About: The beginning of the adventure of Annamalai in bringing deep change in the straight-jacket, parochial, Tamil chauvinist politics of Tamil Nadu State. And perhaps galvanise a far-reaching new kind of Movement across India.

Disclaimer: This is not a promotional essay; just fact-based for you to make educated choices. (Image Courtesy: Canva AI)

“Adventure is the vitaminizing element in histories, both individual and social. But its story is unsuitable for a Sabbath School prize book. Its adepts are rarely chaste, or merciful, or even law-abiding at all, and any moral peptonizing, or sugaring, takes out the interest, with the truth, of their lives.

It is so with all great characters. Their faults are not mud spots, but structural outcroppings, of an indivisible piece with their personality. Adventure is the irreconcilable enemy of law; the adventurer must be unsocial, if not in the deepest sense anti-social, because he is essentially a free individualist.

The adventurer is within us, and he contests for our favour with the social man we are obliged to be. These two sorts of life are incompatibles; one we hanker after, the other were are obliged to. There is no other conflict so deep and bitter as this, whatever the pious say, for it derives from the very constitution of human life, which so painfully separate us from all other beings. We, like the eagles, were born to be free. Yet we are obliged, in order to live at all, to make a cage of laws for ourselves and to stand on the perch. We are born as wasteful and unremorseful as tigers; we are obliged to be thrifty or starve, or freeze. We are born to wander, and cursed to stay and dig”. These are resonating lines from William Bolitho’s masterclass book, ‘Twelve Against the Gods – The Story of Adventure’.

If the adventurer of this story, Annamalai, keeps the faith, and succeeds like Alexander the Great, or Christopher Columbus, or perhaps the closest, Woodrow Wilson-an adventurer in politics-perhaps William Bolitho will rise again, to make it thirteen. Maybe, this essay is a Trailer?

In India, it’s almost a family template to put children in the best schools-assiduously coaching them off-school, hoping it becomes the gateway to great Institutions and then the stairway to well-heeled jobs in famous Companies; a career in India’s top cities, or abroad. And last but not least, find a suitable match, often chosen by the family based on tons of mind-boggling criteria -from the education, societal hierarchy, caste, creed, colour, and the shape of things!

In the 1980’s when I finished school, Medicine was the most popular choice of career, and almost at par was the Civil Services: Indian Administrative Service, Indian Foreign Service, Indian Police Service(IPS), and the kind. Next in the pecking-order was, cleverly an Engineer, arguably a Lawyer or for the account, even a Chartered Accountant. Each career choice had a dream College: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) for Engineering, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and top Private and Government Colleges for Medicine, and mostly Private Colleges for the Arts & Sciences. After graduation, the most sought after career-builder course was management in the prestigious Indian Institute of Management (IIM), or a Master of Business Administration(MBA) abroad, say Harvard. The combination of IIT and IIM was deadly: they better hire you on the spot!

On the sidelines, for many ordinary folks, getting into a Government Public Sector job was the most wanted: for job security and the steady, ’settled life’. The moment one gets into such a Public Sector job and the Government Quarters is taken possession of, the family begins the hunt for a bride or groom to fill the space. Girls typically studied ‘Home Science’ and an Engineer or Doctor boy marrying a Home Science girl ensured delicious food on the table and a well-kept tidy house, not to mention the ironed, and missing-button-mended clothes. Of course, times have changed. In fact it’s now shared, or even the other way around. Boarding Schools boys were in great demand, “hey, marry one and he makes the bed, brews coffee, is awfully independent, and says, I love you, everyday”.

The hero of my story, Shiva Senthil Kumar (Annamalai), was born in 1984 in Thottampatti Village, Aravakurichi, Karur District, Tamil Nadu, into an agricultural family of the Kongu Vellalar Gounders- a farming community. His father, Kuppusamy, and mother, Parameshwari, tilled the land to put their two children-Shiva Senthil Kumar and a sister, both of whom were first generation graduates to earn a College degree, and the former being the first in the family to pursue higher education.

Schooling was in the local schools in Karur and Namakkal districts. During this time, in Class 10, Shiva Senthil Kumar found his name to be too long-for official records and certificates-and if you added Dad’s name Kuppusamy, as the initial, it grew even longer. Time for some action: Shiva Senthil Kumar changed his name to Annamalai – full name Annamalai Kuppusamy. He chose ‘Annamalai’-an angry incarnation of Lord Shiva-lucky to have selected his own name. Of course, early-on, the hero showed great academic promise, with the rural setting inculcating in him hard work and iron discipline.

Annamalai graduated in Mechanical Engineering-Bachelor of Engineering Degree-from the top-notch private PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, in 2007. He then cracked the awfully tough Common Admission Test to join IIM-Lucknow for a Post Graduate (PG) Diploma in Management (equivalent to an MBA), which he completed in 2010. While at IIM, he prepared for the Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination. And also did a short political internship, in 2009, with Tamil Nadu’s Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK)- a political party founded by Actor Vijayakanth-gaining early exposure to politics. He cleared the UPSC exam shortly after studies at IIM, and went on to become an IPS Officer.

That’s it, Annamalai had a dream run in every noteworthy Institute in India and let’s say, he forged himself in the fire of the flames of India’s best education system. Isn’t it time to deploy it in cutting-edge use?

Annamalai joined the 2011 batch of the IPS in the Karnataka cadre where he was, Assistant Superintendent of Police(ASP) in the Karkala subdivision; Superintendent of Police in Udupi and Chikkamagaluru districts; and Deputy Commissioner of Police(DCP) South Bengaluru. Annamalai earned a reputation for strict, no-nonsense policing: cracking down on crime, conducting anti-drug awareness programs, obtaining ISO quality-certification for police stations under his control, and managing sensitive communal tensions. His toughness got him the nickname ‘Singham’ (Lion).

On the personal side, in the year 2013, Annamalai married Akhila Swaminathan, a corporate professional who now works as a Director at Core Talent and Leadership Development Private Limited in Bengaluru. Previously she held a managerial position in Hewlett Packard. Akhila is also an IIM-Bengaluru PG-Diploma holder. They must have met somewhere on common-ground? The couple have two children. And Annamalai keeps his family life strictly private. Obviously, Akhila keeps the home fires burning, leading at home. He has taken-up organic farming, does yoga, and participates in sports events such as triathlons and Ironman. He maintains a disciplined lifestyle and engages in discussions in international forums.

Annamalai resigned from the IPS in May 2019, while DCP of South Bengaluru, to return to his village, to re-wire himself. Some incident must have stung him in his policing career that pushed him into entering Government to solve problems he could not as a top-order Police Officer.

A visit to Kailash Manasarovar helped him set right his priorities in life and reset his moral compass. The passing of a colleague who was a major influence, senior Karnataka IPS officer Madhukar Shetty in 2018 after prolonged illness, prompted re-examination under the premise that ‘all good things have to come to an end’. A specific incident, the rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl in his jurisdiction, highlighted that systemic political-level changes were needed beyond what a police officer could achieve. Policing alone had limits in addressing root causes of crime and societal issues.

Madhukar Shetty was an outstanding 1999-batch IPS officer of the Karnataka cadre, known for his uprightness, integrity, anti-corruption stance, and pro-people approach during his about 19 years of service. He rose to the rank of Inspector General of Police and served as Deputy Director at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad at the time of his death. Madhukar, as SP of a Special Task Force provided intelligence and efforts during the final phase of the police operation against forest brigand and notorious sandalwood smuggler Veerappan, ending with Veerappan being shot and killed, in 2004.

After the soul-searching phase, Annamalai moved back into farming, to check if the goats on his farm would still listen to him. And started a non-political foundation called ‘We The Leaders’ to ingrain leadership qualities in youth. However, he soon learnt that social change required political change, and decided to join India’s ruling party at the Centre, The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in 2020. Also inspired by India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

About this time Annamalai wrote a memoir, ‘Stepping Beyond Khaki: Revelations of a Real-Life Singham’, which was published in January 2021. The book is a tell-all account of his decade-long policing career, covering his transformation from a rule-obsessed officer to one with a more humane approach; how he earned the nickname Singham, his leadership style, encounters with real heroes in the force, systemic issues like corruption in policing, and reflections on public service, politics, and governance.

On joining the BJP, his rise was rapid. He was appointed Vice President of BJP Tamil Nadu in 2020; State President in July 2021-one of the youngest at the time- holding the position until April 2025. As President, he boosted the party’s visibility in the Dravidian Parties-dominated Tamil Nadu through aggressive campaigns. The ‘En Mann, En Makkal’ (my soil, my people) padayatra (journey on foot – covering all 234 Assembly constituencies), and anti-corruption efforts like the ‘DMK Files’ stirred the people to notice the BJP.

To grasp the nature of Tamil Nadu politics, let’s take a detour, leaving Annamalai on his farm, with his goats, go back in time, and delve in to the deep waters of local history.

Once upon a time, the Indian National Congress, a pan-India party, held sway in Madras State (later re-named Tamil Nadu) from India’s independence in 1947 until its ouster in 1967. An uninterrupted run of 20 years, when the party at the Centre was also the Congress. The notable Chief Ministers at that time were, C Rajagopalachari (Rajaji), 1952 to 1954; K Kamaraj, 1954 to 1963; and M Bhaktavatsalam, 1963–1967 – also the last Congress Chief Minister.

During Congress Rule, former President R Venkataraman, as Industries Minister under Kamaraj, laid a strong foundation for industrialisation of the State and is rightly called the Father of Industrialisation in Tamil Nadu. He championed industrial estates- the first one at Guindy, attracted private investments, such as Ashok Leyland, Hindustan Motors, Enfield, and helped bring in major public sector units like the Integral Coach Factory, Neyveli Lignite Corporation, and the Heavy Vehicles Factory.

On another front, the tenure of the Congress, especially that of Rajaji, ignited fierce regionalism, opening-up fault lines, which would determine future politics of the State. ‘Kulakkalvi Thittam’ – a caste-based education scheme- which required students to learn their parents’ traditional vocation was planned to be introduced. Hindi was sought to be made the sole Official Language, once its equal status with English, expired as per the Constitution, and learning Hindi was intended to be made compulsory. This was called ‘Hindi Imposition’, which was pounced upon by regional parties to yell from the roof-tops that the great Tamil language is in danger of being wiped out. The situation provided a launch-pad for the emergence of social reformer, Periyar E V Ramasamy Naickar, C N Annadurai, and others, fighting for regional rights, above all Tamil pride and against domination of particular castes in Government jobs. Following the uproar and state-wide agitations, Kulakkalvi Thittam and Hindi Imposition was abandoned.

Kamaraj was the most successful and popular Congress leader of the era. A powerful organizer, from a humble background, he won elections in 1957 and 1962. He resigned in 1963 under the Kamaraj Plan- his own making- to revitalise the Congress Party by having senior leaders step down from office-holding roles and dedicate themselves to full-time party work.

The rule of the Congress was seriously challenged by home-grown regional outfits, with a breakthrough achieved by C N Annadurai, who founded the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and served as the first DMK Chief Minister (CM) of then Madras State from 1967 to 1969, until his unexpected death, due to oral cancer, on 3 February 1969, at age 59.

Annadurai joined the Justice Party in 1935, a movement focused on social justice and equality, and opposing (upper caste) Brahmin dominance. In 1944, when his mentor Periyar, E V Ramasamy renamed the Justice Party as Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) and withdrew from electoral politics to focus on social reform, Annadurai became a key figure in spearheading regional politics.

Differences with Periyar grew over participation in elections and the demand for a separate Dravida Nadu (Dravidian homeland country) among others. Periyar was against India’s Independence and wanted Madras State to continue under British Rule; he called Tamil a barbarian language and insisted all learn English, ‘talk to your maids in English’, he said. Periyar’s personal life, caused further anguish and disagreement when he married a woman younger than him by 40 years.

On 17 September 1949, Annadurai split from the DK, to form the DMK. He served as its first General Secretary-with the presidency kept vacant, initially as a mark of respect to Periyar. Annadurai used oratory, writing plays, and Tamil cinema for propaganda, bringing in talents like M Karunanidhi and later, hugely popular film star M G Ramachandran (MGR). Annadurai first became a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in 1957, elected from Kanchipuram. And was a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1962, holding it until 1967.

In the February 1967 elections the DMK-led front won a landslide: DMK alone secured 137 (out of 234) seats while Congress came a distant second, at 51. Annadurai became Chief Minister, ending Congress rule and ushering in Dravidian party dominance that continued up to the current Elections in 2026 -a total of 59 years. Under DMK rule, Madras State was renamed Tamil Nadu in 1969.

Annadurai shifted Dravidian politics from separatism to federalism, social justice, and Tamil identity. He remains revered as a scholar-orator and champion of the marginalized.

MGR had been a prominent, participative DMK member and held the position of Party Treasurer. After Annadurai’s death in 1969, tensions grew with party leader M Karunanidhi, over corruption, financial mismanagement, and ministerial roles. MGR challenged Karunanithi to come clean on the accounts and ended up being suspended from the primary membership, and later permanently expelled from the DMK.

On 17 October 1972, MGR founded the Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK) as a breakaway faction. It was later renamed All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). MGR positioned the AIADMK as a true follower of Annadurai’s (‘Anna’) ideals. The party gained rapid popularity, especially leveraging MGR’s massive film-star following. In the first contested Assembly Elections of 1977, the AIADMK won 130 seats on its own, dethroning the DMK, with MGR going on to become Chief Minister. This was a decisive victory for MGR, just five years after founding the AIADMK and fundamentally altered Tamil Nadu politics, creating an enduring, well almost, DMK versus AIADMK bipolarity. All other local parties aligned with either one of them, often switching loyalties, during election time.

MGR died on 24 December 1987. The aftermath saw a power-tussle between one faction under AIADMK Propaganda Secretary J Jayalaithaa – MGR’s heroine in many of his films- and a faction, which propped up his uninterested wife Janaki, who briefly became the first woman Chief Minister of TN, for 24 days. Janaki’s government faced a controversial confidence vote in the Assembly on 28 January 1988, amid chaos and pandemonium and was subsequently dismissed on 30 January 1988. President’s Rule was imposed in Tamil Nadu, which lasted until January 1989.

In the subsequent 1989 Assembly elections, the DMK, led by M Karunanidhi returned to power, defeating both AIADMK factions, which contested separately.

Janaki later quit active politics and the AIADMK factions merged under Jayalalithaa’s leadership. And she became Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly-the first woman in that role. A controversial incident in the Assembly when during a heated discussion, she was heckled and her saree torn in the melee culminated with her taking a vow, “I will return to the Assembly only as Chief Minister”.

The DMK government did not complete its full-term and was dismissed, by the President of India, on 30 January 1991 on the grounds of failure of Law & Order in the State and suspected links with Sri Lanka’s terrorist outfit, The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), leading to President’s Rule.

When Elections were announced- Assembly and Lok Sabha- during the campaign phase former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on 21 May 1991, by the LTTE, at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. The DMK was perceived as being responsible, in a tacit collusion with the LTTE.

In the ensuing June 1991 Assembly elections, the AIADMK-Congress alliance won a landslide and on 24 June 1991, Jayalalithaa was sworn in as Chief Minister at age 43 -Tamil Nadu’s youngest at the time- and went on to become the first woman in that role, to complete a full term. And, above all, she fulfilled her vow.

Jayalalithaa’s Government successfully caught the killers of Rajiv Gandhi in a nation-wide man-hunt, which was an outstanding feat; so was killing sandalwood smuggler Veerappan-who evaded capture for decades- during her second term in 2004 (after yet another DMK Term).

There after, it was the two Dravidian parties ruling Tamil Nadu alternatively. I call it Tom & Jerry politics. Jayalalitha died on 5 December 2016 at the beginning of a back-to-back, breaking the sequence term for the AIADMK. After a brief power struggle, Public Works Minister, Edappadi K Palanisamy became the Chief Minister and completed the tenure of Government, doing a reasonably good job. DMK chief Karunanidhi died on 7 August 2018. And with the passing of these two Dravidian Party stalwarts the political field was suddenly wide open for a new entrant. However the tempo was maintained and in the 2021 Assembly Elections, the DMK returned to power and M Karunanidhi’s son M K Stalin became the CM. It was heartbreak for the AIADMK which admirably managed the early days of the COVID-19 crisis and launched many developmental projects.

Though apparently the DMK dropped its demand for a separate country to remain in mainstream India, it never seemed to have given-up the idea, and in the name of greater freedom for the states and federalism, engaged in, what I call, constant ’subterranean separatism’. And for a period even flirted with the Sri Lankan Tigers of Tamil Eelam-fighting for a separate Tamil homeland.

The Government of M K Stalin went on overdrive in building a hate-Modi, anti-BJP propaganda, creating a North-South divide, and opposing almost anything the Central Government announced. It was like Don Quixote fighting imaginary battles. A divisive ‘Belongs to the Dravidian Stock’ narrative was set with the CM himself wearing such a tagline in his social media- X profile. To make things worse, the Govt adopted a visible anti-Hindu stand and even talked about eradicating Sanatana Dharma as they would dengue and malaria.

With all of this in the background, I return to Annamalai, who wanted to provide an alternative to the Dravidian parties of the DMK and AIADMK, having spied a vacuum after the death of their charismatic leaders. He contested (and lost) the 2021 Assembly election from Aravakurichi in alliance with the AIADMK and the 2024, Lok Sabha election from Coimbatore – with the BJP ditching the AIADMK and going it alone. It was a disastrous adventure, with the BJP failing to win a single seat, but garnered an impressive vote share of about 18%, bringing it up from 3%.

As President, Annamalai boosted the party’s visibility in Dravidian-party-dominated Tamil Nadu through aggressive campaigns, the ‘En Mann, En Makkal’ padayatra (covering all 234 assembly constituencies), and anti-corruption efforts such as, ‘The DMK Files.’ In the just concluded 2026 Assembly Elections, Annamalai wanted the BJP to go it alone avoiding any truck with the Dravidian Parties. However, the BJP central leadership decided to form a National Democratic Alliance with the AIADMK projecting Edappadi K Palanisamy as the CM of the NDA front. The idea was to defeat the ruling DMK, at any cost. Annamalai stepped aside as President of the State BJP.

In the meantime, popular Film Actor, C Vijay Joseph founded a new party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) occupying the space opened by Annamalai for an non-DMK, non-AIADMK alternative. The TVK campaigned against the DMK, calling it an Evil Force, and did not consider other Parties as any kind of a contest. The TVK won the Assembly Elections in an unexpected Black Swan event, but only as the single largest party with 108 seats, falling short of a majority of 118. Vijay hardly campaigned, not moving out of his palatial house in the traditional way, relying instead on social media. Unknown candidates who stood in his name won. Why, even a donkey could have won. And people, egged-on by Vijay movie fan kids- flocked to him like a Pied Piper, fed-up with the Government of the DMK; and to rid the rats of corruption and the squirrels of poor governance, hoping for ‘sudden change’ in Tamil Nadu. For the first time it seemed just about anybody could become an MLA, or a Minister, or why even a Chief Minister-all in the name of change. No one saw it coming, but Annamalai did predict such a situation with a large base of young voters falling for Vijay on his massive star appeal. What works in the movies will not work in the real world of politics. Tamil Nadu now has a clueless untrained leadership, which has to learn on the job. A return to, ‘why did the Apple fall down, and not up’.

Annamalai resigned from the BJP on 5 June 2026 desiring a broader, more inclusive approach to Tamil Nadu politics beyond party constraints. This was after days of camping at New Delhi, discussing with the BJP Central Leadership. Attempts were made to keep him in the BJP party fold, and the parting of ways was in a professional, mature manner.

Starting on his own Annamalai expanded his existing ‘We The Leaders’ Foundation into a broader political movement, focussing on leadership, ethics, and talent development. He announced plans to contest future elections under this platform, emphasising anti-corruption, ethical politics, unity across castes, regions, and ending ‘cult and dynastic’ politics. He has embarked on, an A P J Abdul Kalam Centre for Ethics and Politics, where people will be trained to deliver as representatives of the people in various roles, from the bottom most Councillor to an MLA or MP. The movement has gained significant early support. And it evolving into a Political force is to be seen in the coming months and years.

Annamalai’s journey, from rural roots and top-tier education to civil service excellence and bold politics, embodies self-made ambition. He will be a prominent voice in Tamil Nadu, known for his assertive style and appeal to educated voters.

I believe he should be even bolder, stand-up for a new direction, say show what true secularism is, by freeing Hindu Temples from Government control; accept India’s New Education Policy 2020 and the three-language formula…etc., meaningfully collaborate with the Centre to develop India, and wear the National colours. He should not entangle himself in the quagmire of parochial State and language politics.

I started with a quote from William Bolitho’s, ‘Twelve Against the Gods’ and end with another about Democracy and former US President Woodrow Wilson’s adventure in America’s Democracy – and later, the League of Nations, which was the precursor for today’s United Nations.

“In the smaller sense of a system of government it is based on the ground of a hope; like all human hopes, its ultimate base is a wish that every individual man is wise enough to know his own interest, and good enough to make it that of his fellowman. It is also taught that all these wills can be summed up by simple arithmetic into one single will, which is the called the Will of the People and found to be always just, right and wise”.

Will this adventurer conquer? Most adventurers have.