In an emotional video appeal that directly mirrors the themes of the 2021 film Karnan directed by Mari Selvaraj, the old lady who played the role of a grandmother in the film, has publicly criticized the DMK-led state government over the plight of marginalized communities living near garbage dumps in Tirunelveli.
In an emotional video appeal, the elderly lady delivered a poignant monologue, pleading for the district collector to witness the squalid conditions firsthand.
Standing amid piles of waste, the woman repeatedly urged district officials to visit the area and witness the residents’ hardships. “Ask the Collector to come, bring him by the hand, let him see our situation,” she said(sang), recalling the suffering of families living amid filth, smoke, and stagnant rainwater.
She sang, “Ask the Collector to come if you see him, bring the Collector here, let him see our condition, ask him to come. I’m repeating the lines I performed in Karnan about the hardships we endure. Ask the Collector to come, bring him by the hand, let him see our situation, ask him to come. Let him see our suffering; bring the Collector by the hand, let him see our plight. Let him witness the tears shed in this slum; let the Collector come and answer those tears. Ask him to come, bring him by the hand. My children, all of them, burned by the fire in the hut, all the kids struggled; I couldn’t even walk but they told me to speak up for our people. I’m speaking directly to the Collector, ask him to come. Bring the Collector here by the hand so he can see our situation, ask him to come. Those who throw us aside as trash and label us as troublemakers; bring the Collector here so he can witness it himself. I’m reciting this with emotion; the Collector must come. I am performing again the speech I delivered in Karnan. Ask the Collector to come if you see him. This merciful Collector, bring him by the hand to see us. We live amid smoke and filth, caught between misery and rain, without protection. If our children are hurt, there is nowhere for us to run. On those days, we sing our struggles, but no one among us is privileged. Come see our huts, Collector, you absolutely must come. I am shedding tears as I say this; you must come here and see our cave and our garbage. Collector, greetings to you, come please, we welcome you.”
The video has since gone viral on social media, drawing sharp parallels between the song Kanda Varachollunga in “Karnan” and the ongoing struggles of numerous communities across Tamil Nadu who live in proximity to overflowing landfills and garbage dumps.
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