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India has a rich culture and history, with each corner of the nation having a story to tell. Shaping Bharat into what it is now has been made possible because of regional politics and their vast diverse and complex socio-cultural structures.
Illustration by The Geostrata
Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India is no exception for its dynamic political developments that are highly intertwined with its culture and society.
On the occasion of 75 years of DMK formation, R. Kannan has released a book “The DMK Years”. The thirty-one-chapter long book from Penguin Random House has encapsulated the detailed dynamics of the regional politics of Tamil Nadu, where the author has beautifully portrayed it from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party's perspective.
The author Mr R. Kannan was born and raised in a politically surcharged region of Tamil Nadu, where his keenness on political affairs is well captured in his various works on Indian politics and international affairs. He is very well known for his deep and detailed understanding of Tamil Nadu’s political landscape and his informative and nuanced analysed work has been well captured in this book.
The book comprehends and captures the key events, meticulously having a well-balanced approach undergoing lengths of authenticated, credible and well-analysed works on the political history of Tamil Nadu.
This book highlights key personalities like C.N. Annadurai- the two-time Chief Minister of Madras and first Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu; M. Karunanidhi- Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu between 1969 and 2011; E.V.Ramasamy- the 'Father of the Dravidian movement'; prominent political figures like E.V.K. Sampath, M.G. Ramachandran, Jayalalithaa, M.K. Stalin and many others whose ideologies and decisions shaped state politics.
The initial few chapters of the book introduce the circumstances and the important personalities who for the sake of the Dravid land (the southern part of India, especially the region of Tamil Nadu) went on building a party with mass contacts and organisational efforts.
Blessed with eloquent speakers and prominent writers, the leaders were able to sway the masses and spread their propaganda targeting the unorganised sector and general public, voicing for the suppressed masses.
The events unfold how the titan of the Dravida Movement, Muthvel Karunanidhi had a relationship of a mentor with “Anna” - C.N.Annadurai and has shown the detailed events that took place within the DMK party members with manoeuvring and constructing solid grounds in the state politics.
With a constant ideology of forming an egalitarian society and working for the greatness of the entire ‘Dravidam’, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) or the progressive Association for Dravidian was formed on 17 September 1949.
The following chapters show detailed chronicles of how the party made it to success at a slow but steady pace during the initial years of the 1950s which emphasised Tamil culture in their manifesto and committed towards Dravida Nadu.
The series of events also highlights the relationship with the centre and a constant tussle between the two on various aspects, especially the language battle of Hindi vs Tamil and the Dravidian movement reinforcing Tamil identity.
The author also meticulously showcases all the trajectories that led to DMK’s victory during the 1960s and 70s, which slowly replaced the earlier dominance of Congress in the state. Despite the progress, the party faced a lot of challenges based on differences in personal ideologies leading to the party split and the loss of prominent political figures.
The book further describes how the party faced election setbacks during the time of emergency and effectively highlights the complex relationship with Indira Gandhi during the same time.
During this time as AIDMK was running at the forefront, the author describes how different leaders took stances against each other amplifying the political complexities, forming allies with once-considered rivals and the polities which surrounded the families over generations.
As the timeline proceeds the state’s politics majorly revolve around DMK and AIDMK. After the demise of J. Jayalalithaa in 2016 and M. Karunanidhi in 2018, Tamil politics faced a huge loss of significant political figures. Facing such setbacks M.K.Stalin, emerged as the leader next in line, becoming the Chief Minister in the 2021 election, taking further the legacy of the party.
The author also encapsulates all the major events that followed in Tamil politics, stating various important bills and welfare schemes associated with Tamil culture and language, impacting the economy and Tamil people of the state that upheld the Tamil culture. The book also describes the relationship with Sri Lankan Tamils and how decisions made surrounding the theme impacted regional politics and the relationship of DMK with the centre.
The engaging storyline by the author and the portrayal of accurate dialogues of the political leader show the penship of the DMK leaders and highlight the relationship between the political leaders, influential figures and their deep connection with the general public.
While going through the book a reader can receive deep insights and can very well understand the dynamics that underwent in the forming of various parties that over time share power at the same time complete with each other for the same power shaping the state’s politics.
The remarkable combination of film and politics in Chennai has been relevant since the beginning of the electoral campaign of the 1950s and has been a strong place to date. It is also important to state that the author has mentioned the fierce dialogues between the leaders and cited general public opinion to widen the perspective on the events occurring at the respective time painstakingly backing each of them with relevant credibility.
As the author has rightly stated, this book encapsulates the political history of the state since independence, right from the formation of DMK and its evolution till the present day. This gives an enriched idea about the state’s politics that can be accessed beyond the native speakers.
The DMK Years have perfectly depicted Tamil Nadu’s dynamic political landscape, which is strongly associated with regional identity and their iconic leaders having huge public backing and public association, continuing to promote the Dravidian legacy.
BY S PRITICHHANDA
TEAM GEOSTRATA
A crucial analysis
A nuanced review that aptly captures the complexities of DMK's trajectory.