M.K. Kanimozhi | |
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M. K. Kanimozhi
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MP of Rajya Sabha for Tamil Nadu | |
Assumed office 25 July 2013 |
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Constituency | Tamil Nadu |
Personal details | |
Born |
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
January 5, 1968
Political party | DMK |
Spouse(s) | Athiban Bose (1989–1997) G. Aravindaan (1997-Present) |
Relations | Karunanidhi family |
Children | A.A. Adithya |
Parents | M. Karunanidhi, Rajathi Ammal |
Residence | Chennai |
Muthuvel Karunanidhi Kanimozhi (born 1968 in Chennai) is a politician, poet and journalist. She is a Member of Parliament, representing Tamil Nadu in the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of India's Parliament). Kanimozhi is the daughter of the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu Karunanidhi and his third wife Rajathi Ammal. She is currently on bail in 2G cases filed against her.
Kanimozhi belongs to the Indian Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) political party, where she functions as the chief of the DMK’s wing for Art, Literature and Rationalism and is seen as her father's "literary heir". Her half-brothers M.K. Alagiri former union minister and M. K. Stalin former Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu respectively.
Before her entry into politics, Kanimozhi was involved in journalism, such as sub editor for The Hindu, editor in charge of Kungumam (a Tamil weekly magazine ), and a features editor for a Singapore-based Tamil newspaper called Tamil Murasu.
Kanimozhi has also written Tamil poetry.
Kanimozhi has been known to support pan-Tamil issues. She takes part in organizing women empowerment programs and is interested in the welfare of differently abled people and transgender people. In 2005, with Karthi Chidambaram, she founded a portal supporting free speech.
In 2007, Kanimozhi conceived the idea of the Chennai Sangamam, an annual open Tamil cultural festival, usually held during the Pongal season.
She spearheads DMK efforts to organize job fairs, under the banner 'Kalaignar 85' across rural Tamil Nadu to facilitate employment opportunities for young people in smaller cities, towns and villages. Begun as a small employment drive to mark the birthday of DMK President Kalaignar Karunanidhi in June 2008 at Kariyapatti (a village in Virudhunagar District) job fairs have provided jobs to about 1,33,000 unemployed youth spread across nine districts. Places it has been held include Nagercoil, Vellore, Udhagamandalam, Virudhunagar, Cuddalore, Tiruchirapalli, Tuticorin and Tirunelveli. She plans to conduct similar fairs all over Tamil Nadu.