# Thamizhachi Thangapandian

Thamizhachi Thangapandian, also known as Sumathy, is an Indian Tamil poet, lyricist, orator, politician and writer. She was elected to the Lok Sabha, lower house of the Parliament of India, from Chennai South constituency in the 2019 Indian general election as a member of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. She worked as a lecturer in English at Queen Mary's College, Chennai before entering politics.

## Literature
### Tamil

* Enjottu Penn, collection of poems published in International Tamil Literary Conference, Chennai (2004, Mithra Publications)
* Uravukal compiled by S. Ravikumar & T. Sumathy (2004, Archuna Publications)
* Vanapechi, collection of poems (2007, Uyirmmai Publications)
* Pecharavam Ketilaiyo, compilation of interviews (2008, Uyirmmai Publications)
* Manjanathi, collection of 70 poems (2009, Uyirmmai Publications)
* Naveenathuvathai Kamban (2010, Annai Muthamizh Publications)
* Katru Konarntha Kadithangal, Kalamum Kavithaiyum, Soll Thodum Thoram, Pampadam (2010, Uyirmmai Publications)
* Aruhan, collection of 39 poems (2011, Uyirmmai Publications)
* Mayileragu Manasu, collection 13 articles (2012, Vikatan Publications; second edition in 2022)
* Manvasam, collection of 30 articles (2013, Vikatan Publications; second edition in 2022)
* Avalukku Veyil Endru Peyar, collection of 32 poems (2015, Uyirmmai Publications)
* Poonaigal Sorgathirku Selvathillai, collection of 56 review articles (2015, Uyirmmai Publications)
* Kallin Kadungobam ("The Rage of a Stone"), translation of Galician poems by Maria Reimondez into Tamil, via English (2017, Uyirmmai Publications)
* Nizhal Veli, translation of Thangapandian's "Island to Island" into Tamil by Sa. Devadoss (2018, Uyirmmai Publications)
* Chottangal, collection of 20 articles (2018, Thamizh Thisai Publications; second edition in 2022)
* Muttu Veedu, collection of five short stories (2019, Uyirmmai Publications)
* Thamizhachi Thangapandiyanin Kavithai Veli, collection of reviews of Thangapandian's works (2020, Uyirmmai Publications)
* Anbin Ulagu Eliyathu, compilation of Thangapandian's interviews in various magazines (2023, Uyirmmai Publications)

### English

* Island to Island: the Voice of Sri Lankan Australian Playwright, Ernest Thalayasingham Macintyre (2013, Emerald Publications)
* Internal Colloquies, translation by C.T. Indra of selected poems from Vanapechi by Thangapandian (2019, Rubric Publishing)
* Birthing Hut and Other Stories, English translation by Dr. V. Bharathi Harishankar from the collection of short stories Muttu Veedu by Thangapandian (2022, Vitasta Publishing Pvt. Ltd)
* The Throb of Silence, English translation by Dr. K. S. Subramanian of selected poems from Thangapandian's published collections (2023, Vitasta Publishing Pvt. Ltd)

### Other Languages

* Internal Colloquies, Hindi translation by Dr. Bina Biswas & Srishti Gupta of selected poems from Vanapechi by Thangapandian (2023, Rubric Publishing)
* Internal Colloquies, Bengali translation by Dr. Bina Biswas of selected poems from Vanapechi by Thangapandian (2023, Rubric Publishing)

## Film career
### As a lyricist

| Year | Film | Songs | References |
| 2014 | Pisaasu | Pogum Paadhai | |
| 2019 | Paris Paris | Annachi Kondadu | |

### As a dialogue writer

Thangapandian wrote the dialogue for the movie Paris Paris.

## Political career

She is one of the prominent woman leaders and orators in the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party. She contested in Indian general election, 2019 from Chennai South (Lok Sabha constituency). Elected as Member of Parliament, 17th Lok Sabha.

## Elections contested and results

| Elections | Constituency | Party | Result | Vote percentage | Opposition Candidate | Opposition Party | Opposition vote percentage |
| Indian general election, 2019 | Chennai South | DMK | Won | 50.17 | J. Jayavardhan | AIADMK | 26.88 |
| Indian general election, 2024 | Chennai South | DMK | Won | 47 | Tamilisai Soundararajan | Bharatiya Janata Party | 26.44 |