The Dravidian Pathway

The transformation of the Dravidian socio-cultural movement into an electorally viable political party-the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, or DMK-is one of the most fascinating stories in modern India. It is also one that is critical to an understanding of South Indian politics as a whole.
Although the movement and the party have both been widely studied, the interplay between the two has been largely neglected, with scholars tending to focus on outcomes. Vignesh Rajahmani's innovative, detailed study of the Dravidian Movement explores the strategic leadership of DMK and non-DMK figures like Periyar E.V. Ramasamy, C.N. Annadurai, M. Karunanidhi and K. Kamaraj. It illustrates their synthesis of anti-caste ideology, socio-economic and educational mobility, and inclusive Dravidian-Tamil identity, and considers why that vision resonated with marginalised communities.
Tracing the early DMK years, from the party's social justice campaigns to its landmark electoral victory in 1967, Rajahmani highlights the challenges of navigating ideological commitments within the constraints of political pragmatism, while also making politics accessible to the common person. He explains how iterations on the initial ideology and political offering can reinvigorate such movements, keeping their politics agile, and importantly, incentivising inclusive policymaking. An investigation into how the DMK shaped Tamil Nadu's counter-hegemonic political identity, which has proven electorally resilient in spite of majoritarian onslaughts, The Dravidian Pathway is a timely contribution to the public and scholarly understanding of Tamil Nadu's politics.