Tamilians are more attached to Malayalees than the Kannadikas. Why is this happening? Did Malayalis feel the same way to the people of Tamil Nadu?

 Tamilians are more attached to Malayalees than the Kannadikas. Why is this happening? Did Malayalis feel the same way to the people of Tamil Nadu?

1. It is not true, except language proximity and Solar (Kollam) calender- Tamils and Malayalis are not attached as perceived. Tamil parents advise their children, not to trust Malayalis and Malayalis ridicule Tamils as “Pandis’- a deragatory word.
2. Culturally TN is more close to Karnataka, precisely South Karnataka and festive celebrations and temple worship are similar to uGuLeTs. Tamils love music - Tamil mystic Arunagirinathar is pre innovator of Carnatic and Keerthans in 15th century- not long ago. Temple architect are also similar. You can find more Andhrites followed by Kannadigas in TN temple towns, in comparison with Malayalis. In politics, Chandra Babu Naidu and Kumara Swami has sizeble follow up than Vijayan in TN. (may be caste factor plays a role in TN). Every year Tiruvannamalai Arunachaleswar performs Tarpan to childless Hoysala King Veera (V)Ballala(r).
3. Telugus and Kannadigas are no more attraction to Tamils as they are part and parcel of Tamil culture since centuries. You can find them in rural interior villages of TN, (worshipping Angala Parameswari, Gengamma and Chamundeswari) but one will find Malayalis in cities or bordering districts . Some enumeration points out in Tamil Nadu, one out of four are with L1 Speakers of Telugu ancestry and one out of ten are with L1 Speakers of Kannada ancestry. Even census shows the similar trend:

According to 2001 census of Tamil Nadu,

Tamil is spoken as the first language by 88.43% of the population.This may be including some Telugus in some districts who are not able to read or write Telugu and chosen Tamil as the first language.

Telugu by 5.65 percent,

Kannada by 2.68 percent

Malayalam by 0.89 percent,

Marathi by 0.1 percent

Sourashtra by 0.1 percent.

The reverse perception is created only recently and the media is responsible for that. Cauvery issue fueled it further. Ground reality is different.