Chennai, Sep 17 (IANS) DMK youth wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin on Thursday hailed the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s entry into its 78th year, saying the party had taken politics beyond the privileged sections and placed it in the hands of ordinary people.
In a post on X marking the party’s foundation anniversary, Udhayanidhi said the DMK was born on a rain-soaked day, with C.N. Annadurai, then in his forties, leading young colleagues, including M. Karunanidhi, who was in his twenties.
He said the party could take pride in having elevated Tamil society to unprecedented heights during its 78-year journey, irrespective of whether it was in power or in the Opposition.
Udhayanidhi said the DMK’s politics had remained rooted in social justice, State rights, women’s empowerment and industrial development.
From securing the renaming of Madras State as Tamil Nadu, to consistently advocating greater autonomy for States, the party had played a defining role in shaping Tamil Nadu’s political and social landscape, he said.
The DMK was founded on September 17, 1949, under the leadership of Annadurai following a split in the Dravidar Kazhagam headed by social reformer Periyar E.V. Ramasamy.
The new organisation emerged as a political movement committed to social equality, rationalism, Tamil identity and the rights of backward and marginalised communities.
The party held its founding meeting at Robinson Park in Royapuram, Chennai, amid heavy rain.
Annadurai became its first general secretary. Unlike the Dravidar Kazhagam, which largely remained a social reform movement and stayed away from electoral politics, the DMK decided to contest elections and use legislative power to advance its objectives.
The DMK first formed the government in Tamil Nadu in 1967 under Annadurai, ending Congress dominance in the State. After Annadurai’s death, Karunanidhi led the party for nearly five decades. It is now headed by M.K. Stalin.
Udhayanidhi said the party continued to advance strongly under Stalin’s leadership despite repression, political crises and the emergence of new opponents.
“Black and red are not merely colours; they are our life,” he said, referring to the colours of the DMK flag. Calling upon cadres to work tirelessly as the party moves towards its centenary, he concluded by wishing the DMK a long and enduring future.
—IANS
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