Tamil Nadu Timeline

PoliticsMadras State (Congress era)

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam founded

· Royapuram

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam founded
Furfur, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Breaking away from Periyar's Dravidar Kazhagam, C. N. Annadurai and his associates formed the DMK in Madras.

C. N. Annadurai launched the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) at Robinson Park, Royapuram, in Madras on 17 September 1949. The break with the Dravidar Kazhagam came after disagreements with Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, among them whether to take part in electoral politics and Periyar's marriage to Maniammai. The DMK took up the Dravidian movement's agenda of rationalism, social justice and Tamil identity. Over time it grew into one of the two leading political forces in Tamil Nadu.

Related events

  1. 1944

    1. 27 Aug 1944SalemPolitics

      Justice Party becomes Dravidar Kazhagam at Salem

      Meeting at Salem, the Justice Party, now led by Periyar, took the name Dravidar Kazhagam and gave up contesting elections.

  2. 1947

    1. Aug 1947ChennaiPolitics

      Periyar calls Independence Day a day of mourning

      Periyar called for 15 August 1947 to be kept as a day of mourning, a stand Annadurai rejected, deepening the rift between them.

    2. 15 Aug 1947Fort St. GeorgePolitics

      India becomes independent; Madras Province

      India gained independence and the Madras Presidency became Madras Province of the Dominion of India; Periyar called it a day of mourning.

  3. 1953

    1. 18 Jun 1953 to 18 May 1954ChennaiEducation

      Rajaji's Modified Scheme of Elementary Education

      Rajaji's two-shift school scheme, criticised as Kula Kalvi Thittam (hereditary education), triggered protests and was later dropped.

  4. 1961

    1. 1961ChennaiPolitics

      E. V. K. Sampath leaves the DMK and forms the Tamil National Party

      E. V. K. Sampath split from the DMK and founded the Tamil National Party with the poet Kannadasan.

  5. 1994

    1. 1994ChennaiPolitics

      Vaiko founds the MDMK after split from DMK

      Expelled from the DMK, Vaiko founded the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK).

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