Dravida Kazhagam facts for kids

Dravida Kazhagam (also called Dravidar Kazhagam, which means "Dravidian Organization") was one of the first Dravidian groups in India. This group was started by E.V. Ramasamy, who many people called Periyar.

Their main goals were to fix unfair parts of the caste system, like "untouchability." They also wanted a separate "Dravida Nadu" (Dravidian nation) for Dravidian people. This new nation would be formed from the area known as the Madras Presidency.

Dravidar Kazhagam helped create many other political groups. These include the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Today, K. Veeramani leads the Dravidar Kazhagam.

How Dravida Kazhagam Began

The ideas for Dravidar Kazhagam came from two earlier groups. These were the Self-Respect Movement and the Justice Party. Periyar E. V. Ramasamy started the Self-Respect Movement in 1925. He left the Indian National Congress party to do this.

The Justice Party, which began in 1916, also worked for similar goals. In 1938, these two groups joined together. Periyar became their leader. In 1944, the combined group changed its name to Dravidar Kazhagam.

What Dravida Kazhagam Believed

A main idea of Dravidar Kazhagam was to improve the lives of Dravidian people. They wanted to end the unfair treatment they faced. To show this, they used a special flag.

Their flag was black with a red circle in the middle. The black color stood for the struggles and difficulties they faced. The red color showed their movement for a better future and progress.

The group was against the power of Brahmins in society and politics. They aimed to create a separate country called Dravida Nadu. This new country would include all of South India or the areas where Tamil was mostly spoken.