Kanimozhi

New Delhi, May 24: When the iron grilles of her prison cell slam shut, her first love enters.

Packed off to Tihar jail for her alleged role in the 2G spectrum scam, DMK MP Kanimozhi has gone back to writing poems.

The 43-year-old, who had several volumes to her name much before she entered politics, has turned to poetry again — her first love — to find solace and keep herself busy in her 15ft-by-10ft solitary cell.

“She told us she loves poetry and now has enough time to write poetry in adversity. She also said she wants to write about her stay in jail,” said a senior Tihar official.

The official said Kanimozhi had filed an application for papers and pens before the 2G court, which granted her request. “We provided her with bundles of paper and some pens. After she returns from the 2G special court, we see her busy writing,” he said.

Before entering politics, Kanimozhi, DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi’s daughter, had worked as a sub-editor for The Hindu in Chennai and later became editor in charge of Kungumam (a Tamil weekly magazine).

She also worked as features editor for a Singapore-based Tamil newspaper called Tamil Murasu.

In court, Kanimozhi spends most of the time with her school-going son Aditya, husband Aravindan, mother Rajathi Ammal and other family members.

Today, her half-brother M.K. Stalin was in the court to meet his distressed sister. Dressed in a white shirt and dhoti, Stalin, accompanied by four DMK leaders, arrived half an hour before Kanimozhi was brought from Tihar.

Inside the courtroom, Kanimozhi smiled at her son and sat next to her husband. Stalin, who was sitting on the other side, then stood up and walked towards A. Raja, who too is cooling his heels in jail, and shook hands with him.

Seeing Stalin, Kanimozhi stood up. “How are you doing,” her brother asked.

Kanimozhi smiled. “How is father and everybody at home?” she asked.

“He is fine. So is everybody in Chennai,” Stalin replied.

He then sat between Kanimozhi and Raja and spoke to them for over 50 minutes.

“Stalin asked them about the condition in jail and whether they were facing any difficulty,” a DMK supporter later said. “Kanimozhi asked him when her father was going back to Chennai.”

Yesterday, the DMK patriarch had gone to Tihar to meet her daughter. He also met Raja and Sharad Kumar, the managing director of Kalaignar TV.

Stalin also spoke to Kumar in the courtroom. “Life is really tough,” said Kumar, who was sitting with his wife.

Stalin also spoke to Kanimozhi’s lawyer and wanted to know about the case in detail and the bail application filed at Delhi High Court.

After spending almost an hour in the court, Stalin left to meet his father.

An emotional Kanimozhi stood up, smiled and waved as her brother left the courtroom.