Udhayanidhi vs. Vijay: The Beginning of a New Rivalry

When the DMK came to power in Tamil Nadu many years ago, its members were young. At that time, the young DMK cadres launched a storm of ideas through writings, public speeches, films, and dramas, promoting rationalism, social justice, and self-respect. The youth of Tamil Nadu rallied behind them, and the people of Tamil Nadu brought about a major political transformation.

Since then, many of those same DMK members have grown old, and the party today includes numerous ministers who are well into their old age. In this election, however, the youth of Tamil Nadu have brought about a change in government. The people have not given the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) an overwhelming victory. Nor does it appear that they possess a firm or deeply confident belief in the party. It seems that, by giving it only a partial victory, they have chosen to grant it an opportunity to prove itself.

Even in Chennai, traditionally considered a DMK stronghold, the electorate defeated many of the old guard while ensuring the victory of the younger Udhayanidhi Stalin.

TVK, which came to power without presenting any substantially new ideological framework and largely by invoking the names of Periyar, Anna, and Ambedkar, appears to have understood one thing clearly. As long as three major parties continue to compete in Tamil Nadu, achieving a decisive majority will remain difficult. Therefore, if TVK leader Vijay, who has risen as a representative of image-based politics, succeeds in fully merging the AIADMK into his party, Tamil Nadu politics may evolve into a two-sided contest between the DMK and TVK. Such a development would benefit TVK's long-term future. Time will reveal how successful TVK will be in attempting to attract AIADMK figures such as Sengottaiyan into its fold.

Veteran Journalist D.B.S. Jeyaraj Passes Away! - V.N. Giritharan -

I learned through Facebook of the passing of veteran journalist D.B.S. Jeyaraj. I was deeply saddened. My heartfelt condolences to his family members, relatives, friends, and readers who are grieving this great loss.

I did not meet him often. I had met him in person only once or twice. However, he remained in touch with me through Facebook Messenger. Since 2019, every year on my birthday, he would send me birthday wishes through Messenger. He would also send links to his English articles and their Tamil translations. The last message he sent me in that manner came on March 24. It was a post about the singer T.M. Soundararajan. On one occasion, when I wrote to him regarding his article about Brigadier Balraj, he not only responded on his blog but also sent me a detailed reply through Messenger.

The Singer and Technological Development

In the early stages of  cinema, only those who possessed singing talent could act as heroes and heroines. This situation was changed by the introduction of playback singing (dubbing technology), where voices were recorded separately and used for actors on screen.

Today, with the arrival of advanced technology, this condition is undergoing further transformation. Artificial intelligence now has the capability to compose music and even sing songs. It can also replicate and sing in a specific person’s voice.

AI technology has made it easier for songs to be rendered directly in the voices of actors. Additionally, some individuals may have a pleasant voice but lack singing ability, while others may be skilled singers but do not have an appealing voice. In such cases, it has become possible to select the best voices and use them to produce songs effectively.

Internet technology has also given rise to a wide range of individuals—social media analysts, writers, journalists, actors, publishers, and editors. Now, a situation has emerged where having just a voice is enough to sing. As artificial intelligence continues to advance, this will soon become completely normal.

“The arrival of the new and the fading of the old” is an inevitable aspect of the passage of time.

Digital Illustration – Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT)

Poem: Crescent Earth! By V.N.Giritharan

 

I saw the crescent Earth.
The result of humanity's
most glorious chapter!
Let the future proceed
under the guidance of scientists.
Let the rule of fools, warmongers,
and fanatics who ruin humanity change!
Oh, crescent Earth,
that foretells this!

Photo courtesy: NASA

Gnanapith Award for writer Vairamuthu! - V.N.Giritharan

The Jnanpith Award is presented by the family that runs 'The Times of India' newspaper group. It is not like the Sahitya Akademi Award given by the Indian government, but it is considered a prestigious award. This time, it has been awarded to writer Vairamuthu. He is a well-known Tamil cinema lyricist. He has received it for his lifelong contributions to art and literature, and not for a specific individual work. 

Many individuals, including writer Jeyamohan, also present awards through various organizations. They select deserving recipients based on their own perspectives. State governments also confer similar awards. However, the Jnanpith Award is presented by a family.

I have occasionally listened to Poet Vairamuthu's film songs. Many of his songs have captivated me with their language. I haven't read all of his fiction, but I have read 'Kallikkattu Ithikasam' (The Epic of the Cactus Forest). It is certainly an award-worthy novel. It is not only rich with the scent of the soil, but also powerfully expresses the tragedy of how the government, authority, and the construction of a new dam turn the people of Kallipattu village into refugees in their own land, and the resulting pain. The novel reveals how meticulously the novelist has observed the land, the people, and nature. He has written the dialogues with vivid realism.

V.N. Giridharan's Song: Scene and Illusion!

V.N. Giridharan's Song: Scene and Illusion!

 Music & Voice - SUNO AI | Art - Google AI

Is all the time and space
Unfolding before my eyes,
An illusion created by my mind?

If it's the mind's illusion,
Is this wondrous, vast world all false?
Is it right that our life on Earth
Is lived by believing falsehoods as truth?

Is all the time and space
Unfolding before my eyes,
An illusion created by my mind?

A review of V.N. Giridharan's novel 'America' based on its English translation by 'Google NotebookLM'!

 

'Google NotebookLM' is a very useful software from Google. When I needed to get a review of the English translation of my short novel 'America' by the writer Latha Ramakrishnan, I submitted it to Google NotebookLM. The review presented in this video was conducted by both male and female reviewers through the software. Please listen to it completely and share your thoughts."