 2.0: Sources say the platform will raise issues even against the BJP and the Union Government when required, citing Annamalai’s opposition to aspects of the three-language policy debate.

Personality politics returns: Annamalai appears convinced Tamil Nadu is entering a new era where charismatic leaders—not traditional party structures—will dominate political discourse.

The Vijay challenge: Team Annamalai believes there is political space for another mass personality to take on TVK chief Vijay and shape the state’s next-generation politics.

Digital over traditional media: Taking a page from Vijay’s playbook, Annamalai is bypassing conventional media formats and communicating directly with supporters through videos and social platforms.

2031 in focus: The immediate target is mass membership expansion; the long-term objective is building a credible political force for the 2031 Tamil Nadu Assembly election.

[Sumanth Raman @sumanthraman]

If the @TVKVijayHQ Government is serious about fighting corruption, they will strengthen the office of Lok Ayukta (yes TN has one) and work to ensure that the RTI Act is implemented in letter and spirit. This will possibly be the biggest two steps they can take to fight corruption.

[Anto T Joseph @AntoJoseph]

A classic case of too many cooks spoiling broth for DMK?
A myriad of strategies, uncoordinated efforts & multiple central teams..The Dravidian giant in fact lost to its own strategical bloomers!

TNIE‘s ⁦@pkr_madras⁩ takes a deep dive

@xpresstn #TamilNadu
⁦

[Venkataraman Ganesh @Venkyis]

@annamalai_k @WTLFoundation @_Annapoorani_ The best thing a leader can do is inspire. @annamalai_k is doing that at a scale that I haven't seen anyone else do. And that will make all the difference imo (5/5)

[Venkataraman Ganesh @Venkyis]

Heard @annamalai_k's speech yday. Filled with hope for what the future brings, especially given his promise to build a platform and pipeline for people to enter politics. The Abdul Kalam institute he envisages can become a gamechanger (1/n)

[Venkataraman Ganesh @Venkyis]

@annamalai_k @WTLFoundation Relatability alone isn't the reason for @annamalai_k's popularity though. Why would someone like @_Annapoorani_ quit the BJP? It's not just because Annamalai is relatable. It's because he is humble. Approachable. A good human being. And people know that (4/n)

[Sekar 𝕏 @itzSekar]

Thanthi TV edit for #Annamalai

[Venkataraman Ganesh @Venkyis]

@Akshita_N @PChidambaram_IN - what do you think?

[Venkataraman Ganesh @Venkyis]

@ptrmadurai I thought your family manages the Meenakshi Temple, and not some Madurai Brahmin. No?

[Shashi Tharoor @ShashiTharoor]

The answer can be found in Europe, where the principle of degressive proportionality is applied to the composition of the European Parliament — since they have the same problem of small and big states coexisting in one Union.

India also needs a compromise between strict democratic representation (one person, one vote) and the necessity of ensuring smaller political entities have a meaningful voice. It essentially means that while larger populations get more seats, the ratio of citizens to representatives increases as the population grows.

In the European Parliament, the allocation must follow these constraints:
*Minimum Threshold: No member state can have fewer than 6 seats.
*Maximum Ceiling: No member state can have more than 96 seats.
*Inverse Ratio: The "efficiency" of a vote must decrease as population increases. For example, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Malta might represent roughly 80,000 citizens, while an MEP from Germany represents roughly 850,000 citizens.

The goal is to prevent the "Big Four" (Germany, France, Italy, and Spain) from holding a permanent absolute majority that could override the collective interests of the smaller nations, thereby maintaining the federalist spirit of the Union.

Applying this to India is what we need to debate, not women’s representation which no one objects to. We need to address the North-South divide that has arisen over delimitation. A strict population-based reallocation (proportional representation) would drastically increase seats for northern Hindi-belt states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, while states that successfully implemented population control (like Kerala and Tamil Nadu) would see their relative political influence diminish.

If India were to adopt a degressive model, the Parliament could be structured to balance population with federal equity. Similar to the EU, a "floor" could be set for smaller states (e.g., Goa, Sikkim, or the Northeast) to ensure they aren't reduced to insignificance. Instead of a fixed ratio of, say, 2 million citizens per MP, the ratio could scale. A state with 200 million people might have 2.5 million citizens per MP, while a state with 30 million might have 1 million per MP. This is to ensure no state feels disenfranchised. As @revanth_anumula suggests, another factor could be a state’s contribution to national GDP. It would be dangerous for our federalism if smaller states felt their prosperity & human development were being punished with relative disenfranchisement.

One could argue that the Rajya Sabha already exists for federal representation. However, degressive proportionality in the Lok Sabha would provide a "weighted" democratic mandate that acknowledges population without penalizing states for their developmental successes.

Finding a mathematical formula that satisfies both the high-growth and low-growth states, and both the large and small states, would require a level of bipartisan and interstate cooperation that it is in the interests of the central government to promote. I urge PM @narendramodi to initiate extensive consultations, with all parties and with all states, before rushing into a hasty delimitation process that leaves the core underlying issues unaddressed.