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Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
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- DMK redirects here. For the airport in Bangkok, see Don Mueang International Airport.
| Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Party Chairperson | M. Karunanidhi |
| General Secretary | K. Anbazhagan |
| Parliamentary Party Chairperson | |
| Leader of Lok Sabha | {{{loksabha_leader}}} |
| Leader of Rajya Sabha | {{{rajyasabha_leader}}} |
| Founded | 1949 |
| Headquarters | Arivalayam, Anna Salai, Chennai - 600018 |
| Alliance | United Progressive Alliance |
| Seats in Lok Sabha | {{{loksabha_seats}}} |
| Seats in Rajya Sabha | {{{rajyasabha_seats}}} |
| Political Ideology | Social Democratic/Populist |
| Political Position | Fiscal: Social: |
| Publications | Murasoli |
| Website | http://www.dmk.in |
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (Tamil:திராவிட முன்னேற்றக் கழகம்) (literally "Dravidian Progress Conference") is a regional political party in the state of Tamil Nadu in India, but also has presence in near by state of Pondicherry. It was founded by C. N. Annadurai as a breakaway faction from the Dravidar Kazhagam headed by Periyar. The party is headed by M Karunanidhi, the incumbent Chief Minister of the state.
Contents |
DMK traces its roots to the South Indian Liberal Federation (Justice Party) formed in 1916, by P. Thiyagarayar, Dr. Natesanar and few others. The Justice Party, whose objectives included social equality and justice, came to power in the first General Elections to Madras Presidency in 1920.[1] E. V. Ramasami Naicker (known as "Periyar"), a popular Tamil leader, who had joined Indian National Congress in 1919, became disillusioned with what he considered as the Brahminic leadership of the party.[2] He quit Congress and in 1935, he joined the Justice Party. In the 1937 elections, the Justice Party lost and the Indian National Congress under C. Rajagopalachari ("Rajaji") came to power in Madras Presidency. Rajaji's introduction of Hindi as a compulsory subject in schools led to the anti-Hindi agitations, led by Periyar and his associates. In August 1944, Periyar carved out the "Dravida Kazhagham" out of the Justice Party at the Salem Provincial Conference.[3]
However, over the years, disputes arose between Periyar and his followers. In 1949, several of his followers led by C. N. Annadurai, decided to split from Dravida Kazhagham, after an aged Periyar married a young woman and anointed his young wife to as his successor to lead the party, superseding senior party leaders.
Annadurai, on September 17, 1949 along with V. R. Nedunchezhiyan, K.A.Mathialagan, K. Anbazhagan, E.V.K. Sampath and thousands of others in Robinson park in Royapuram in Chennai announced the formation of the DMK. M.Karunanidhi joined the DMK a few months later[4][5]The DMK carried on the principles and aims of the Justice Party and Dravidar Kazhagam. The movement was initially mooted as one that championed the cause of socially and economically disadvantaged sections of the society. It was also sympathetic to the demand for a separate "Dravida Nadu" state.
DMK has been firmly in favour of reservation for the backward classes for social upliftment, and has increased reservation up to 69% the highest in the country. DMK along with Periyar forced the withdrawal of the Kula Kalvi Thittam of Rajaji where schools will work in the morning and students had to compulsorily learn the family vocation in the afternoon.[6]
MGR was a member of the DMK, and he was seen as an icon of the DMK and spread its message through films like Anbe Vaa. In 1953 MGR joined the DMK popularised the party flag and symbol by showing it in his movies.Annadurai wanted a separate Dravida Nadu which he gave after 1962 China War. The Anti-Hindi agitations of 1965, forced the central government to abandon its efforts to impose Hindi as the only official language of the country. In 1967, DMK came to power in Tamil Nadu in 1967, after the anti-Hindi tide helped it defeat the Congress.
With the passage of time and a shift in the national political scenario towards coalition governments, DMK adopted a more national outlook. It championed the cause of Tamil language and culture, and used its national clout to make Government of India declare Tamil as a classical language. The contributions of writers belonging to DMK have tended to be more of expressions of dissent and disgruntlement at what was perceived as social injustice and domination of certain communities, in the social sphere, and of the Northern parts of India, in the political sphere, and substitution of less often used Tamil words for borrowed-assimilated popular ones for administrative and oratorical purposes, in the linguistic sphere.
The DMK is also sympathetic to the separatist struggle in Eelam. It split over the past three decades into the AIADMK in the 1970s and the MDMK in the 1990s.
The decade-long cold war of succession between the two sons of Karunanidhi - Stalin and Azhagiri - finally came into the open in early 2007 when supporters of Azhagiri rampaged a local newspaper's office for publishing an opinion poll that indicated 70% chance for Stalin and merely 2% chance for Azhagiri to succeed to the top post of DMK. It was long believed that Azhagiri dominated the eight southern districts of Tamil Nadu.
As a result of the uproar within the party, Dayanidhi Maran, the Union cabinet minister for Communications and Information Technology (and proprietor of the vernacular daily that published the opinion poll) was sacked from the position, since a resolution was passed against him by his party DMK for violating party discipline and bringing it to disrepute. Thus, the grip of the Maran clan on the party finally loosened.
| Year | President |
|---|---|
| 1949-1969 | Annadurai |
| 1969-present | Karunanidhi |
See pdf for summary. DMK's worst poll performance ever in this state was registered in 1962 and its peak in 1996.
| Year | General Election | Votes Polled | Seats Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 3rd Assembly | 3,435,633 | 50 |
| 1962 | 3rd Lok Sabha | 2,315,610 | 7 |
| 1967 | 4th Assembly | 6,230,552 | 137 |
| 1967 | 4th Lok Sabha | 5,524,514 | 25 |
| Year | General Election | Votes Polled | Seats Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 5th Assembly | 7,654,935 | 184 |
| 1971 | 5th Lok Sabha | 5,622,758 | 23 |
| 1977 | 6th Assembly | 4,258,771 | 48 |
| 1977 | 6th Lok Sabha | 3,323,320 | 2 |
| 1980 | 7th Assembly | 4,164,389 | 37 |
| 1980 | 7th Lok Sabha | 4,236,537 | 16 |
| 1984 | 8th Assembly | 6,362,770 | 24 |
| 1984 | 8th Lok Sabha | 5,597,507 | 2 |
| 1989 | 9th Assembly | 8,001,222 | 150 |
| 1989 | 9th Lok Sabha | 7,038,849 | 0 |
| 1991 | 10th Assembly | 5,535,668 | 2 |
| 1991 | 10th Lok Sabha | 5,601,597 | 0 |
| 1996 | 11th Assembly | 11,423,380 | 173 |
| 1996 | 11th Lok Sabha | 6,967,679 | 17 |
| 1998 | 12th Lok Sabha | 5,140,266 | 5 |
| 1999 | 13th Lok Sabha | 6,298,832 | 12 |
| 2001 | 12th Assembly | 8,669,864 | 31 |
| 2004 | 14th Lok Sabha | 7,064,393 | 16 |
| 2006 | 13th Assembly | 8,728,716 | 96 |
| Year | General Election | Votes Polled | Seats Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 2nd Assembly | 61,717 | 15 |
| 1974 | 3rd Assembly | 47,823 | 2 |
| 1977 | 4th Assembly | 30,441 | 3 |
| 1980 | 5th Assembly | 68,030 | 14 |
| 1984 | 8th Lok Sabha | 97,672 | 0 |
| 1985 | 6th Assembly | 87,754 | 5 |
| 1989 | 9th Lok Sabha | 157,250 | 0 |
| 1990 | 7th Assembly | 101,127 | 9 |
| 1991 | 8th Assembly | 96,607 | 4 |
| 1991 | 10th Lok Sabha | 140,313 | 0 |
| 1996 | 9th Assembly | 105,392 | 7 |
| 1996 | 11th Lok Sabha | 183,702 | 0 |
| 1998 | 12th Lok Sabha | 168,122 | 1 |
| 2001 | 10th Assembly | 83,679 | 7 |
| 2006 | 11th Assembly | 7 |
- ^ Radhan, O.P. (2002). "A Time-Bound Plan for Muslim India", Encyclopaedia of Political Parties. Anmol Publications, 187. ISBN 8174888659.
- ^ Omvedt, Gail (2006). Dalit Visions: The Anti-caste Movement and the Construction on an Indian Identity. Orient Longman, 54-55. ISBN 8125028951.
- ^ Dirks, Nicholas B. (2001). Castes of Mind: Colonialism and the Making of Modern India. Princeton University Press, 263. ISBN 978-0691088952.
- ^ Celebrating a half century
- ^ A breathing space for crowded North Chennai
- ^ Periyar's Movement
- ^ See the List of recognised political parties in India.
- ^ To gain recognition as a state party, the party must have some kind of political activity for at least five continuous years, and send at least 4% of the state's quota to the Lok Sabha (India's Lower house), or 3.33% of members to the state assembly. If the above conditions are not fulfilled, then a party may gain recognition by garnering not less than 6% of the total votes in a state or national election, polled in by all its contesting candidates. If a party is recognised in four or more states, it is automatically recognised as a national party by the EC.