When a couple of journalists from Pravda, a Russian newspaper, interviewed the late DMK chief Kalaingar M Karunanidhi in Chennai in 1965 and asked about the DMK’s ultimate goal, he said, “Equality and rationalism in society, socialism in economy, and democracy in politics.” That was two years before the party captured power in Tamil Nadu in 1967.
Has the party remained true to those principles enunciated by Karunanidhi after it came to power or over the 75 years of its existence? If that is a question to be asked now, the answer could be that the party has consistently worked to promote social and political equality and states’ rights but it cannot pride itself to be an atheists’ camp now, though most of its top leaders are. The party did not stray much from its ideological moorings despite facing a series of splits, political turmoil, and attacks from various quarters over the years.
As the DMK celebrates its diamond jubilee, its basic ideologies such as anti-Hindi standpoint and demand for state autonomy and social justice, which were just Tamil Nadu phenomena during the fledgling days of the party, have now started resonating with parties of all shades across the country.
As a party cadre said, “DMK is currently supplying ammunition from its ideological armoury to other states and is emerging as a major opposition party at the national level.”
Interestingly, when the party decided to take the electoral plunge in the 1956 state conference in Tiruchy and its leader CN Annadurai announced that it would field candidates against the Congress in the 1957 elections, it was seen as a regional parochial party.
Annadurai used to address his party cadre as ‘thambi’ (younger brother), which denoted that the party consisted of relatively young people compared to other parties. In fact, Annadurai himself was just 40 years old when he launched the party and his followers were younger than him.
It is said that the then mighty Congress party did not take these bunch of youngsters too seriously. But within just two decades of its birth, the party was able to oust the Congress from power. Annadurai, who became the CM, had only a short stint as he succumbed to illness. The three masterstrokes of the two-year Annadurai’s rule were renaming the Madras State as ‘Tamil Nadu’, legalising self-respect marriages introduced by Periyar E V Ramasamy, and implementing a two-language policy rejecting Hindi.
The party’s mantle then went to Karunanidhi who steered the DMK for 50 years through various political turbulences. When Karunanidhi assumed the post of CM, the first reaction from the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was, “Is it Karunanidhi? Will he cooperate with the union government?” Hearing about the PM’s doubts, Karunanidhi dispelled it through a reply that is still popular and relevant. He said, “Uravukku Kai Koduppom; Urimaikku Kural Koduppom” (we’ll lend a helping hand for relationships; we’ll raise our voice for our rights).
The party, even years after Karunanidhi’s passing, has stayed true to those words. DMK governments led by Karunanidhi were known for assertive populism and launched a slew of social welfare schemes like abolition of hand-pulled rickshaw, construction of overhead tanks at villages, and introducing mini-buses to rural areas.
Subsequently, keeping with the time, free distribution of colour TVs and cooking gas stoves, establishing a vast network of public distribution system, free electricity to farmers, free bus pass for students, eggs in nutritious meals for children, scholarships for first generation students in higher education, categorisation of most backward classes (MBC), creation of internal reservation for Muslims within the BC quota and for Aruthathiyars within SC, formation of transgender welfare board, and Samathuvapurams were carried out.
DMK had to weather severe political calamities including the Emergency, major splits, and crushing electoral defeats. But the party was able to come back from the brink every time thanks to the unmatchable leadership of Karunanidhi who led the party till his demise in 2018.
Throughout Karunanidhi’s tenure as DMK leader, the party was responsive to modern ideas and demands. Societal concerns such as the struggle of BC communities demanding internal reservations, the rise of Dalit politics, fight of the marginalised sections for dignity and emergence of modern economy demanded the development of the manufacturing sector and protection of labour rights in the organised and unorganised sectors.
Those major concerns were sagaciously addressed by the DMK governments. It is true that none of the sections were totally satisfied with the efforts made but the fact cannot be denied that it was DMK governments that made a beginning. Even today, one can see critical questions are being levelled against the DMK by the activists and intellectuals on its progressive attempts. Such is the extent of correctness and foresight that was expected from the grand-old Dravidian party.
When Emergency was declared in 1975, DMK’s executive council boldly passed a resolution opposing it. Subsequently, the DMK government was dissolved in 1976. The second time DMK government was dissolved was in 1991 over law and order when the LTTE war was at its peak in Sri Lanka.
While the first dissolution paved the way for MG Ramachandran’s (MGR) ascension to the throne, the second one set the stage for J Jayalalithaa to assume power. DMK rose to play a role at the national level when V P Singh became the PM. Since then it has been playing a key role in forming union governments on various occasions. From 2004 to 2014, DMK was part of the UPA governments in New Delhi.
The DMK faced its worst poll debacle in 2014 parliamentary elections, when it did not win even a single seat. This defeat coupled with the loss in 2016 assembly elections gave hope to the opposition that DMK could be wiped out. But after the current Chief Minister MK Stalin replaced his father as the DMK chief after Karunanidhi’s demise, he has ensured that the party won every election it faced in the state.
Starting from 2019 parliamentary elections, local body elections, 2021 assembly elections to the recent parliamentary elections, DMK has registered a resounding victory, thanks to its strong organisational structure and formidable alliance.
The DMK is now among the very few parties in the country that have the political heft to take on the BJP politically and ideologically. In its initial days, DMK opposed Congress for imposing Hindi, denying social justice, and snatching away the rights of the states, but now, decades later, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is opposing Hindi imposition, is willing to exempt states from NEET, is supporting caste-based census and championing states’ rights.
In a sense, for the DMK, its adversaries have changed but the fight for its core beliefs continues. In Tamil Nadu, all through its 75 years of existence, whether it was in power or not, the party has set the state’s socio-political agenda. And that is the enduring legacy of the DMK.