Information AboutDravidar Kazhagam |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT DRAVIDAR KAZHAGAM | |
| political parties in india | |
| dravidian movement | |
| anti-brahmanism | |
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ORIGINS The roots of the DK lie in the Self Respect Association, dominated by its charismatic leader, E.V. Ramaswami Naicker (popularly known as Periar). Periar formed the Self Respect Association in the mid-1920s, breaking in the process from the Congress party of which he had been a member until then. The Self Respect Association represented `non-Brahmins.' The non-Brahmin community was defined in different ways - sometimes to include all South Indians other than Brahmins, but sometimes mainly the middle castes (which came to be called the `other backward classes' after India became independent). The South Indian Liberal Federation (also called the Justice Party) was an elite organization, formed in 1916, which also claimed to promote non-Brahmin interests. The Self Respect Association and the Justice Party were merged in 1938 under Periar's leadership. The name of this party was changed to the Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) in 1944, at the same time that the party was more formally organised. The DK opposed Brahmin social, political and ritual dominance, and aimed to form a separate country of Dravida Nadu, to include either all of South India or the predominantly Tamil-speaking regions. Its sharp opposition to religion, especially Brahminical Hinduism, was not widely popular. Yet, the party established pockets of support in today's Tamil Nadu, especially in the central areas of the Kaveri valley. WORK The work of the DK largely centered around removing untouchability, opposing the Brahmins and Aryans often through violent methods, denouncing Hindu Gods and Goddesses, seeking to educate people on superstitions and ignorance as well as women's liberation. The workers of DK were often quite visible as they wore black shirts and white Dhoti s. The party was very much opposed to Hindi as well as all Northern traditions seen as maligning the south and its unique culture. CONTROVERSIES The Party was well known for its hardline approach to fight for the Dravidian rights and was often involved in mass attempts to change the system outright. One such incidence involved bringing in Dalit s into the Sanctum Sanctorium and asking brahmin priests to preach in Tamil instead of Sanskrit . During Indian Independence in 1947 , the party became infamous for hoisting its black and red flag instead of the Indian Flag symbolising the "age of darkness" as Periyar viewed Independence as further subjugation by the Brahmin - Bania combine. The party was banned for its unlawful activities in 1948 , but at a time of Dravidian uprising it further enthused new numbers into the party, creating a new power centre. DECLINE AND SPLIT As the party gained prominence, many in the party wanted to contest in the elections and gain power through democratic means. Among these were Annadurai and Karunanidhi. However, Periyar refused to think on those lines as he felt that power could achieve little and that a hands-on approach would always be more direct. Moreover, many felt that a greater Dravida Nadu was impossible and even Periyar resigned to the fact that even an independent Tamil Nadu would be a remarkable achievement. With a straining relationship in the organization, Periyar, supreme leader of the party, committed what many viewed as a blunder. Despite his ideals of Women's Liberation , at the old age of 70, he married a girl 40 years his junior. Furthermore, he began to give more power and control to her and is even reported to have said that she would be his successor. This enraged the veterans of the party who broke up and formed the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam , later winning the elections in Tamil Nadu. Since then the party slid into decline though it was later headed by Veeramani and continues its existence today as a ghost of the past. LEGACY The organization despite its ultimate demise laid the foundation for further Dravidian involvement into politics. It singularly enthused a new Dravidian spirit that later on led to the formation of many parties in the southern states that would eventually challenge the Indian National Congress stranglehold. Though it failed to achieve its grandiose idea of an independent Dravidian nation, it fostered a spirit of unity amongst the Dravidians, especially in Tamilians who continue to oppose Hindi to this day. Its influence is especially felt in Tamil Nadu where since 1967 , only the Dravidian parties have won the assembly elections. |
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