T.M. Krishna speaks during Mysuru Literature Festival
Karnatak vocalist, writer, activist, author and Ramon Magsaysay Awardee T.M. Krishna (Thodur Madabusi Krishna) was in the city recently to participate in a panel discussion on his latest book, ‘We, the People of India: Decoding a Nation’s Symbols,’ as part of the 10th edition of the Mysuru Literature Festival (MLF)-2026, organised by Mysuru Literary Forum Charitable Trust and Mysuru Book Clubs Charitable Trust at Hotel Southern Star.
He spoke to Star of Mysore on a range of issues spanning Karnatak music, activism, politics and, not least, the much-debated Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which has triggered a furore across the country. Excerpts:
By B. Sreekantswamy
Star of Mysore (SOM): When you wake up in the morning, does the day begin with you as a vocalist or an activist?
T.M. Krishna: Yeah. When I get up in the morning, what am I? It depends on the morning. Some mornings, I am a singer. Some mornings, I am an activist. Some mornings, I am a writer. So, it all depends on the morning.
SOM: Of late, we have been hearing a lot about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the controversies surrounding the process.
T.M. Krishna: SIR has a long history. I don’t want to get into those debates. The issue is not about checking the electoral rolls and making sure everybody is on the electoral rolls. But if that is going to be used in a way that certain people are excluded from the list and denied the right to vote, it becomes an issue that everyone should be concerned about.
If you are going to exclude people in the name of SIR and use it as an excuse to change the demography of voters, it is something we should be very disturbed about.
The Election Commission is an autonomous body and is answerable to everyone. If it refuses to answer questions, my suspicion about it will only increase. The only way people can have confidence in SIR is if the entire process is transparent.
But unfortunately, our Election Commission has repeatedly failed to behave in that manner and there are several such examples. Even if one person is denied his or her right to vote, it is a failure of democracy.
SOM: During the panel discussion, I also heard you speak about caste, class and religion. Irrespective of whether it is the ruling party or the Opposition, are they essentially the same?
T.M. Krishna: Why only the political parties? You and I have the same problem. Political parties are made up of people like you and me. The very idea that we are separate from politicians is a wrong notion.
We think we are much better than politicians, but we are not. Unless we change, politicians will not change. It is important for us, as citizens, to remember that we are part of caste politics, religion politics, class politics and language politics. And because we are part of it, politicians are able to use it.
SOM: In your native Tamil Nadu, people voted for the non-Dravidian party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by actor Vijay in the recent Assembly polls. What’s your take on that?
T.M. Krishna: The truth of the matter is, nobody knows. But this moment has come as a shock to Tamil Nadu. Let us accept that. It has never happened in the past.
Honestly, the general impression was that TVK might win some seats by securing a decent vote share.
But TVK came to power and to understand the reasons behind it, simple answers will not suffice. There may be emotional reasons that even the voters themselves are unaware of. Many times, when you ask voters why they voted for TVK, they say they wanted change. But when you ask them what they mean by change, nobody has an answer. I think the time is ripe for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) to introspect, as the party has contributed immensely to Tamil Nadu.
SOM: Not many educated people, intellectuals and scholars are entering politics.
T.M. Krishna: Again, it is our fault. Why should we blame somebody else for it? We have created a culture of dubbing politics as ‘dirty’. I think intellectuals are arrogant. They believe that if they enter politics, they will have to ask people for votes.
The arrogance of the upper castes and intellectuals is that they feel if they plunge into politics, they will become dependent on somebody voting for them, and for that they will have to go door to door seeking votes.
Their ego makes them feel it is like begging. Yeah, it’s an ego problem. So, if you really want politics to change, get your ego out of the way and get down to the streets.
SOM: About your recent book, ‘We the People of India.’
T.M. Krishna: It’s a book about the symbols that we have adopted to represent our country, our nation and our State. It’s the flag, the anthem, the motto, the Preamble and the emblem. It is my way of looking back at the histories of these symbols because they represent the idea of India.
India is not something that you can easily define. You can probably define it by its borders and say, “This is India.” Beyond that, if you ask what India is, it’s very difficult to give a convincing answer. We don’t know. Why? Because every nation is, in a way, an artificial creation.
You draw lines and say this part belongs together. So, we find reasons to say we are together. The book ends on a positive note.
SOM: Your love for Karnatak music…
T.M. Krishna: I believe Karnatak music does not belong to one community. It does not belong to one set of people. It does not belong to one religion. It belongs to everybody who wants it. But that also means it has to change. It also means it cannot be performed only in certain places. It also means it has to be accessible. So, I have to do my bit and I do whatever little I can.
SOM: But 95 percent of the musicians belong to a particular community. Will they get a platform to perform everywhere?
T.M. Krishna: Cultural change takes time. Maybe I will be dead by the time the change happens. But that’s okay.
Over the last 15 years, I have been trying to do what I do and I can see small changes. For that, the music has to change. The people have to change. My job is to encourage people to think differently.
This post was published on July 6, 2026 7:30 pm