Kannadasan's Dravidian Thought – Adherence and Detachment

A number of movements emerged in India during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Such movements can be seen in two broad categories namely organizational political movements and social reform movements. Among the political movements, the Congress Party, Common Ownership Movement, Justice Party and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam are notable. Among the social reform movements Brahma Samaj, Arya Samaj, Self-Respect Movement, Dravidar Kazhagam etc. are noteworthy. Although the forms of movements are different, each has unique principles. As far as the Congress is concerned, its primary objective is the liberation of the country. Based on that objective, its policies were formulated. As for the Communal Movement, its direct policy was to prioritize labor over capital, prevent the exploitation of the proletariat, and create economic balance. The Justice Party operated with the principle of socio-economic political development of the non-parish. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam determined that winning the political arena was the only way to restore Dravidian identity and especially to rebuild the sovereignty of Tamils.