Justice Party (India) facts for kids

The Justice Party, officially known as the South Indian Liberal Federation, was an important political group in India when it was ruled by the British. It started in 1917, created by T. M. Nair and P. Theagaraya Chetty. This party was formed because many people, especially those who were not Brahmins, felt they were not treated fairly. They believed that Brahmins had too many jobs in the government and that there was unfair treatment based on caste.

Winning Elections and What Happened Next

In 1920, the Justice Party won the first elections held in the Madras Presidency and formed the government. For the next seventeen years, they were in power for thirteen years, leading four out of five governments. They were the main political group that stood against the Indian National Congress in Madras.

However, after losing badly to the Congress party in the 1937 election, the Justice Party struggled to recover. Later, a leader named Periyar E. V. Ramaswamy took charge, bringing his Self-Respect Movement into the party. In 1944, Periyar changed the Justice Party into a social organization called Dravidar Kazhagam, and it stopped taking part in elections. A small group that still called itself the original Justice Party tried to win one last election in 1952, but it didn't succeed.

What the Justice Party Believed In

The Justice Party had some ideas and actions that were quite different from other political groups at the time. A big part of their beliefs was opposing Brahmins in government jobs and politics. They thought that giving too much power to Brahmins would not be good for everyone.

For example, they were against Annie Besant's Home Rule movement, because they worried it would mostly help Brahmins. They also did not support Mahatma Gandhi's non-cooperation movement and disagreed with him, especially because he praised Brahminism. Their distrust of the Congress party, which they felt was controlled by Brahmins, made them unfriendly towards the movement for India's independence.

Even though the Justice Party said they represented all non-Brahmins, they eventually lost the support of some groups, like Muslims and Dalits. These groups felt that the party only looked out for the interests of a few specific castes, such as Vellalars, Balija Naidus, and Kammas.

Important Changes Made by the Justice Party

During the time the Justice Party was in power, they made some important changes. They introduced caste-based reservations, which meant setting aside certain jobs or places in education for people from specific castes to help them get fair opportunities. They also worked on improving education and making changes to religious practices.

When they were not in power, the Justice Party is remembered for taking part in protests against making Hindi the official language between 1937 and 1940. The party also helped create two important universities, Andhra University and Annamalai University. They also played a role in developing the area that is now known as Theagaroya Nagar in Madras city.

Images for kids

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  Image taken in the 1920s: Theagaroya Chetty is seated at the center. To his right is Arcot Ramaswamy Mudaliar. Also present are Raja of Panagal and Raja of Venkatagiri.

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  The masthead of the English daily newspaper – Justice.

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  Image taken in the 1930s: (starting fifth from left after the woman) Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, C. Natesa Mudaliar, Raja of Bobbili and S. Kumaraswami Reddiar.

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  A cartoon from March 19, 1923, showing thoughts on the first Justice Ministry. It mentions things like Prohibition, Andhra University, and irrigation plans that people hoped for.