Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is a regional political party in the Tamil Nadu state of India. It was founded by C N Annadurai as a breakaway faction from Dravida Kazhagam , headed by Periyar. The party is currently headed by M Karunanidhi, the former Chief Minister of the state.

The ideology of Dravidian parties is probably the only rational ideology that is indigenous to India, unlike Marxism, which has its origins in Europe. The movement was initially mooted as one that championed the cause of socially and economically disadvantaged sections of the society. It advocated concepts of rationality, self respect and rejection of casteism and superstitious practices, prevalent in the Hindu society. Prominent members preached militant atheism and were decidedly anti-Brahministic. The movement was sympathetic to the claim that there were two separate races in India, the Aryans and Dravidians, and the movement claimed to represent the latter. The Brahmans were often portrayed as Aryan oppressors from the north. In the early years of its militant struggle, it rejected any concept known to have its origins in the north. There also was a brief period, during which it idealized a separate Dravidian land, comprising the southern regions of India, and Tamil Eelam. The anti-Hindi agitation of 1967, forced the central government to abandon its efforts to stipulate Hindi as the official language of the country. With the passage of time, however, DMK has shed its divisive ideologies and has adopted a more national outlook. Critics have often decried the fact that though the DMK prides itself on the concepts of atheistic rationalism, its leader Dr. M. Karunanidhi is known to attend Iftar parties public meetings with leaders of non-Hindu religions. They further claim that members of the party are heavily biased against the Hindu religion, while openly siding with the other religions. But, in the period between 1999 and 2003, the DMK was one of the members of the coalition government led by the Hindu nationalistic BJP.

External links

• The official party website