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Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Abbreviation DMK
President M. K. Stalin
Parliamentary Chairperson Kanimozhi Karunanidhi
Lok Sabha leader T. R. Baalu
Rajya Sabha leader Tiruchi Siva
Founder C. N. Annadurai
Founded 17 September 1949 (75 years ago) (1949-09-17)
Split from Dravidar Kazhagam
Preceded by Justice Party (1917–1944)
Dravidar Kazhagam
(1944–1949)
Headquarters Anna Arivalayam,
367–369, Anna Salai, Teynampet, Chennai - 600018, Tamil Nadu, India
Student wing Maanavar Ani
Youth wing Ilaignar Ani
Women's wing Magalir Ani
Labour wing Labour Progressive Federation (LPF)
Ideology
Political position Centre-left
Colours Black
Red
ECI Status State Party
Alliance
  • Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (national) (2023–present)
  • Secular Progressive Alliance (2019–present)
Seats in Lok Sabha
22 / 543
Seats in Rajya Sabha
10 / 245
Seats in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
132 / 234
Seats in Puducherry Legislative Assembly
6 / 30
Number of states and union territories in government
1 / 31
Election symbol
Indian election symbol rising sun.svg
(The Rising Sun)
Party flag
Flag DMK.svg

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is a big political party in India. It is mainly active in the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry. Currently, the DMK is the ruling party in Tamil Nadu. In Puducherry, it is the main opposition party.

The DMK is one of the two most important political parties in Tamil Nadu. Its main rival is the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. The DMK was started on September 17, 1949, by C. N. Annadurai. He was a former chief minister of Tamil Nadu. The party was formed after a group broke away from another movement called the Dravidar Kazhagam.

C. N. Annadurai led the DMK as its general secretary until he passed away in 1969. He also served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1967 to 1969. In 1967, the DMK became the first party, other than the Indian National Congress, to win state elections on its own in any Indian state. After Annadurai, M. Karunanidhi became the party's first president in 1969. He led the party until his death in 2018. Karunanidhi was Chief Minister five times. After his death, his son, M. K. Stalin, became the party president.

After the 2019 Indian general election, the DMK became the third-largest party in the Lok Sabha (one of India's main parliamentary houses). The DMK and its allies won the 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election. They now hold 159 seats in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.

How the DMK Party Started

Early Beginnings and Formation

India - Madurai - 039 (1887104659)
Party flags in Madurai, Tamil Nadu

The DMK's history goes back to the South Indian Liberal Federation, also known as the Justice Party. This party was founded in 1916 by Dr. C. Natesa Mudaliar and others in Madras Presidency. The Justice Party wanted social equality and fairness for everyone. It came to power in the first elections in Madras Presidency in 1920.

At that time, there were social differences between groups of people. The Justice Party was formed to represent non-Brahmin groups. This was the start of the Dravidian movement. Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, a well-known reformer, joined the Indian National Congress in 1919. He later started the Self-Respect Movement in 1926. This movement focused on being rational and against certain social traditions. Periyar joined the Justice Party in 1935.

In 1937, the Justice Party lost the elections. The Indian National Congress, led by C. Rajagopalachari, came to power. Rajagopalachari tried to make Hindi a required subject in schools. This led to protests called the anti-Hindi agitations, led by Periyar.

In 1944, Periyar created the 'Dravidar Kazhagam' from the Justice Party and the Self-Respect Movement. The Dravidar Kazhagam was a social movement, not a political party. It wanted an independent nation for Dravidian people called Dravida Nadu. This area would include parts of the old Madras Presidency.

The party used a black flag with a red circle. The black color showed the difficult situation of Dravidian people. The red color showed their goal to improve their lives. Over time, Periyar and his followers had disagreements. In 1949, C. N. Annadurai and others decided to leave the Dravidar Kazhagam. They wanted to take part in elections, but Periyar did not agree.

The DMK brought the Dravidian ideas into politics. It was one of the first movements to give political power to people from groups that were previously seen as lower in society. This change helped more people get involved in politics. It also made society more diverse and strengthened democracy.

C. N. Annadurai's Time (1949–1969)

Dr. C.N. Annadurai
Founder of the party

The DMK first entered elections in 1957. They won 15 seats, but some important leaders lost. In 1962, they did better, winning 50 seats. This made them the main opposition party.

Protests Against Hindi Language

The DMK continued the protests against making Hindi the official language. C.N. Annadurai had been part of these protests since the 1930s. In 1953, the DMK protested against changing the name of Kallakudi town to Dalmiapuram. They felt this name change showed that North India was taking advantage of South India. M. Karunanidhi and other DMK members removed the Hindi name from a railway station sign. Some DMK members died in clashes with the police during these protests.

The DMK kept up its anti-Hindi protests in the 1950s. They also wanted a separate Dravida Nadu. In 1956, Annadurai, Periyar, and Rajaji agreed that English should continue as an official language. In 1957, the DMK held a conference to protest against Hindi being forced on people. In 1963, after a war with China, the DMK stopped asking for a separate nation. However, they continued to oppose Hindi being the only official language. Annadurai famously said that if India chose its national bird based on numbers, it would be a crow, not a peacock.

Forming the State Government

In 1967, the DMK won the elections in Madras State. This was 18 years after the party was formed. This victory started the "Dravidian era" in the state, which later became Tamil Nadu. In 1967, the Congress party lost in many states. But Madras was the only state where a single non-Congress party, the DMK, won a clear majority.

Former Congress leader Rajagopalachari helped different opposition parties work together. This helped them win against the Congress. Annadurai's cabinet was the youngest in the country at that time.

Other Important Actions

Annadurai made "self-respect marriages" legal. These marriages did not need priests, so Brahmin priests were not required. Periyar had thought of self-respect marriages to avoid expensive dowries and encourage marriages between different castes.

Annadurai also promised to lower the price of rice during his election campaign. He tried to do this when he became Chief Minister, but it was difficult to keep up. Lowering rice prices is still a common election promise in Tamil Nadu.

Annadurai's government also changed the name of Madras State to Tamil Nadu. This name change was first suggested in the national parliament but was rejected. With Annadurai as Chief Minister, the state assembly successfully passed the bill. Another important step was introducing a "two-language policy." This meant students would learn their regional language and English. This was different from the "three-language formula" used in other states, which included Hindi.

M. Karunanidhi's Time (1969–2018)

Dr. M. Karunanidhi
Former President of the party

In 1969, Annadurai passed away suddenly. M. Karunanidhi was chosen as his successor. He led the DMK until his death in 2018.

In the 1970s, M. G. Ramachandran (M.G.R.), a popular actor and party treasurer, had disagreements with Karunanidhi. M.G.R. was suspended from the party. He then started a new party called the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

The central government dismissed Karunanidhi's government in 1976. The DMK government was investigated for some issues.

Karunanidhi's family members also became involved in politics. His nephew, Murasoli Maran, was a Union Minister. His daughter, Kanimozhi, became a Member of Parliament. His grandson, Udhayanidhi Stalin, became a Member of the Legislative Assembly.

Elections During Karunanidhi's Leadership

  • In 1977, the DMK lost the state elections to M.G.R.'s AIADMK. They were out of power until 1989.
  • After MGR's death in 1987, the AIADMK split. The DMK returned to power in 1989, and Karunanidhi became Chief Minister for the third time.
  • In 1991, the DMK government was dismissed. During the election campaign, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated. Because of the DMK's views on Tamil issues, public opinion turned against them. The DMK did not win any seats in the national parliament that year.
  • In 1996, the DMK won the state elections. They formed an alliance with the Tamil Maanila Congress.
  • In 2001, the AIADMK came back to power in the state elections.
  • In the 2004 national election, the DMK formed a strong alliance with the Congress and other parties. They won all 40 seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. This allowed the DMK to have 7 ministers in the central government.
  • In 2006, the same alliance won the state elections. The DMK formed a government with support from the Congress. Karunanidhi became Chief Minister for the fifth time. This alliance also won the 2009 national elections.
  • In the 2011 state elections, the DMK won only 23 seats.
  • In the 2014 national election, the DMK did not win any seats. However, they had the second-highest percentage of votes after the AIADMK.
  • In the 2016 state elections, the DMK won 89 seats. This was the highest number of seats for an opposition party in Tamil Nadu's history.

M. K. Stalin's Time (2018–Present)

Dr. M.K. Stalin
President of the party

M. Karunanidhi passed away on August 7, 2018. His son, M. K. Stalin, took over the party. Stalin had been the working president since January 2017 when his father's health declined. He became the second president of the DMK. In 2020, M. K. Stalin hired Prashant Kishor as a party strategist for the 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election.

In March 2018, the DMK held a conference. M. K. Stalin shared five important slogans:

  • Follow Kalaignar's (Karunanidhi's) instructions.
  • Help Tamil language and culture grow.
  • Overcome challenges.
  • Protect people from extreme ideas.
  • Help Tamil Nadu become prosperous.

M.K. Stalin formed the Secular Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu. This alliance won 39 out of 40 seats in the national parliament in the 2019 general election. They also won 12 out of 21 seats in the state assembly. The DMK-led alliance also won the 2019 Tamil Nadu local elections.

The DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance won the 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election. They won 159 out of 234 seats.

What the DMK Believes In

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam follows the ideas of Duty, Dignity, and Discipline. These ideas were taught by C. N. Annadurai. The party aims to:

  • Protect democratic rights in politics.
  • Create a society where no one group dominates.
  • Work for reforms based on logical thinking to bring back Dravidian ideas.
  • Fight poverty and ensure everyone has a fair chance at well-being.
  • Develop and promote state languages without other languages taking over.
  • Give more power to state governments and promote a federal system in India.

Dravidian Identity

The protests against Hindi in 1965 made the central government stop trying to make Hindi the only official language. However, Hindi is still used a lot by the Indian government.

State Independence

After a period called The Emergency, more powers like education and healthcare were moved from state control to national control. After C.N. Annadurai's death, M. Karunanidhi announced that the party would push for "state autonomy." This means states would have more self-governance. In 1974, the DMK government asked the central government to give more powers to states. They wanted changes to the Indian Constitution to create a truly federal system.

Social Fairness

The DMK says it continues the work of the Justice Party. The DMK played a key role in supporting the first change to the Constitution. This change helped ensure reservations (special opportunities) for OBC groups. One of the DMK's main goals is to help OBCs and SCs. They have put in place policies to support these groups.

The DMK also changed the name of the disabled persons welfare board to "Differently Abled Persons Departments." They also changed official terms for transgender people to more respectful ones.

Party Symbol

The DMK's election symbol is a "sun rising from between two mountains." Their flag is black and red. This symbol was inspired by a play written by M. Karunanidhi in the 1950s. It represents the "rising" spirit of the Dravidian people.

In the 1957 election, the Election Commission did not officially recognize the DMK. So, the party members had to run as independent candidates. They could not use their "rising sun" symbol and had to use a "rooster" symbol instead.

Election Results

National Elections (Lok Sabha)

Year Party leader Seats won Change in seats Percentage of votes Popular vote Outcome
1962 C. N. Annadurai Increase 5 18.64% 2,315,610 Opposition
1967 Increase 18 51.79% 7,996,264
1971 M. Karunanidhi Decrease 2 55.61% 8,869,095 Government
1977 Decrease 22 37.84% 6,758,517 Opposition
1980 Increase 15 55.89% 10,290,515 Government
1984 Decrease 14 37.04% 8,006,513 Opposition
1989 Decrease 2 33.78% 8,918,905 Lost
1991 Steady 27.64% 6,823,581
1996 Increase 17 54.96% 14,940,474 Government
1998 Decrease 11 42.72% 10,937,809 Opposition
1999 Increase 6 46.41% 12,638,602 Government
2004 Increase 4 57.40% 16,483,390
2009 Increase 2 42.54% 12,929,043
2014 Decrease 18 23.16% 10,243,767 Lost
2019 M. K. Stalin Increase 24 32.76% 14,363,332 Opposition
2024 Decrease 2 26.93% 11,689,879 Opposition

State Assembly Elections

Year Party leader Seats won Change in seats Percentage of votes Popular vote Outcome
Tamil Nadu
1962 C. N. Annadurai Increase 37 27.10% 3,435,633 Opposition
1967 Increase 87 40.69% 6,230,556 Government
1971 M. Karunanidhi Increase 47 48.58% 7,654,935
1977 Decrease 136 24.89% 4,258,771 Opposition
1980 Decrease 11 22.1% 4,164,389
1984 Decrease 13 29.3% 6,362,770 Others
1989 Increase 116 37.89% 9,135,220 Government
1991 Decrease 148 22.5% 5,535,668 Others
1996 Increase 171 53.77% 14,600,748 Government
2001 Decrease 142 30.90% 8,669,864 Opposition
2006 Increase 65 26.50% 8,728,716 Minority
Government
2011 Decrease 73 22.40% 8,249,991 Others
2016 Increase 66 31.39% 13,670,511 Opposition
2021 M. K. Stalin Increase 44 37.7% 17,430,179 Government
Puducherry
1974 M. Karunanidhi Increase 2 47,823 Opposition
1977 Increase 1 30,441
1980 Increase 11 68,030 Government
1985 Decrease 9 87,754 Others
1990 Increase 4 101,127 Government
1991 Decrease 5 96,607 Opposition
1996 Increase 3 105,392 Government
2001 Steady 83,679 Opposition
2006 Steady Government
2011 Decrease 4 10.68% 74,552 Opposition
2016 Decrease 1 8.9% 70,836 Government
2021 M. K. Stalin Increase 4 18.51% 154,858 Opposition

Important People in the Party

Member Role in Government Party Role
M. K. Stalin President
Duraimurugan
  • Minister for Water Resources of Tamil Nadu
  • Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from Katpadi
General Secretary
T. R. Baalu
  • Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Sriperumbudur
Treasurer and Lok Sabha Leader
K. N. Nehru Minister for Municipal Administration

MLA from Tiruchirappalli West

Party Principal Secretary
Kanimozhi Karunanidhi
  • Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Thoothukkudi
Deputy General Secretary and Parliamentary Chairperson
Udhayanidhi Stalin
  • Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development of Tamil Nadu
  • Member of Legislative Assembly from Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni
Youth Wing Secretary

Party Leaders Over Time

Presidents

No. Portrait Name Time in office
Started Ended Total days
1 M. Karunanidhi .jpg M. Karunanidhi 27 July 1969 7 August 2018 49 years, 11 days
Acting Hon CM Photo.jpg M. K. Stalin 4 January 2017 27 August 2018 8 years, 164 days
2 28 August 2018 Still in office

General Secretaries

No. Portrait Name Time in office
Started Ended Total days
1 CN Annadurai 1970 stamp of India.jpg C. N. Annadurai 17 September 1949 24 April 1955 13 years, 350 days
25 September 1960 3 February 1969
2 V. R. Nedunchezhiyan 24 April 1955 24 September 1960 13 years, 254 days
4 February 1969 16 May 1977
3 Anbazhagan2006.jpg K. Anbazhagan 17 May 1977 7 March 2020 42 years, 295 days
4 Duraimurugan 9 September 2020 Still in office 4 years, 281 days

Chief Ministers from DMK

Madras State

Tamil Nadu

  • C. N. Annadurai: January 14, 1969 – February 3, 1969
  • V. R. Nedunchezhiyan: February 3, 1969 – February 10, 1969
  • M. Karunanidhi: February 10, 1969 – January 31, 1976; January 27, 1989 – January 30, 1991; May 13, 1996 – May 13, 2001; May 13, 2006 – May 15, 2011
  • M. K. Stalin: May 7, 2021 – Still in office

Deputy Chief Ministers from DMK

Tamil Nadu

Major Parties Formed from DMK

Two main parties have been formed from the DMK:

DMK and Media

Tmt. Kanimozhi Karunanidhi
Deputy General Secretary of the party

The DMK party has two newspapers:

  • The Rising Sun (a weekly newspaper in English)
  • Murasoli (a daily newspaper in Tamil)

Kalaignar TV is a television channel that started on September 15, 2007. It is managed by Kanimozhi Karunanidhi and Dayalu Ammal. Kalaignar TV has other channels too, like Kalaignar Isai Aruvi (music), Kalaignar Seithigal (news), Kalaignar Sirippoli (comedy), Kalaignar Chithiram (cartoon), and Kalaignar Murasu (movies).

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