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Dravidian parties include an array ofregional political parties in thestate ofTamil Nadu, India, which trace their origins and ideologies either directly or indirectly to theJustice Party and theDravidian movement ofC. Natesanar andPeriyar E. V. Ramasamy.[1][2] The Dravidian movement was based on the linguistic divide in India,[3][4] where most of theNorthern Indian,Eastern Indian andWestern Indian languages are classified asIndo-Aryan, whereas theSouth Indian languages are classified asDravidian.[5] Dravidian politics has developed by associating itself to theDravidian community. The original goal of Dravidian politics was to achieve social equality,[6] but it later championed the cause of ending the domination of North India over the politics and economy of the South Indian province known asMadras Presidency.
Most Dravidian parties are offshoots ofDravidar Kazhagam (DK).[1] 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.[7][8]Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its political rivalAll India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) have been the major players among the Dravidian parties since the mid-1960s.[9] Since the1967 legislative assembly elections, only the DMK and the AIADMK have formed governments in Tamil Nadu. These two parties are political rivals.[10] Barringpolitical alliances with the DMK or AIADMK, since the 1990s no other political party has won more than a few seats in the Indian parliament or state legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu. Since 1996, members of the DMK and AIADMK have held portfolios in thecabinet of thecentral Indian government.[11][12][13][14] Another Dravidian party isMarumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
Political media is pervasive in Dravidian politics, with five of the seven chief ministers from these parties being directly involved inTamil cinema, either as script writers or actors. Recentlytelevision channels owned by these parties have been used for political propaganda purposes.[15]
Most of thepopulation of India are classified asAryans andDravidians.[16] Based onlanguage families,[16] most northern Indian languages are classified asAryan, whereas most southern Indian languages areDravidian languages. One of the first European scholars to expound the concept of "Aryans" as a race was German philologist and OrientalistMax Müller, who claimed that a group of people called Aryans had invaded theIndian subcontinentc. 1500 B.C.[17][18]Sanskrit, aclassical language of the Aryan group, was considered to be a sacred language, whereas in theMadras Presidency ofBritish India, it was a commonly held opinion in that the Dravidian tongues were inferior.[19] The linguistic divide was even more pronounced given the political dominance ofBrahmins in South India.[20]
The Brahmins, who occupied the highest strata in the society, accounted for 3% of the population in Madras Presidency, but held 60 to 79% of the positions in major government departments in the early 20th century.[21] It was observed by some non-Brahmin leaders from the south that Brahmins were Aryans, and hence non-natives, who had taken positions in the government that should rightfully be filled by people indigenous to the area.[20]The antipathy towards Sanskrit compounded with the animosity against the hegemony of Brahmins paved the way for the rise of Dravidian politics in Madras Presidency.[20]
An early pioneer in Dravidian politics wasIyothee Thass in the late 19th century. His efforts brought together the non-Brahmin caste Dravidians with the establishment of theDravida Mahajana Sabha organisation in 1891.[22] A major leap in Dravidian politics was the formation of theMadras United League by non-Brahmin intellectuals, who considered the dominance of Brahmins in civil administration a threat to the non-Brahmin majority.[23]The League was initially started as a workgroup that helped non-Brahmin students inMadras with accommodation by Dr C. Natesan. It later grew into apolitical party under the efforts of leaders likeC Natesa Mudaliar,Sir Pitti Theagaroya Chetty andDr. T. M. Nair. The party was namedSouth Indian Liberal Federation (S. I. L. F.) – popularly known as theJustice party.[23]
A limited form of self governance was introduced inBritish India afterWorld War I.[21] While the Justice Party saw this as an opportunity to displace Brahmin dominance, the British colonial government considered it favourable, since theIndian National Congress, which spearheaded theIndian independence movement was dominated by Brahmins.[21] The Justice party emerged as a winner in the 1920 general elections and brought about the reforms it had campaigned for,[21] including establishingcommunal reservation throughaffirmative action for the first time in the country, and broughttemples under state control.[2] Soon after their electoral success the animosity betweenTamil and non-Tamil members deepened, thus weakening the party.[21] Nevertheless, the Justice Party electorally dominated the presidency for 17 years until it was defeated by the Indian National Congress party in 1937.[2] Although out of power, the Justice Party was involved in demonstrations across the Province against the introduction ofHindi as a compulsory subject of study in schools by aCongress-led government, which led to the detainment of scores of Tamil scholars, academics and Justice Party leaders.[2] This and other struggles for social justice helped create the social base of what emerged as the Dravidian Movement.[24]
The next few years saw a decline in the Justice Party's popularity. In 1938, the by then badly weakened party sought the leadership ofPeriyar E. V. Ramasamy, a leader of the Dravidian Movement, who became its president. In 1944, Periyar changed the name of the party to Dravidar Kazhagam ("Dravidian Organisation" in English).[25] This move was opposed by some members of the Party who continued contesting elections as the Justice Party under the leadership ofP. T. Rajan until 1957. Periyar as the president of Dravidiar Kazhagam considered that contesting in elections would lead to compromises in principles and withdrew Dravida Kazhagam from parliamentary politics.[25]
In 1947, when India attained independence, Periyar called for members of the Dravidar Kazhagam to boycott the celebrations.[26] According to him, the Indian National Congress was dominated by Brahmins.[26] He predicted that an independent India would bring South Indians, especially Tamils, under the dominance of Brahmins and North Indians.[26] In other words, according to Periyar, independence would lead to the replacement of British dominance with Brahmin and North Indian dominance. He felt an independent nation calledDravida Nadu for the South Indians would be the best solution.[26] Periyar declared 15 August 1947, the day ofIndian independence, as a day of mourning.[26] This move was opposed by other leaders within the party, includingC. N. Annadurai.[1] Annadurai viewed independence as an achievement for all of India rather than solely of the North.[27]On 9 July 1948 Periyar married woman 40 years his junior, leading to a split in the party.[1][28]The leaders of the splitting faction eventually formed a new party,Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or DMK (Progressive Dravidian Organisation in English), in 1949.[29]
Although initially both DK and DMK sought an independent Dravida Nadu, DK later moved on to work on bringing social changes whereas DMK leaders such asC. N. Annadurai andE. V. K. Sampath endeavoured to achieve their goals through parliamentary election processes.[26][30]Sampath, who had earlier forfeited his seniority with Periyar's party to join DMK, saw the call for an independent Dravida Nadu was turning out to be an unrealistic goal.[31]Sampath expressed concerns over using film stars to increase the popularity of the party.[31] His views led him to cross swords with the major leaders of the party and eventually caused the first split in DMK. Sampath left DMK to begin his own party[31] called theTamil National Party.[32]Although leaders like Annadurai were firm in their separatist stance, thereorganisation of states in India on a linguistic basis removedKannada,Telugu andMalayalam speaking regions from Madras Presidency, leaving behind a predominantly TamilMadras State.[33] Giving in to political realities, Annadurai and his DMK changed their call for an independentDravida Nadu for Dravidians to an independentTamil Nadu for Tamils.[33] Annadurai saw that remaining in union with India meant accepting linguistic domination and economic backwardness.[33] However, theSino-Indian war brought about changes in theIndian constitution.[34] The Sixteenth Amendment (also known as theAnti-Secessionist Amendment[34]) banned any party with sectarian principles from contesting elections.[33] Consequently, DMK preferred to keep the issue of Dravida Nadu on the backburner.[2]From then on DMK's main focus targeted the dominance of North Indians in theUnion Government of India.[2]
After dropping the demand for an independent Dravida Nadu, DMK changed its focus to the problems arising out of the disparity between North and South India.[2] The DMK considered that the south was neglected by delays in sanctioning development projects and allotment of funds.[2] Thus the Congress-led Central government became its major target for calls for reform.[26] Immediately after Indian independence the Congress Party was popular throughout India and thus formed the government in many states including Madras Presidency.[26] Even so, the Congress Party failed to obtain an absolute majority in the presidency in the state's first election.[7] By the 1960s the popularity of the Congress party was in a steady decline.[35]
DMK leaders also perceived that the attempts to declare Hindi as the sole national language of India was an attempt impose an Aryan language unwilling people in the South.[2] According to the terms of the Indian constitution dated 26 January 1965, English as anofficial language of India would come to an end and Hindi would become the sole official language. However, the MadrasAnti-Hindi agitation in 1965 compelled the Central Government in India change its language policy, allowing English to continue as an official language.[36][37]Although DMK was not directly involved in the violence that marred the agitation,[20] the protest itself catapulted DMK to political power in the State in the1967 legislative elections.[2] Annadurai became the first non-Congress Chief Minister of the post-1950 Madras state as a result.
The electoral victory in 1967 led to anelectoral fusion among the non-Congress parties to avoid a split in theOpposition votes.Rajagopalachari, a former senior leader of the Congress Party, had by then left the Congress and launched the right-wingSwatantra Party. He played a vital role in bringing about the electoral fusion amongst the opposition parties to align against the Congress.[7]
M. G. Ramachandran, popularly known as M.G.R., was an actor in Tamil cinema and a well-known propagator of Dravidian ideologies in his movies since 1953. In the 1970s, as the thentreasurer of DMK, he played a vital role in popularizing the party, bringing many of his fans as supporters.
A political feud between M.G.R. and the party's presidentM. Karunanidhi has been ongoing since the death of Annadurai in 1969. MGR helped Karunanidhi to become Chief minister.[citation needed]It arose from Karunanidhi calling himself the "Mujib of Tamil Nadu".[25][38] Soon after the electoral victory of the DMK in 1971, some senior members expressed concern that M.G.R.'s popularity was growing strong within the party cadres.
Karunanidhi made several attempts to weaken M.G.R.'s position within the party. M.G.R. retaliated with corruption charges[25] and a call for a boycott of the party's General Council.[39] DMK's General Council suspended M.G.R. from the party stating that he had involved himself in "anti-party activities".[38][39] Although M.G.R. had lost support from top-ranking leaders within the DMK, the strong public reaction following his suspension demonstrated his popular support among the party's volunteers. Inspired by this support from the party's lower cadres and his fans,[39] M.G.R. launched his own party, theAll India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). It was named after his mentor C. N. Annadurai fondly known as Anna.[25][38]
M.G.R. presented his new party toIndira Gandhi as the regional equivalent of herCongress (I) party.[7] Indira Gandhi was the head of her party, which she split from theIndian National Congress with the support of lower cadres and opposition from senior party leaders.[40]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) Party 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 with limited ambitions.[7]
In 1976, 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.[11]
Sivaji Ganesan, a veteran actor ofTamil Cinema, was a founding member of DMK party.[38] The actor himself was nicknamed Sivaji by Periyar E. V. Ramasami after his role portraying theMaratha king.[41] Nevertheless, differences between the party leadership and the actor widened since he perceived that M. G. Ramachandran, his acting contemporary, was given more prominence than himself.[38] Furthermore, he started distancing himself from the party's anti-religious atheistic stance to satisfy his religious fans.[38] Hence when E. V. K. Sampath launched his own splinter from DMK (in the name of Tamil National Party), Sivaji left DMK and joined Sampath.[30] However, Tamil National Party itself was short-lived and was merged into Congress.[42] Sivaji, although a member of Congress party, maintained distance from the party activities and concentrated more on his film career.[38] After the death of M. G. Ramachandran in 1987, Sivaji re-launched his political career with his own party Thamizhaga Munnetra Munnani ("Tamil Nadu Development Front" in English).[43] The party lost every single seat it contested for inthe 1989 elections. Sivaji dissolved the party, asked his party cadres to join theJanata Dal[44] and openly regretted his decision to have ever launched his own party.[45]
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, afterV. Gopalswamy (popularly known as Vaiko), a senior leader andMember of Parliament from DMK, was expelled from the party.[2] Barring, perhaps, their more radical support for an independentTamil Eelam in theSri Lankan crisis,[46]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 Stateautonomy, constitutional protection for thereservation formula and making Tamil an official language of the Indian Union.[2] In 2004, Tamil film director and actorT. Rajendar who was earlier expelled from DMK launched the All India Latchiya Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ("All India Principled Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam" in English).[47]
Soon after MGR's death in 1987, his wifeV. N. Janaki Ramachandran took over as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.[48]This appointment was opposed by former actress and politicianJ. Jayalalithaa.[48] 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 Central Government of India then led byRajiv Gandhi. The antagonism built up and the AIADMK split into two fragments.[25]
TheElection Commission of India refused to accept either of them as the successor of the original party andseparate electoral symbols were allocated.[49]The faction led by MGR's widow chose to usetwo doves, with a large dove holding leafy branch in its beak, as if feeding the smaller dove. Jayalalithaa's faction was represented by acrowing cock.[50]Although both factions lost the 1989 state elections, Jayalalithaa's AIADMK won 27 seats when compared to just one won by Janaki's.[51] Following the election defeat, Janaki retired from active politics and the two party factions rejoined into one party.[48][49]
Other breakaways in AIADMK were witnessed in 1990s, whenR. M. Veerappan andS. Tirunavukkarasu, due to personal differences with Jayalalithaa, formedMGR Kazhagam (MGR's Organisation) andMGR ADMK (MGR's and Anna's DMK) respectively.[52]
| Justice Party 1917 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Self-respect movement 1925 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dravidar Kazhagam 1944 | Justice Party (PTR) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 1949 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tamil National Party 1962 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Merger with Indian National Congress 1964 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 17 October 1972 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thazhthapattor Munnetra Kazhagam 1974 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Makkal Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 1977 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Merger with AIADMK 1977 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| M.G.R.'s death on 24 December 1987 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AIADMK Jayalalithaa faction | AIADMK Janaki faction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thamizhaga Munnetra Munnani 1988 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Merger with Janata Dal 1989 | AIADMK unifies again Janaki's faction dissolved and merged with Jayalalithaa's faction 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 1994 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MGR Kazhagam 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MGR Anna DMK 1996 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Merger with Bharatiya Janata Party 2002 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MajorDravidian parties that are currently active | Dravidar Kazhagam | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Although the DMK and the AIADMK started playing a minimal role in the decision-making process in theCentral government in the late 1960s, their actual participation incoalition governments came only in 1979, when two AIADMK Members of Parliament,Sathiavani Muthu andA. Bala Pajanor, joined the short-livedChaudhary Charan Singh Ministry, which followed theMorarji Desai-ledJanata Party government (1977–79). The DMK'sMurasoli Maran joined theV. P. Singh Ministry in 1989. The DMK shared power with the subsequentUnited Front governments led byH. D. Deve Gowda andI. K. Gujral. In theAtal Bihari Vajpayee Ministry (1998–99), three parties from Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK, theMarumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) were represented. In the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Ministry, headed by Vajpayee (1999–2004), the DMK, the MDMK and the PMK all had 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.[7] TheManmohan Singh-led central government included cabinet members from DMK.[12]
The principal ideals and goals of Dravidian parties at their incipience, which were borrowed fromDravidar Kazhagam, were social reforms such as ending religious beliefs, endingcaste distinction,[53] empowerment of women, ending Brahmin dominance[25][53] in Tamil Nadu educational institutions and government, ending northern domination of the politics and economy of Tamil Nadu, opposition to Hindi as India's official language, and independence for Dravida Nadu from India.[54] The call for Dravida Nadu in the initial days during theBritish Raj meant a "Dravidian state under the British Raj".[54]Although Annadurai defended his party's demand for Dravida Nadu in his maiden speech in theRajya Sabha in 1962 and recorded his protest against a ban on demanding separation, a year later the demand had to be abandoned following theSino-Indian War.[2] This paradigm shift is often attributed to theSixteenth Amendment to theIndian Constitution orAnti-sectionist amendment, as it is usually called.[30] In the 1960s, the formation of Tamil Nadu as a Tamil language state carved out of the erstwhile Madras Presidency fulfilled the goal of an encompassing Dravidian state.[25]
Since then, stateautonomy and social justice throughreservation for the underprivileged in education and employment have been the main political planks of the DMK.[2]
The Dravidian political ideology has evolved through the years and is now varied between parties.
Starting from an initial atheistic inclination with the strictanti-Brahmin outlook of the DK, the DMK moved on to a strong ethnic identity – initially that of "the Dravidian" and later of "the Tamilian" or "the common Tamil man".[24]In fact it is considered that Dravidian politics developed into an inclusiveTamil nationalism since it associated theDravidian community with the non-Sanskritic Tamil language and cultural tradition.[55]
The AIADMK however, never adopted the anti-Brahminism of the DK and DMK and did not have a strict ideology. After MGR's death, the dispute over whom should head the AIADMK was led by Janaki and Jayalalithaa, who were both Brahmins. The latter headed the AIADMK and served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for multiple terms. The party's position on issues such as reservation, Hindi, federalism, Sri Lankan Tamils etc. is common with that of the other Dravidian parties.
The Self-respect movement, which is at the root of Dravidian politics, was initially forged in the mid-1920s in emulation and in critique of theGandhian Congress Party, but by the 1930s it was heavily influenced byLeninistsocialism,atheism andBertrand Russell's inspired rationalism.[53]C. N. Annadurai, the first Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from the Dravidian parties, declared that the DMK (and hence its offshoots) are "genuinelycommunist by principle".[30] MGR's AIADMK adoptedAnnaism, a political philosophy which in MGR's own words, was "a proper amalgam of capitalism, socialism and communism".[56]
Mass media have been widely used by Dravidian politicians from the early days of the parties. Initially propaganda was spread through newspapers owned by benefactors or by the organisations themselves and through public gatherings.[53] One early example of media use was the magazineJustice, which carried strong non-Brahmin viewpoints, after which theIndian Justice Party was named.[57] A later example isKudi Arasu (The Republic in English).[53] DMK hadMurasoli (Drum Beat in English) as its party organ,[11] and Similarly, from 1988 to 2017 AIADMK publishedNamadhu Dr. M.G.R. (Our Dr. M.G.R. in English). Currently, it usesNamadhu Puratchi Thalaivi Amma (Our Revolutionary Leader Mother in English) for its propaganda.[58]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.[59]
Tamil cinema first became politicized during theNon-cooperation movement. With the advent of sound in films, large numbers of theater personnel were attracted, many of whom were already active in politics.[25]Annadurai was a writer, director, and producer of many films that were used as a means of propagation of Dravidian ideologies.[30]
Sivaji Ganesan 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 being a "glamour party", a reaction which is attributed to his frustration over lack of recognition.[30]
M. G. Ramachandran was reputedly the most famous star of any Dravidian party.[25][38]Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Karunanidhi has continued be active both in film script writing and politics until recent times.[60]FormerChief Ministers of Tamil NaduV. N. Janaki Ramachandran andJ. Jayalalithaa were both film stars who paired with M.G.R. in many of his movies. Other stars within the Dravidian parties includeS. S. Rajendran,K. R. Ramasamy andS. S. Chandran.[30]
DMK initially usedSun TV Network for its propaganda which eventually led to the birth of the alternate Tamil ChannelKalaignar TV.[61]Similarly, in 1991 AIADMK earlier ownedJJ TV (J. Jayalalithaa Television), which was later dissolved. It usedJaya TV From 1999 to 2017.[62] Currently, It usesNews J for its propaganda.[63]
One of the major impacts of the Dravidian parties is said to be the lack of or limited support to theHindutva movement, which swept theHindi heartlands of India, in Tamil Nadu.[64]The announcement in 1990 by the then Prime MinisterV.P. Singh that theMandal Commission's recommendation to extendreservation 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 to be one of its achievements.[7]Listing the benefits accruing to the State from sharing power at the centre, the DMK 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 theKaveri River Water Dispute in the case filed by theThanjavur farmers in the Supreme Court". The success of the efforts of Prime Minister Vajpayee in persuadingKarnataka to accept the Tribunal's Interim Award ensuring 205tmc.ft. ofKaveri river water to Tamil Nadu has been seen as one of the benefits of the DMK's presence in the BJP-led government.[7]
According to the DMK, the "creation" of 11Navaratnas and 97Mini-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.[7]
Another benefit cited by DMK is the substantial profits the State has received from foreign investments since the start of the liberalisation process. According to a party statement, of the total investment ofRs.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.[7]
It is the DMK chief Karunanidhi who played a vital role in the then central government declaringTamil aclassical language.[65]
Between 1996 and 2014, either DMK or AIADMK has been part of the central governments of India.[11][12][13][14]The inclusion of DMK in theUnited Front government, led byI. K. Gujral, in 1997 came under crisis[66]with the interim report ofJain Commission, which was appointed to oversee the assassination ofRajiv Gandhi, said that the then DMK government was responsible for abetting Rajiv Gandhi's murderers.[67]In 2007 DMK chief Karunanidi sparked controversy with hisremarks onLord Rama, causing political unrest[68] and resulting in the filing of aFirst Information Report against him.[69]
The Dravidian parties have played a pivotal role in the pastSri Lankan civil war.M. G. Ramachandran, then AIADMK chief, is said to have donated 110 million Indian Rupees to theLTTE.[70]It was also reported by the Jain Commission that the DMK regime was aligned with the LTTE between 1989 and 1991.[67]S. Ramadoss, party chief of PMK, has recently called for the Central Government of India to help work towards an "early political solution inSri Lanka."[71] In 2007 DMK, AIADMK and MDMK expressed their concerns over the arrest ofTamil Malaysians following a protest.[72][73][74]
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Each Dravidian party is represented by its own flag. Black and Red are the usual colours used, a feature which traces its origin to Periyar's visit toAxis countries andSoviet Russia. On his arrival back home, he declared that his party members would wear black shirts whenever and wherever possible "as a symbol of the present down-trodden condition of Dravidians".[30] The design of the DMK flag consists of two colour rectangles, with the top half black and the bottom half red. The black color reflects the dark political, economical and social situation of Dravidians. Red is used to signify "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 the "rising sun" as the party symbol.[75] AIADMK uses the black and red combination with a picture of Annadurai in white in the middle and hence it is sometimes characterised as being a tricoloured flag: black and red with white in the middle.[76] The MDMK flag consists of two red stripes with a black stripe in the center.[76]
Media related toDravidian political parties at Wikimedia CommonsFounder:Vijayakant | |
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Headquarters: Captain Aalayam, 125/7, Jawaharlal Nehru Salai, Koyambedu, Chennai – 600107, Tamil Nadu, India. | |
Founder:C. N. Annadurai | |
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Headquarters: Anna Arivalayam, 367–369, Anna Salai, Teynampet, Chennai – 600018, Tamil Nadu, India. | |
