Dravidian Politics-2.
Opinion
21/12/2016.
932.
All Members,
Respected family members of this great holy Nation.
Sub : Dravidian Politics-2.
5. Justice Party :
5.1
The Justice Party, officially the South Indian Liberal Foundation was a political party in the Madras Presidency of British India.
It was established in 1916 by T.M.Nair and P. Theagaraya Chetty.
This party, composed of upper-class non-Brahmins who were typically feudal castes, land-owning agricultural castes and merchant castes and was committed to enhancing the opportunities for non-Brahmins.
5.2
It formed four out of the five ministries and was in power for thirteen years from 1920.
But after it was defeated by Indian National Congress it came under the leadership of Periyar and his Self-Respect Movement.
In 1944, Periyar transformed the Justice Party into the social organisation Dravidar Kazhagam and withdrew it from electoral politics.
5.3
Justice party focused on removing Brahmins from the higher positions.
Gradually, the non-Brahmin replaced the Brahmin in every sphere and destroyed the monopoly over education and the administrative services which the Brahmin had previously held.
Dalit leader and founder of political party Puthiya Tamizhagam, Dr. Krishnasamy admits that the Anti-Brahmin Movement had not succeeded up to the expectations and that there continues to be as much discrimination of Dalits as had been before.
6.Self-Marriage Movement :
6.1
One of the major sociological changes introduced through the self-respect movement was the self-respect marriage system, whereby marriages were conducted without being officiated by a Brahmin priest.
Periyar had regarded the then conventional marriages as mere financial arrangements and often caused great debt through dowry.
The Self-Respect movement encouraged inter-caste marriages, replacing arranged marriages by love marriages that are not constrained by caste.
6.2
Tamil Nadu became the first and only state to legalize Hindu marriages conducted without a Brahmin priest.
This was the first file signed by CM Annadurai when the DMK gained power in the 1967 Madras assembly elections.
This was implemented as Hindu Marriage Act.
The law was passed by the Tamil Nadu assembly on November 27, 1967, and was approved by the President on January 17, 1968.
This was officially announced in the gazette on January 20, 1968.
The number of inter-caste and inter-religious marriages has increased in the state as a result of the self-respect movement.
Thank you for reading
JAIHIND.
To be continued....
Comments