Dravidian parties

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Dravidian political parties
Flag of DMK

Dravidian movement
 ·
Periyar E. V. Ramasamy
 ·
Anti-Hindi agitations

Former Dravidian parties

Justice party · Thamizhaga Munnetra Munnani  · Thayga Marumalarchi Kazhagam

Contemporary Dravidian parties

Dravidar Kazhagam
 ·
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
 ·
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
 ·
Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
 ·
Pattali Makkal Katchi
 ·
Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam
 ·
All India Latchiya Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
 ·
more
Chief Ministers from Dravidian parties

C. N. Annadurai · V. R. Nedunchezhiyan  · M. Karunanidhi · M. G. Ramachandran · Janaki Ramachandran · J. Jayalalithaa · O. Panneerselvam

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Dravidian parties (Tamil: திராவிடக்கட்சிகள்), include an array of regional political parties in the state of Tamil Nadu, India which trace their origins and ideologies either directly or indirectly to the Dravidian movement of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy.[1][2] The Dravidian movement was based on the linguistic divide in India,[3][4] where most of the Northern Indian languages are classified as Aryan and the South Indian languages as Dravidian.[5] Thus the Dravidian politics has developed by associating itself to the Dravidian community. The primary goal of Dravidian politics was to achieve social equality,[6] but it later championed the cause of ending domination of North India on politcs and economy of Tamil Nadu (a south Indian state). Thus the Dravidian poltics incorporated in itself elements of Tamil Nationalism.[7]

Most Dravidian parties are offshoots of Dravidar Kazhagam (DK);[1] however, there are also a few other parties in Tamil Nadu that did not arise from DK directly. Nevertheless, both the former and the latter are considered as Dravidian parties because of the similarities of their ideals and goals.[8][9] Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its political rival All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) have been the major players of the Dravidian parties since the mid-1960s.[10] Either DMK or AIADMK formed government in Tamil Nadu ever since the 1967 legislative assembly elections. These two parties are bitter political rivals.[11] Since the 1990s, no other political party had won more than a few seats in the Indian parliament or state legislative assembly from Tamil Nadu, unless it has made electoral alliance with either, and since 1996, either DMK or AIADMK had been part of the cabinet in central governments of India.[12][13][14][15] Other major Dravidian parties are Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Pattali Makkal Katchi and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam. Political media in Dravidian politics is well noted, with five of the seven chief ministers from these parties being directly involved in the Tamil cinema, either as script writers or actors. Recently television channels owned by these parties have been used for the political propaganda purposes.[16]

Contents

[edit] Rise of Dravidian parties

[edit] Pre independence days

Current Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M. Karunanidhi flanked by C. N. Annadurai and MG Ramachandran, both former Chief Ministers. All three of them were from the Dravidian Parties
Current Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M. Karunanidhi flanked by C. N. Annadurai and MG Ramachandran, both former Chief Ministers. All three of them were from the Dravidian Parties
Main articles: Justice Party (India) and Self-Respect Movement
See also: Periyar E. V. Ramasamy

The state of Tamil Nadu was electorally dominated by the Justice Party for the first 17 years since its first legislative assembly election (then part of Madras Presidency) until its defeat in 1937. The Justice Party government spearheaded the implementation of a communal reservation policy, perhaps for the first time in the country, and acted to bring temples under state control. There were agitations across the Province against the introduction of Hindi as a compulsory subject of study in schools by a Congress-led government, which lead to the detainment of scores of Tamil scholars, academics and Justice Party leaders. This and other fights for social justice helped create the social base of what emerged as the Dravidian Movement.[17] Even after independence, in the first election of the Indian republic in 1952, the final election tally in Tamil Nadu saw an upset, by denying the Congress Party an absolute majority, in contrast to most of the rest of India.[8] In 1944, the Justice Party, under its then leader Periyar, underwent a name change to Dravidar Kazhagam (Dravidian organisation in English) and withdrew from parliamentary politics.[18]

[edit] Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

Main article: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

In 1947, when India attained independence, Periyar called for abandoning the celebrations by the members of the Dravidar Kazhagam. This move was opposed by other leaders within the party, including C. N. Annadurai.[1] This personal difference between the leaders climaxed when Periyar married a lady much younger than himself.[1][19] The leaders of the rebel fragment eventually formed a new party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or DMK (Progressive Dravidian Organisation in English) in 1949.[20]

The DMK picked up the separatist ideologies from its parent organisation, and its leaders, Annadurai and E. V. K. Sambath, upheld the principles of democratic party organisation.[21] However, faced with the reality of an independent India setting in motion the democratic process under a new Constitution, DMK preferred to keep the separatist issue on the backburner. The DMK's main target was the Central government, which by its view was controlled by the northerners. The party highlighted the problems arising out of the division between North and South India, where it considered that the South was neglected by delays in sanctioning development projects and allotment of funds. DMK also perceived that the attempts to declare Hindi as the sole national language of India was an attempt impose Hindi an Aryan-language, on the "unwilling people" of the South".[2] The language issue has proved to be a major campaign point for the party ever since it opted to participate in the legislative elections in 1957. The party vowed to restore Tamil to its ancient glory and appealed to the sentiments of the Tamil people through emphatic writings and speeches.[2]

According to the terms of the Indian constitution from January 26, 1965, English as an official language of India would come to an end and Hindi was to be used as the sole official language according to the terms of constitution. However, the Madras Anti-Hindi agitation in 1965 made the then Central Government in India change its language policy to allow English to continue as an official language.[22][23] This agitation catapulted DMK to political power in the State in the 1967 legislative elections.[2]

The electoral victory in 1967 is also reputed to an electoral fusion among the non-Congress parties to avoid a split in the Opposition votes. Rajagopalachari, a former senior leader of the Congress party, had by then left the Congress and launched the right-wing Swatantra Party. He played a vital role in bringing about the electoral fusion amongst the opposition parties to align against the Congress.[8]

In 1971, the Indian National Congress had split with almost all the senior leaders in the party aligned against the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.[24] Indira Gandhi dissolved her ministry and sought a fresh mandate from the people by advancing the Lok Sabha elections. The popularity of Indira Gandhi was then at its peak, especially due to some populist measures she had taken, such as, the nationalisation of commercial banks. For DMK Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, who was consolidating his position in the organisation following the death his predecessor and party leader Annadurai, the timing of the elections came as a boon. He was quick to extend the regional party's support to Indira Gandhi. The arrangement worked to their mutual advantage and both the parties registered handsome victories in the elections.[8]

[edit] Split in DMK and birth of AIADMK

[edit] MGR and split from DMK

Main articles: M. G. Ramachandran and AIADMK
Karunanidhi and MGR in the initial days of unity and then grew up to be political rivals and stalwarts in their own parties.
Karunanidhi and MGR in the initial days of unity and then grew up to be political rivals and stalwarts in their own parties.

M. G. Ramachandran, who was popularly known as MGR, was an actor of Tamil cinema and a well known propagator of Dravidian ideologies in his movies since 1953. In the 1970s as the then treasurer of DMK, he had brought his fans to the party and also played a vital part in popularising the party's ideologies. The political feud between MGR and the party's president Karunanidhi emerged as an aftermath of the latter calling himself "Mujib of Tamil Nadu".[25] The political rivalry between MGR and Karunanidhi had been in place ever since the death of Annadurai. After the electoral victory of DMK in 1971, some of the members expressed concerns over the "growing popularity and strength" of MGR. Karunanidhi made several attempts to weaken MGR's position within the party, to which MGR retaliated with corruption charges[18] a call for a boycott of the party's General Council.[26] MGR was suspended from the DMK by the party's general council "his anti party activities".[26][25] Although MGR had little support from the top ranking leaders within the DMK, the strong public reaction following his suspension, had demonstrated his popular support within the party's volunteers.[26] Inspired by the support from the party's lower cadres and his fans[26] MGR lauched his own party All India Anna DMK (named after Annadurai).[25][18]

MGR displayed his new party to Indira Gandhi as a regional equivalent of the latter's Congress (I) party.[8] Indira Gandhi herself had been heading her party, which she split from the Indian National Congress with the support of lower cadres and opposition from senior party leaders.[24] Thus AIADMK could show itself as an equally strong alternative to that of DMK with which Congress (I) could ally. From then on, the Congress (I) fought elections in the State in alliance with one of the two parties. Ever since then the Dravidian parties have helped the Congress (I) sustain itself in the State, but yet with limited ambitions.[8] In 1977, the DMK government, led by Karunanidhi, was dismissed under corruption charges by the Central government of India, led by Congress (I), which had by then allied with AIADMK.[12]

[edit] Further divisions

[edit] Divisions in DMK

See also: Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (Progressive Dravidian Renaissance Organisation in English) or MDMK is yet another offshoot of the DMK. It was formed in May 1994, after V. Gopalswamy (or popularly known as Vaiko), a senior leader and Member of Parliament from DMK, was expelled from the party.[2] Barring, perhaps, to the more radical support to an independent Tamil Eelam in the Sri Lankan crisis,[27] the MDMK do not have major ideological differences with the other Dravidian parties. MDMK shares its goals with the DMK and AIADMK in respect to State autonomy, constitutional protection to the reservation formula and making Tamil an official language of the Indian Union.[2]

[edit] Divisions in AIADMK

Soon after MGR's death in 1987, his wife Janaki Ramachandran took over as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.[28] This appointment was opposed by former actress and a politician J Jayalalitha.[28] The resistance from Jayalalithaa eventually led to the dismissal of the AIADMK government (the shortest lived government in the history of Tamil Nadu), by the then Central Government of India lead by Rajiv Gandhi. The antagonism built up and the AIADMK split into two fragments.[18] The Election Commission of India refused to accept either of them as the successor of the original party and separate electoral symbols were allocated.[29] The faction led by MGR's widow chose to use two doves; with a large dove holding leafy branch in its beak, as if to feed that to the smaller dove. Whereas, the Jayalalithaa's faction was represented by a crowing cock.[30] The 1989 state elections spelt a defeat for AIADMK, which led Janaki to resign from active politics, and the fragments of the AIADMK to form again.[28][29]

Other breakaways in AIADMK were witnessed in 1990s, when R. M. Veerappan and S. Tirunavukkarasu due to personal differences with the party's chief Jayalalitha formed MGR Kazhagam (MGR's Organisation) and MGR ADMK (MGR's and Anna's DMK) respectively.[31]

[edit] Parties which are not an offshoot of DK

Main articles: Pattali Makkal Katchi and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam

Of the Dravidian parties Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) (Labour party in English) is of recent origin and it relies on the voting strength of Vanniar caste. Dr. S. Ramadoss launched the party in July 1989, by converting the Vanniyar Sangam he founded in 1980, into a political organisation. The PMK's major planks include meaningful and effective affirmative action for people from the most backward classes (MBC) and other socially oppressed sections such as Dalits and the tribal people. The Vanniyar Sangam in the 1980s, and the PMK in the decade that followed organised numerous agitations, in which thousands of people courted arrest and braved police repression, to press the demand for greater social justice to the MBCs.[2]

Another major Dravidian party which is not an offshoot of DK is Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) (National Forward Dravidian Organisation in English). It was launched by Tamil film star Vijayakanth, who had earlier converted his fan clubs into social service organisations, initially as typical, Dravidian, for-the-Tamils.[9] The party is now placing itself as an alternative to main-stream Dravidian parties.[32][33]

[edit] Dravidian parties in Central Government

Although the DMK and the AIADMK started playing minimal role in the decision-making process at the Central government from the beginning of the late 1960s, their actual participation in coalition governments came only in 1979, when two AIADMK Members of Parliament, Satyavani Muthu and Aravinda Bala Pajanor, joined the short-lived Charan Singh Ministry, which followed the Morarji Desai-led Janata Party government (1977-79). The DMK's Murasoli Maran joined the V.P. Singh Ministry in 1989. The DMK shared power with the subsequent United Front governments led by H.D. Deve Gowda and I.K. Gujral. In the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ministry (1998-99), three parties from Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), were represented. In the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Ministry, headed by Vajpayee (1999-2004), the DMK, the MDMK and the PMK had their representatives. In fact, it was in this Ministry that Tamil Nadu had the largest representation. At one stage there were 10 Ministers from Tamil Nadu, seven of them from the Dravidian parties. In the Vajpayee Ministry (1998-99), the AIADMK's presence lasted only a few months.[8] The current central government led by Manmohan Singh includes cabinet members from DMK.[13]

[edit] List of major Dravidian parties

[edit] Ideology

[edit] Dravidianism and Tamilism

The principal ideals and goals of Dravidian parties at its incipience, which were borrowed from Dravidar Kazhagam, were social reforms, such as ending religious superstitions, ending caste distinction,[34] empowerment of women, ending Brahmin dominance[34][18] in Tamil Nadu educational institutions and government, ending northern domination of politics and economy of Tamil Nadu, opposition to Hindi as India's official language and independence for Dravida Nadu from India.[35] It can be noted that the call for Dravida Nadu in the initial days during the British Raj meant a "Dravidian state under the British Raj".[35] Although Annadurai defended his party's demand for Dravida Nadu in his maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha in 1962 and recorded his protest against a ban on demanding separation, a year later the demand had to be abandoned following the Sino-Indian War.[2]. This shift in its paradigm is often attributed to the Sixteenth Amendment to the Indian Constitution or Anti-sectionist amendment, as it is usually called.[21] The formation of a Tamil Nadu as a Tamil language state carved out of the erstwhile Madras Presidency, in the 1960s, fulfilled the goal of an encompassing Dravidian state.[18] Since then, State autonomy and social justice through reservation for the underprivileged in education and employment have been the main political planks of the DMK.[2] The Dravidian political ideology has evolved through years and now is varied between parties. With its initial atheistic inclination with a strict anti-Brahmin outlook of the DK, DMK moved on to the strong ethnic identity - initially that of "the Dravidian" and later of "the Tamilian" or "the common Tamil man".[17] In fact it is considered that Dravidian politics developed into an inclusive Tamil nationalism since it associated the Dravidian community with the non-Sanskritic Tamil language and cultural tradition.[7] With the rise of AIADMK in 1977, Tamil Nadu witnessed two Chief Ministers (MGR and Jayalalitha) who were not Tamils themselves.[17]

[edit] Leftist inclination

The Self-respect movement, which is the root of the Dravidian politics, was initially forged in the mid-1920s in emulation and in critique of a Gandhian Congress Party, but by 1930s it was heavily influenced by Leninist socialism, atheism and Bertrand Russell's inspired rationalism.[34] Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and the first to hold that post in the Dravidian parties, C. N. Annadurai had declared that DMK (and hence its offshoots) are genuinely communist by principle.[21]

[edit] Media in Dravidian politics

Movie media was used most commonly by Dravidian politicians right from its days of infancy. The initial propaganda for the Dravidian politics was solely based on newspapers owned by its benefactors or by the organisations, and, through public gatherings.[34] One of the forerunners was the magazine Kudi Arasu (The Republic in English) . [34] DMK had Murasoli (Drum beat in English) as its party organ,[12] and AIADMK with Namathu Dr MGR (Our Dr. MGR in English).[36] Dinakaran, a Tamil Daily owned by Marans, was earlier considered as an unofficial organ of DMK until the family feud within the family of Karunanidhi.[37]

[edit] Tamil Cinema and Politics

Tamil cinema had become politicized during the Non-cooperation movement and with the advent of sound in the films, it attracted large numbers of theater personnel, many of whome were already active in politics.[18] Annadurai was a writer, director and producer of many films that were used as a means of propagation of Dravidian ideologies.[21] Others include Sivaji Ganesan, who was a member of DK but later moved to DMK as one of its founding members. Nevertheless, he was expelled from the DMK following his comments on the party as "glamour party", a reaction which is attributed to his frustration of lack of recognition.[21] M. G. Ramachandran, was reputedly most famous of the stars of any Dravidian party.[25][18] Current Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Karunanidhi continued to stay both in film script writing and politics even until recent times.[38] Former Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, V. N. Janaki Ramachandran and J. Jayalalitha were both film stars who paired with MGR in many of his movies. Other stars within the Dravidian parties include S. S. Rajendran and K. R. Ramaswamy.[21] Vijayakanth, the founder of DMDK is also a successful movie star.[9]

[edit] Television

DMK had earlier used Sun TV network for its propaganda until the family feud within Karunanidhi's family, which eventually lead to the birth of alternate Tamil Channel for the party in the name of Kalaignar TV.[39]. Similarly, AIADMK earlier owned JJ TV which was later dissolved. It currently uses Jaya TV for its propaganda.[40] Another Tamil television channel, Makkal TV is run by Dr Ramados, the party chief of PMK[41] but the PMK has clarified that it is not an organ of the party.[42]

[edit] Electoral symbols of the Dravidian parties

Electoral symbol of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

Electoral symbol of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

Electoral symbol of Pattali Makkal Katchi

Electoral symbol of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

Electoral symbol of Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam

[edit] Flags

Each of the Dravidian parties are represented with their own flags. Black and Red are the usual colours used, which traces its origin to Periyar's visit to Axis countries, especially Soviet Russia. On his arrival back home, he declared that his party members would wear black shirts whenever and wherever possible. [21] The design of the DMK flag consists of two-colour rectangles, with the top half black and the bottom half red. Black color reflected the dark political, economical and social situation of Dravidians. Red color signified "rising sunlight" that removes the darkness. The red rises from the bottom and is expected to slowly remove all the darkness. Years later when DMK contested elections, it would take "rising sun" as the party symbol.[43] AIADMK uses the black and red combination with picture of Annadurai in white in the middle and hence it is sometimes symbolised as a tricoloured flag as black and red flag with white running the middle,[44] whereas MDMK flag consist of two red strips with black strip in the center.[44]

Flag of DMK

Flag of AIADMK

Flag of PMK

Flag of MDMK

Flag of DMDK

[edit] Impact

[edit] Regional

One of the major impacts of the Dravidian parties is said to be the lack of or limited support to Hindutva, which swept the Hindi heartlands of India, in Tamil Nadu.[45] The announcement in 1990 by the then Prime minister V.P. Singh that the Mandal Commission's recommendation to extend reservation in employment in the Union government to the Other Backward Classes, would be implemented was "in accordance with the resolution to that effect, passed in the State Assembly" is claimed by DMK as its achievement.[8] Furthermore, listing the benefits accruing to the State from sharing power at the Centre, the DMK has stated that "the presence of the DMK Minister (Murasoli Maran) in the National Front Cabinet and the resolution passed in the (Tamil Nadu) Assembly during the DMK regime (1996-2001) resulted in a Tribunal being appointed to adjudicate the Kavery Water Dispute in the case filed by the Thanjavur farmers in the Supreme Court". The success of the efforts of Prime Minister Vajpayee in persuading Karnataka to accept the Tribunal's Interim Award ensuring 205 tmc.ft. of Kaveri river water to Tamil Nadu has been seen as one of the benefits of the DMK's presence in the BJP-led government.[8]

According to the DMK, the "creation" of 11 Navaratnas and 97 Mini-Ratnas companies in the public sector, (blue-chip companies which invest 30 per cent of their surplus funds in public sector mutual funds) "with administrative and financial autonomy", during the United Front government at the Centre (1996-98) was because of the party's presence in the Cabinet.[8] Another benefit cited by DMK is the substantial share the State has received in foreign investments since the start of the liberalisation process. According to a party statement, of the total investment of Rs.13,150,170 millions that has flowed into the country since liberalisation began, Tamil Nadu has received 1,511,870 millions, which is 11.5 per cent of the total investment in the country.[8] It is often stated by the DMK and its sympathisers, that its chief Karunanidhi played a vital role in the then central government to declare Tamil as a classical language.[46]

[edit] National

Since 1996, either DMK or AIADMK had been part of the central governments of India.[12][13][14][15] The inclusion of DMK in the United Front government, lead by I. K. Gujral, in 1997 came under crisis[47] with the interim report of Jain Commission, which was appointed to oversee the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, said that the then DMK government was responsible for abetting Rajiv Gandhi's murderers.[48] In 2007 DMK chief Karunanidi sparked controversy with his remarks on Lord Rama, causing a political unrest.[49] and an FIR filed against him.[50]

[edit] International

The Dravidian parties have played a pivotol role in the ongoing Sri Lankan civil war. M. G. Ramachandran, the then AIADMK chief, is said to have donated 110 million Indian Rupees to the LTTE.[51] It was also reported that DMK regime between 1989 to 1991 had aligned with the LTTE by the Jain Commission report.[48] Ramadoss, party chief of PMK, has recently called for the Central Government of India to interfere with the issue for an "early political solution in Sri Lanka."[52] In 2007 DMK, AIADMK and MDMK expressed their concerns over the arrest of Malaysian Tamils following a protest.[53][54][55]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

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