From power struggle for social reform to power struggle for money – Rise and Fall of Dravidian mMovement in Tamil Nadu

Imposition of Hindi language by the Central Government way back in early 60’s was the main axle on which the wheels of Dravidian movement has started to roll. When opposing the imposition of Hindi language upon Tamilians, the leaders of the then Dravidian movement saw an opportunity and necessity of social reforms in Tamil Nadu because they learned that only through social reform people can be educated, made independent from the burden of past notions and belief systems. The leaders also thought that the social reform must be all inclusive where due caste representation is must in politics, in education, in employment etc.

One of the biggest challenges they saw in those days that impedes the social reform in Tamil Nadu was the gory of superstition and belief systems of people in God and God men. There began the self right movement. The movement began against superstition and caste discrimination in the society. Subsequently the early leaders also realized and recognized the necessity of being in power to bring social reform because only through power, policy level changes can be made and the society can be reformed. That was the beginning of a new journey of Dravidian self right movement to political movement for power. However, the core objective of both the movements was to bring social reform, in essence one and the same.

Although several allegations of corruption charges were made against DMK, the cardinal principle for the formation of DMK was essentially to bring social reform and not amass wealth.

The question of how the power has drifted people and their movement and what extent the movement could bring social reform in our society fall beyond the scope of this article. The way divinity and worship are shown publicly by large section of people in Tamil Nadu reveals nothing but the force of superstition, belief in traditional occultism etc., are still strongly rooted in Tamil Nadu.

When there was a visible revolt of people against the party that claims the ownership of social reforms in Tamil Nadu because of its tectonic shift from its core principle, the political space, shrewdly late MGR exploited by forming AIADMK….meant more for people. When he started to address people and their day to day problems like how penury affects families to send their children to school, how malnourishment affects the learning ability of poor people etc., he could easily gather fame, popularity and power.

When Amma J Jayalalitha took over the mantle of AIADMK after the death of MGR, she also learned quickly to address the mass to galvanize the support. When she addresses the mass, she always remained and promoted herself as an individual because she believed that family politics or family in politics will do no good either to the state or the party. But she appears to have unfortunately failed to recognize a big family that was working at her home and one day the same family may stake claim of both her party and the state as a whole.

The people who were in the corridor to powder had preferred to be in the same niche perhaps they would have had only one point objective was to amass wealth. Hence whether it was 33 years or less, many had not tried to venture limelight may be consciously because according to them power means money. But the entire arithmetic got changed with the demise of Amma J Jayalalithaa.

The recent changes in the party structure of AIADMK indicate nothing but the new formula is at work i.e., power means money, therefore grab power by using money and muscle, after all one has to make some investment to make more money. But people of Tamil Nadu have changed and it is not just party politics or caste politics, but performance politics is only going to stay hereafter and dictate the politicians.

The series of theatrics that are taking place in AIADMK recently shows nothing but how Drawidian politics has moved from power struggle for social reform to power struggle for money.

The struggle of our politicians will certainly continue as long as people refuse to wake up to truth and reality. If they believe in God, doing spiritual performances and offering worships in every temple are sufficient and will save them, they are thoroughly wrong.

We need one more Periyar to awaken our people not against caste-ism or social discrimination but against their staunch political affiliation and unawareness.

As long as the common man finds his pride and pleasure in shouting slogans of his or her leader or tattooing the party symbol, carrying placard of their leader or party, the family politics and family in politics are going to rule the state.

The Dravidian movement has indeed made our state very glorious in many frontiers but also has downed our head, self right and pride under shame and humiliation due to the exceptional and everlasting hunger of some Tamil Nadu politicians for power and money.

Let us invoke the true spirit and essence of Dravidian movement and reform our state not by proving who wins the game of power through muscle and money but who wins the heart of people at the end. It is only the love of people and not their hatred elects their leader. Therefore all those who pledge their affiliations to various groups must respect the popular sentiments of the people. Perhaps some may win the number game today but indeed the people do make such numbers to tumble one day. It must be also remembered that dragging the trial and justice to any number of years cannot save and have to have an end and indeed this time it has ended up in Bangalore.

Dr S Ranganathan