Hey Comrades !

Perarignar Anna’s Inaugural Speech at the DMK Foundation Day, Robinson Park, Royapuram, Chennai, 17-Sep-1949

SG
4 min readSep 17, 2021

“The rain is getting heavy. Many people are waiting to talk. Yes, it’s an inconvenient situation. It rains continuously. The crowd is huge. Mothers are stranded. You are also standing in the rain. And all that is so much uncomfortable but you’re dealing with it. In this situation, party work disrupted, and the party was dysfunctional for some time. The situation was inconvenient. Somehow, we’ve fixed it.

I cried when I heard the news of Periyar’s marriage. I am a common man with a feeling. And I was the one who expressed my opinion that I will refrain from the party. Many comrades like me condemned Periyar, not only accepting the marriage arrangement. They cried. Everyone said No with pain.

The majority of the people who could not continue to work with him, the key people of the party met and made a decision. The result is the foundation of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. This is not a competitive organization for Dravidar Kazhagam.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has formed, but not as a rival to the Dravidar Kazhagam. It is on the same ideologies as Dravidar Kazhagam. There is no change in ideals and conflicts in fundamental principles. The principles of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam are

Reforms in Society.

Policy of Socialism in the field of Economics

And Freedom from North Indian Imperialism in Politics.

We have left the leadership of the Periyar who has vilified and disrespected us, have built a separate home, a separate party and that is Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. We will work hard to develop this organization.

He (Periyar) is the only leader I know, only leader I have learnt from, the leader I have seen. I have never worked under the leadership of anyone else. I didn’t even have the thoughts to do it. For the same reason, we do not have the leader for the DMK. We do not even consider it necessary.

The leadership of Periyar has given the best of us from time to time, is very close to the heart. I do not want to have any other person occupying the chair. That’s why we kept the leadership position for Periyar, who led us the progressive path and leader who is in our hearts.

Whether it be the Dravidar Kazhagam or the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the warriors are different, but the ideology is the same. The principles are the same. Not even the plan is different. This should be hammered on those Sanatanis and the northern imperialists who are trumpeting because the party is divided.

The two organizations must attack from both sides and abolish the North Indian imperialism, destroy the Orthodox (Sanatana) forest of domination, and make the socialist gardens and Dravidian lands prosperous. The flowers, nuts, and fruits of which ever grown in it signifies the bloom and rise of the Dravidam.

Both organizations are indeed necessary. There is no need to hate one another. It is not even necessary. We should think whatever sprouts, it is going to garland the Dravidam.

We formed the new party and set out to work from today without confronting others, just like the dark sky became clear after the long rains. Our first task is to spread the ideology. The feeling of rivalry must be completely eliminated.

I ask, you comrades, what is important for us? Ambition, or Periyar? We decided that we need ambition, not Periyar. The problem is solved. Here, before our eyes, we could see the northern imperialism, the fascism that ruins our people, the regressive past that is trying to take over.

We will not stop until the fascism and conservatism are defeated. Let us work towards achieving the result. Time will come and Periyar will be happy and say, “The boys are not so bad. They have achieved the things they have intended”

May he (Periyar) live well. Let him live like Gandhi wanted (till the age of 125). Let him live to see Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam to do the great service. Let him see that his policies are getting implemented by us.

As the first thing, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam should form a front to fight the right to expression, speech and against the government in suppression of civil rights. I invite the socialist comrades to join. I call on the communists to cooperate.

We will fight not to take away the right to speech, write and not to seize books!

Anna concluded saying, “Periyar…. We are trained by you and have the maturity and call for opposing the government to occupy the prison in your way. That too on the opening day!”

Excerpts from the book “Anna 400: Words of Wisdom from a True Democrat” , Quote 397.

--

--

SG

Engineer | Rationalist | ARRian | SGian | யாதும் ஊரே யாவரும் கேளிர் | பிறப்பொக்கும் எல்லா உயிர்க்கும் | Author/Translator - http://amzn.to/3ERsXGg | Hypocrite