Tamil Nadu Timeline

PoliticsMadras State (Congress era)

DMK drops demand for a separate Dravida Nadu

· Chennai

DMK drops demand for a separate Dravida Nadu
India Post, Government of India, GODL-India · Wikimedia Commons

After the Sino-Indian War and the anti-secession Sixteenth Amendment, the DMK abandoned its demand for an independent Dravida Nadu.

Since its founding, the DMK had demanded a separate Dravida Nadu. Following the Sino-Indian War of 1962 and the Sixteenth Amendment of the Constitution in 1963, which required candidates to swear allegiance to the sovereignty and integrity of India, the party dropped its secessionist demand in November 1963. The DMK retained its opposition to Hindi imposition and turned towards demands for greater state autonomy. The shift allowed it to compete fully in electoral politics.

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