CHENNAI: For a State that celebrates all things ‘Tamil’ with pride and gusto, the lack of enthusiasm surrounding the Tamil Nadu formation day on November 1 is conspicuous. The story is the same this year as well, ahead of the diamond jubilee of the State formation. At a time when neighbouring Kerala and Karnataka are celebrating the day with pomp, why is it a muted affair in the State?
Tamil scholars opine that the re-organisation of the states is considered as a step taken by the Central government to recognise the plurality of India and hence, the formation day of the State is fit for celebration.
“Dravidian leaders demanded Dravida Nadu comprising the entire south India, but their dream never came true. People speaking Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu had their own states on the basis of linguistic aspirations. Since this went against their basic demand, the Dravidian parties did not show any interest in celebrating the TN formation day,” reasoned pro-Tamil activist Pazha Nedumaran, president of Tamilar Desiya Munnani.
According to the veteran leader, the seeds of the forming States on linguistic line were sown by Mahatma Gandhi himself way back in 1921 when he mooted reorganisation of the Provincial Congress Committees on linguistic basis so that they would be organised using the local languages.
“Those who led the Dravidian movement were under the illusion of forming Dravida Nadu, without visualising future after independence and the possibility of formation of states on linguistic basis,” he charged.
Though the Tamil culture and history have a hoary and legendary antiquity, the formation of the State has a special context which should be acknowledged and celebrated, he opined.
“From the period of Chera, Chozha and Pandya Kings, TN remained as different kingdoms. During the British regime, it was caught within the Madras Presidency, comprising parts of Andhra, Karnataka and Kerala. We lost many places during the reorganisation. But it was only after the reorganisation that TN became a single entity,” Nedumaran said, urging all to celebrate the day grandly as the neighbours do.
On the other hand, DMK spokesperson KS Radhakrishnan has a critical view about the formation day and associated history. According to him, the story of reorganisation is also one about the ‘frontier struggles’ led by many leaders in inter-state border areas. Some were successful in retaining some key areas of Tamils with Tamil Nadu, though a number of other places had to be ceded to the neighbours.
“A sad aspect of the reorganisation is that loss of certain areas during the process remains as the root cause of inter-State water disputes faced by Tamil Nadu till date.”
Radhakrishnan recalled that on the northern frontier, Tamil scholar Ma Po Sivagnanam led the struggle to retain Tiruttani and Tirupati, Kalahasthi, Pallavaneri, Chittoor, Gangunthikuppam and many other areas with Tamil Nadu, but with limited success.
Though much of it is forgotten, the period of reorganisation was anything but smooth.
The State capital Madras was one of the hotly-contested areas. While Telugu leaders launched the slogan “Madras manade’ (Madras is ours), leaders in Tamil Nadu including C Rajagopalachari, the then Chief Minister of Madras Province, opposed its stoutly.
Sivagnanam launched a counter slogan, ‘thalai koduthenum thalai nagarai kaapom; venkathai vidamattom’ (We will have Madras as capital even by sacrificing our lives; We will not give up Tirupati). At that time, Rajaji categorically told Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru that he would step down as Chief Minister if Chennai was given to Andhra Pradesh.
Later, at a special meeting of the Chennai Corporation, the then Mayor T Chengalvarayan moved a resolution urging Centre not to bifurcate Chennai or to make it interim capital of Andhra Pradesh. At the end, Nehru had to bow to the demand of Tamil leaders and made an announcement on March 25,1953 in Parliament that the capital of Andhra Pradesh would be located within Andhra Pradesh.
On the southern front, PS Mani, Marshal A Nesamony and Kunjan Nadar led the struggle to merge Kanniyakumari, Sengottai and some other places with Tamil Nadu. On the other border, there were protests to merge Devikulam, Peermedu and some other parts (now in Kerala) with TN.
“The government should honour those people who have made sacrifices during the ‘frontier struggles’ just like honouring those engaged in Independence struggle,” Radhakrishnan added.