From Social Reform to Separatism: The Rise and Decline of the Dravida Nadu Movement in Late Colonial India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70670/sra.v4i1.2430Keywords:
Dravida Nadu, Dravidistan. Tamil, Brahman, Non-Brahman, North-South ConflictAbstract
The demand for territorial reorganization based on distinct national identities emerged as one of the defining features of late colonial India. While the Lahore Resolution of 23 March 1940 eventually culminated in the creation of Pakistan, another significant separatist demand—the call for an independent Dravida Nadu—has received comparatively limited scholarly attention. On 2 June 1940, at Kanchipuram in the Madras Presidency, the Justice Party formally endorsed the creation of a separate homeland for the Dravidian-speaking peoples of South India. This article examines the historical evolution of the Dravida Nadu movement by tracing its intellectual, social, and political foundations. It explores how anti-Brahmin mobilization, linguistic consciousness, caste-based inequalities, and regional identity gradually transformed into a demand for political sovereignty. The study further investigates the ideological development of Dravidian nationalism and compares its trajectory with contemporary separatist movements in British India, particularly the Pakistan Movement. Finally, it analyzes the political, demographic, constitutional, and strategic factors that prevented the realization of Dravida Nadu despite the movement's substantial regional influence. By situating the Dravida Nadu movement within the broader context of competing nationalisms in late colonial India, this article contributes to a more nuanced understanding of separatist politics and identity formation during the final decade of British rule.
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