Dravidianism in today’s Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is gearing up to observe the 111st birth anniversary of the state’s Dravidian behemoth, CN Annadurai, on September 15. In the current socio-political climate, there is a need to pause and think about the relevance of the ideology he stood for.
When Anna passed away in 1969, a record 15 million participated in his last journey. The sheer number of people was a testament to the stature of Dravidianism in Tamil Nadu then. Anna’s politics was not the same as that of his predecessor, EV Ramasamy ‘Periyar’. The latter stood for a combination of anti-Brahminism, iconoclasm, socialism and ethnicism. He had even advocated for a separate ‘Dravida Nadu’. Periyar’s trusted lieutenant Anna understood the disadvantages of this. In fact, Anna had even converted Periyar’s atheist imprint into his own brand of secularism, making way for the tolerance of religions without favouring any.
Five decades later, the DMK and AIADMK continue to dominate the political landscape in TN. The state has seen changes in leadership over the years. Today, it is seeing a change in the perception of religion. There has been a steady rise of religious fervour taking over the collective psyche of people. For example, the month of ‘Adi’ sees community pujas on a big scale, and political leaders too are invited to participate in many functions.
This trend is also being extended to Ganesh Chathurti celebrations in the state. What was essentially a household puja has become a community festival, with pandals being erected on thoroughfares and political leaders taking part in the celebrations, a la Maharashtra. This culminates in the immersion procession of the idols. Saffron bandanas and flags are waved throughout the idols’ journey to the sea or river. There seems to be a subtle expression of saffronisation in a state where atheism once dominated the political discourse. The new colour is slowly emerging alongside the red-and-black Dravidian flag. Is this a sign of how relevant Dravidian ideology is in the state?