It is one thing to excel at one chosen field, but entirely another to rule the roost in six different fields - Law, Theatre, Cinema, Journalism, Writing and Political Strategy.

On his birthday, let us take a look at the CV of the multifaceted Cho Ramaswamy (1/10) Born in Chennai to Srinivasan and Rajammal on Oct 5, 1934, Cho did his SSLC in PS Higher Secondary, Mylapore in Tamil Medium.

He did Intermediate from Loyola, and got a B Sc in Geography in Vivekananda College - as it was the easiest to get admitted to (According to him😁).

World's best narrative setters DMK had deployed a half-baked filmmaker to peddle their often repeated agenda, portraying "Aryam" as a villain and Dravidam as a savior.

Let's fact check some of their much popularized narrative claims in this short read (1/6) Claim: "Education was gatekept in TN, Dravidam opened it for all"

Fact: 78.5% of the 1.42 lakh Hindu students in 1825 Madras Presidency were non-Brahmins

Where was Dravidam in 1825?
TN was always a hotspot for education, churning out scholars from all communities.

Do you know why DMK is a mighty force that OWNS narratives, whereas its measly opponents are forever playing catch-up in an uphill battle?

It is because proponents of Dravidam know & care abt something that intellectuals of the non-left disregard and disrespect. Read on (1/10)
The common people of TN are moved primarily by emotions. They are wired to think that good speakers are good thinkers, and to the common man, rhetoric = reality.

And DMK is master of using the Greek technique of pathos, to persuade people into buying their narratives. How?

Ever wondered why iconoclastic invaders across the world specifically cut off noses, ears, hands or eyes of the pagan idols with ideological passion?

Did you know this belief directly correlates with anti-Brahm rhetoric of Dravidian politics?

An important thread (1/10)


Context: The ancient world was not monotheistic at all like today.
It was a pagan world with many Gods: Zeus, Poseidon, Thor, Aphrodite, Durga, Shiva, Vishnu.
And each region had their own national God - Athena of Athens, Padmanaba of Trivandrum and Yahweh, the God of Israel.

Today is Aadi 18, the day Vandhiyathevan commences his journey from Kanchi to Thanjavur, kicking off the proceedings of Ponniyin Selvan!

Come, let us travel along Vandhiyathevan to retrace the hero's journey in modern day Tamilnadu, with google map links and images! (1/14)
Vandhiyathevan is on a mission - to deliver 2 secret messages from Kanchipuram to Thanjavur.

After 175km of travel, both the hero and his horse are tired. That is when he sees the refreshing visuals of Veeranarayanapura lake. It was Aadi 18, and the Cholas were celebrating.

"Check your privilege" is a favorite phrase thrown around by LW w0kes to silence their opponents.

Here's a short thread on why no sensible, decent person should fall for this psychological trap, and how to counter this manner of thinking using Indian sensibilities (1/8) "Check your privilege" is basically a w0ke call for guilt-tripping you.

It is a polite way to shut you up by claiming moral high ground. They frame your life as easy, theirs as 0ppressed, and their "introspection" of their privileges (or lack of) as a license to silence you.

Tourist Family: An analysis.

To understand the effectiveness of this endearing superhit film, you must first understand the psychology of "Identifiable Victim Effect"

You can learn more about yourself and how your brain works by watching this film. (1/8) Our brains are wired to respond more strongly to individuals than to stats.

Which is why articles about the sufferings of poor families passes off as an abstract impersonal statistic but putting a name, face and story to a SINGLE suffering family makes it more relatable to us.

When things you don't want to happen, happens, how do you respond?

Do you fatalistically blame it on destiny and accept it, or take initiative to overcome it?

What is the guiding principle in the fate vs free will debate?

What did Sri Rama do in such circumstances? (1/8) In the epic's defining moment, Sri Rama who was about to be crowned as King, was instead sentenced to exile for 14 years.

Lakshmana was outraged by the injustice of this request, but Sri Rama calmly considered the exile as the will of destiny.

Kambar writes - "நதியின் பிழையன்று நறும்புனலின்மை; விதியின் பிழை"
"it is not the fault of river to dry up when rains fail. Similarly, Kaikeyi isn't at fault for fate's doing", says Sri Rama.

I've read Ponniyin Selvan cover to cover thrice, and this is my biggest takeaway from it.

It was a decision made by the hero Arulmozhi, inspired by his Suryavanshi ancestor Sri Rama. And it has a relevant lesson for all of us to learn in current political climate.

A🧵(1/8)
BG: Arulmozhi is the more popular prince among public, and they wanted him to be king, even when his elder brother was the crown prince.

This popularity constantly unsettles him, as he wants to do the right thing. And he wants to go beyond public opinion and shape it.

2min silence to anyone who thinks Neeya Naana gives equal space to both viewpoints - it is a cleverly biased, deceptive D program.

A thread of snippets from Tamilravi's book and decide for yourself how logical and neutral he is:

1. "Anna and MK are our philosopher kings" (1/7)

https://twitter.com/tamilravi/status/1901283242650767855

2. "My dear Anna, shall I compare thee to Thiruvalluvar or to Marcus Aurelius?"

Sati was the most forceful issue created by the Evangelical-Utilitarian alliance to validate Brit rule in India.

The missionary-Brit nexus inflated the # of incidents to horrific levels for politics.

Cholas have documented Sati giving a much needed nuance to this topic (1/8) The colonial term Sati to refer to this practice is incorrect . Sahagamana/anugamana is the right Indic term.

Anugamana was a rare and sporadic practice in ancient Thamizhagam.

Vaanavan Maadhevi (mother of Rajaraja) chose to do it after the passing of Sundara Chola.

Kadhalikka Neramillai - a lighthearted film on the surface that espouses the Drav question of - "Is marriage really necessary?"

Directed by Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi, the film has a puratchi pudhumai pen at its helm, and yes she is not a random girl, but a TamBrahm.

An analysis: This rom-com has Shriya Chandramohan as its central character - she has a BF, registers her marriage months before the engagement (WHY?), drinks, has premarital fun, doesn't know to wear a saree, smokes after a breakup etc.

In summary, a modern day career-centric, jolly good woman. No issues. But is she a "random" modern day woman? Nope.

In egalitarian EVR land where there are no c@ste surnames, the film portrays her family as TamBrahms with no hesitation whatsoever.

The reaction to this teaser from the TB community on X has been interesting.

Some say Dravidam shouldn't be blamed for such portrayals, rather the TB director/actor & their family should be.

Some say not doing Trikaala Sandhyavandhanam is the reason for this. A reply (1/7)

https://twitter.com/labstamil/status/1883504923045929340

An asset can be at risk due to both internal vulnerabilities and external threats.

In this analogy, D is the threat - the bad actor who attacks the system.

The comm's flaws (giving up tradition, embracing liberalism/modernity, poor parenting etc.) are the vulnerabilities.

Here's Bottom 10 Tamil movies from 2024 that pander to D ideology by either targeting a micro community, or by peddling anti-H, or anti-nationalistic communist dialogues.

These films will have to be named and shamed, for these are the Gems of Dravidawood: 1) Ayalaan - great care is taken for a 5 sec "comedy" clip making a random TB mama fall into the sewage drain.

To pick a junior artist, dress him up in a TB mama attire, do multiple retakes to get it right requires ideological passion.

In D-wood film, villain's company is named "Aaryan" industries.

Movies are a powerful influential visual medium that Dharmics should never give up on!

The BO failures of Thangalaan, Viduthalai 2 and the success of Amaran must encourage us!

Here are my Top 10 Tamil films from 2024 that are D ideology free and make for excellent OTT watches: 1) Garudan: A rooted, raw and riveting film that explores an untouched area in Tamil cinema - of politicians trying to loot temple property.

The film is unapologetically H, down to its bones and its very soul. Don't fall for the VM credit gimmick. Garudan is D-free (Amzn Prime)

Clean, Green, and (relatively) cheap, our neighboring nation Sri Lanka is a must visit this Dec-Feb season.

6 day SL itinerary peppered with places from Ramayana and Ponniyin Selvan trail.

Bookmark this thread to plan your next trip, with helpful tips and map links (1/8)
Day 1: Reach Colombo airport and go to Kandy, if you have time, you can visit Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage enroute.

Here, based on the timings, you can watch a herd of elephants eating/ bathing. You can also take a walk with, or feed the elephant for extra cost.

Entry fee is less for Indians than other foreigners, thanks to SAARC. Show your passport to get a 6$ discount.

Today is Bharathiyaar's birthday.

142 years have passed & nobody even comes close to his poetic prowess.

A selfless patriot & a peerless poet, his Dharmic poems rouse nationalism, bhakti & courage in everyone.

Here are 5 places you can visit today to pay your respects! (1/6) Pondicherry folks can pay a visit to this Mahakavi memorial house. Entry free.

He lived here for 10 years from 1908-18 and composed immortal poetry - Kannan Paatu and Kuyil Paatu here.

In 2022, only 500 people per month (~ 16 a day) visited here🥲

Map: maps.app.goo.gl/Y4ybJhKC2mEvdD…

You must have heard the word 'பன்னாடை' (Pannaadai) as a common insult.

This word is mentioned in 12th century Tamil grammar work 'Nannool' to illustrate the nature of a bad student.

The set of examples for top, mid & bottom tier of students has a life lesson for us all (1/6)
Bhavanandhi Munivar, writer of Nanool classifies students into 3 tiers.

The top tier students are like swan and cow.
The mid tier students are like mud and parrot.
The bottom tier students are like broken pot, goat, buffalo and Pannaadai.

What do these examples mean?

Shouldn't an army Major be remembered for his bravery rather than his caste?

Then, why are some RW handles being "casteist" in demanding an accurate portrayal of Major Mukund's roots in his excellently crafted biopic Amaran?

A thread that offers nuance on biopics (1/10) First off, members of our forces - be it Indian Army, or Navy, or Air Force, these brave warriors cannot be boxed to the confines of caste, creed or religion.

They are unanimously respected for what they do - their selfless service to the nation. Not for who they're born to.

How should Nandhan's plot have been, for Drav media to have celebrated it?

A hypothetical plot:
First of all, the film must've been titled Kamsan instead of Nandhan - notice the 'subtle' elements in the poster

(1/8) First off, start the film by thanking God Almighty with such an image.

Everybody knows who this ONLY ONE God Almighty is, but still, make things explicit to be double sure.

Media paints a rosy picture of "progressive" TN that doesn't even use comm based surnames.

But what's its use if ppl constantly carry c@ste in their mind?

Nandan film exposes this well, but "activists" don't support it, cuz it doesn't toe the D line at all.

An analysis (1/12) Koozhpaanai - an innocent hardworking man from the downtrodden comm, is happy to serve Koppulingam's family.

Koppulingam, who has won 2 Panchayat President elections without competition, is shocked to know his village is now reserved.

He wants a "dummy" to fill his chair.