Activities of Dravidar Kazhagam after Periyar under Annai Maniammai

On 6th January 1974, the Central Committee of Dravidar Kazhagam elected Mrs. Maniammai as the President of the movement. Mr.K.Veeramani continued to be the General Secretary. All the members and the office bearers took the pledge to carry on Periyar's work following the way he had laid without yielding to any kind of temptation.

Maniammaiyar protested against the celebration of Ramlila in Delhi as it degraded the original inhabitants of India as Rakshasas (demons), monkeys etc., and also gave a distorted view of history. As her protest fell on deaf ears, she celebrated 'Ravana Lila' in Chennai. This lead to her arrest. Mr. K.Veeramani and other members of the movement were also detained.

Under Maniammaiyar's leadership, the agitation announced by Periyar to gain equal opportunities to enter into the Sanctum Sanctorum was continued in the form of picketing before the post offices and showing black flags to Union Ministers.

General Secretary of Dravidar Kazhagam, Mr. K.Veeramani, hundreds of office bearers and members were put behind bars under MISA immediately after Tamil Nadu was brought under President's rule during emergency dismissing the DMK Government on 31st January 1976. Mr. K.Veeramani was brutally beaten in Chennai Central Jail when he protested against the assault on the co-prisoners belonging to DMK.

The Governor and his advisers had ruled Tamil Nadu. Public meetings were not allowed. As in the case of other newspapers, the Tamil daily, "Viduthalai" was put to severe censorship. Under these trying circumstances, Maniammaiyar toured various parts of Tamil Nadu and met the members of the movement in indoor meetings. They exchanged views. Her advice and encouragement acted as a tonic in those days. The Government did not allow even celebrating the birthday of Periyar in the headquarters at Chennai. When Maniammaiyar showed determination, the ailing lady was arrested and detained for a few days!

The Government of Indira Gandhi, responsible for the emergency rule, was defeated in the general elections held in March 1977. When she came to Chennai, Dravidar Kazhagam showed black flags against her. Maniammaiyar, along with other members, were imprisoned. While he was in prison, Mr.K.Veeramani lost his father, C.S.Krishnasamy.

Mrs. Maniammaiyar who steered the ship of the movement with courage, skill and tact during the crisis of emergency died on 16th March 1978. She would ever be remembered for her devoted service to Periyar, which prolonged his life, and also for the leadership qualities she showed during the brief stint she directed the movement. Her simplicity, strong will, real concern for the welfare of the common men all women, and the zeal to work for their progress were a real asset to Dravidar Kazhagam, a unique social revolutionary movement.

After Periyar and Maniammai

After quitting congress party in 1925, Periyar started Self-Respect Movement.

This is a people's movement that was started by a leader who had day-to-day contact with the people. No one could point out a parallel or a superior social revolutionary movement to this one.

The basic requirement to reform people is to break the chains put on their brains (Le. the faculty of thinking). This is a movement, which has dedicated itself to a unique service to society shunning self-interest, family welfare, party interest etc and it has not indulged in any violent agitation so far.

The ideology and the principles of this movement are not meant for oratorical flourishes or written embellishment. It is a movement meant for action, action and action. It has won laurels Only by actions.

As a people's movement it has faced many a hurdle and earned support from outside only sparingly. Those who were benefited by this movement have today joined hands with the enemies and throw slur on the movement. Yet the movement goes on as ever lit by the selfless sacrifices of the "black candles".(" Black candles" figuratively refers to the members of Dravidar Kazhagam, who wear black clothes and serve the public unmindful of personal hardships.)

The movement has brought about social changes of historical significance. The target of its reasoning is not to do any research or to get a better placement in society but to render service for the betterment of the people as a whole. This movement is a repertoir of human rights.

It swing against the current of reactionary pasts towards dignity and enhightenment. Its training to its volunteers and followers has been exemplary. It is too tough for others to emulate. With pride Periyar said, "My followers render yeoman service to the movement spending money out of their pockets and eating out of their hands. Actually they do a thankless job Sans respite and sans respect.

The movement has a two edged weapon of war. They are (i) Propaganda and (ii) agitations. Both of them are going on alternating like the movement of a pendulum in a clock without a pause!

The movement has been on its undaunted march for more since 1925 and in its long march it has seen to it that many of its plans and resolutions have as materialized laws and Acts passed by the State and the Central Governments. They are all milestones in the progress of our society.

Many years have elapsed since Thanthai Periyar's long journey ended on 24 December 1973. In the long period after him, Periyar's fame and his ideals have spread all over the world.

The basic principles of the movement are the same and are inviolable. Only the ways of executing those principles will vary to suit the needs of the time. It is like a journey. The mode of journey may be by car, train or aeroplane, but the destination is determined and fixed.

I would like to make one thing clear.

The Dravidian movement is to be judged by the activities of the Dravidar Kazhagam alone. To judge the movement on the basis of thecompromising stance adopted by the political parties which got separated from the movement or by those splinter groups which deviated from the Movement craving for an identity of their own is beside the point.

Periyar's ideals will never get diluted nor defiled. The true Periyarists will never allow it to happen.

Iron can never be eaten away by rats.

Has Dravidar Kazhagam ever deviated from the path laid by Thanthai Periyar?

Has it ever indulged in entertainments and merry making neglecting its duties to society?

Is it not the vow taken under the leadership of Annai Maniammaiar on January 6, 1974 after the demise of Thanthai Periyar that has bound us to carry on the war begun by Periyar regardless of the sacrifices we have to make for the our society? This task has been carried on ever since without any lacuna, or lack of spirit.

The activities carried on by Dravidar Kazhagam are listed below. Kindly go through them and make a judgement of your own. This movement was founded on the rock basis of realizing a new society where no inequalities exist among the people in the name of birth, caste, gender, education or pelf. It was founded to create a brave new world where equal rights and equal opportunities exist.

Fronts of Propagation

Cudgels against Casteism and Communalism

The rules of discipline imposed on the youth are many. Ten of the vows administered to them are as follows:

The youth have realized that Periyarism is a discipline of life and Periyar's path is free from harmful evils of life.

Training camps for the youth have been conducted in many places to give them instructions in Periyar's ideology and train them on the lines of his ideals. The camps have been held successfully in the following centres in years; coonoor, Madurai, Pallapatti., Keeramangalam, Velankanni, Thiruvarur, Maruthur, Senthurai, Thiruvaiyaru, Pullampadi, Elagiri and Chennai. The camp at Courtallam celebrated its silver Jubilee in the year.

These young men are not agents recruited to canvass votes nor have they been gravitated with the lure of power or pelf. They are the heirs of Thanthai Periyar with an unwavering conviction that "What cannot be achieved by others could be achieved by us. What we cannot achieve could never be achieved by others."

Periyarism Training College

Cauvery Water Issue

Thanthai Periyar Muththamizh Manram (a Forum for the three-fold Tamil)

Propagation of Periyarism

Contribution of Kazhagam to Social Justice

On the demise of Maniammaiyar, when the mantle fell on my shoulders to steer Dravidar Kazhagflm, M.G.R. was about to harm social justice by imposing a limit to Rs. 9000/- as the annual income for extending concessions to the backward classes. Dravidar Kazhagam initiated an agitation against the heinous act with the support of friendly parties like D.M.K., CPl., Indian union Muslim-League, Congress, Janatha party etc. and got the act nullified.

M.G.R. met a crushing defeat in the election for the Parliament in 1980. Realizing his mistake, M.G.R enhanced reservation for backward classes from 31 percent to 50 percent. Later the total reservation became 68 percent. As the Supreme Court in a judgement ordered 1 percent reservation for the scheduled tribes the figure rose up to 69 percent.

Ambasankar Commission and Dravidar Kazhagam

Dravidar Kazhagam had been responsible for the constitution of the Second Backward Classes Commission under the chairmanship of Ambashankar. As Dravidar Kazhagam found the recommendations of the chairman of the commission against the welfare of the backward class tobe, it convened a conference and raised an alarm against the harmful recommendations of the commission. This made M.G.R., the then Chief Minister of Tamilnadu to issue a new order confirming the 68 percentage of reservation. This facilitated the next move of the government to set apart 30 perent for the back ward classes and 20 percent for the Most Backward Classes.

Agitation

When the Supreme court judges passed an interim order against-the Act passed by the Tamilnadu Govt. it was Dravidar Kazhagam which launched an agitation burning the judges' interim order and their effigies. The Kazhagam cadres were arrested and imprisoned by the then D.M.K govt for the democratic expression of the Kazhagam's resent. When the senior cadres of Dravider Kazhgam in Tuticorin were handcuffed and taken to prison, Kazhagam faced the trial with aplomb.

It is Dravidar Kazhagam which was responsible to upgrade the percentage of reservation from 49 percent during Periyar's time to 69 percent after Periyar. When a bolt from the supreme court fell on the 69 percent reservation, Dravidar Kazhagam prepared a draft bill which was accepted by the Tamilnadu Legislature and it was made an Act under rule 31 C by the then Chief Minister Ms. J.Jayalalitha It was again Dravidar Kazhagam which pointed out the way to safeguard the Act by getting it included in schedule 9 of the constitution as per the 76th Amendment. In no other slate Social Justice has been made secure in such a foolproof way.

In 1980s Dravidar Kazhagam clamoured for social justice in the appointment of Judges to the High Court. Only thereafter candidates from backward classes and scheduled castes came to be appointed as High Court Judges. During M.G.R's regime a central govt. minister questioned the propriety of such appointments. A Tamilnadu Govt minister answered that it was the psychology of the soil and then only such appointments were confirmed.

In 2001 Dravidar Kazhagam launched an agitation in Kahchipuram against favourtism shown to the brahmin boys and the lopsided treatment given to the non-brahmin boys in the hostels of the educational institutions run by the Kanchi mutt.

Since 1980 the Central Govt had been refusing to implement the Mandal Commission Report which recommended reservation for backward classes. In order to educate the ignorant, the educated and the politicians on the need of the implementation of the Mandal Commission Report, Dravidar Kazhagam organized 42 conferences and launched 16 agitations and finally succeeded in getting the recommendation implemented, though partially.

Reservation for women

Reservation in Private Sector

The issue of Srilanka Tamils and Dravidar Kazhagam

Periyar Diary & Calendar

Periyar Social Guards Wing

Services Abroad