In a message to political rivals delivered on Friday, September 25, 2026, DMK deputy general secretary Tiruchi N. Siva addressed the release of the documentary film “The Misa Mark” and the book “Misa Vadukkal” by S.K. Sridharan in Chennai. He clarified that the party’s tolerance of what he called “bogeyman acts” by certain leaders should not be mistaken for acceptance, and that the DMK would wait for the right moment to take decisive action.
Siva reminded the audience that during the Emergency, DMK members were detained on vague grounds that violated the spirit of the MISA provisions, according to the Shah Commission. He quoted the late leader and former Chief Minister Anna, saying, “We have never been afraid or fled. We are just casually watching the bogeyman acts of some people. Tolerance is not acceptance. Tolerance does not mean we have accepted it or that we are not capable. The talented will wait for the right moment. Those are the words of [late leader and former CM] Anna. We know when to raise our arms. Then our voice will rise and our actions will change.”
He recalled how the DMK opposed the Emergency imposed by the Congress government under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, noting that unlike other states where crackdowns were imposed, in Tamil Nadu the decision to resist was taken by the DMK leadership. Siva also mentioned that after the Emergency he chose to follow the path of DMK leader M. Karunanidhi, abandoning his aspiration to become a civil servant. He further explained that Karunanidhi, who opposed the Emergency, later welcomed Indira Gandhi’s party forming the government, saying, “Nehruvin Magale Varuga! Nilayaana Aatchi Tharuga!” and that the DMK leadership chose to overlook its personal and organisational sufferings to ensure a stable government in New Delhi.
Other figures present at the event, including Dravidar Kazhagam leader K. Veeramani, recalled conversations with DMK president and former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in prison during the Emergency and shared memories of injuries sustained in jail. CPI(M) leader K. Balakrishnan remarked that under the BJP government there was an “undeclared emergency” in the country now, while activist and writer Thiyagu argued that the Emergency still exists in a different form, pointing to the prolonged detention of activist Umar Khalid under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the sufferings of former MP and Mayor C. Chittibabu, former Minister Arcot N. Veerasamy, and others during that period.
