Ethnicity and Populist Mobilization: Political Parties, Citizens and Democracy in South India

389 Pages·2000·50.64 MB·English

by  Narendra Subramanian

-- :.
Ethnicity and
Populist Mobilization
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Ethnicity and
Populist Mobilization
Political Parties, Citizens and
Democracy in South India
NARENDRA SUBRAMANIAN
~
DELHI
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
CALCUTT A CHENNAI MUMBAI
1999
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?Jl ord University Press, Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP
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© Narendra Subramanian /999
Oxford U11iversityP ress 1999
ISBNO /95643/6X
Typeset by Excellent Laser Typese/Jers, Tri Nagar, Delhi 110 035
Printed in India at RashtriJ'a Printers, Delhi 110 032
and pub/isl,ed by Manzar Khan, Oxford University Press
YMCA library Building, Jai Singh Road, New Delhi 110 001
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In Memory of
P. VenkataramaD as (1906-96)
and for Mini
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Contents
.
Tables
IX
Map
X.
Abbreviations
XI
Acknowledgements
XIII
Preface xv
I Introduction 1
II Arguments 37
m
The Politics of Heresy: Non -Brahminism and
Tamil Nationalism in the Late Colonial Period 82
IV The Ascent o( Assertive Populism:
The DMK in the Nehruvian Period 130
V Assertive Populism and State Power:
The Period of DMK Dominance, 1964-76 189
VI The Efflorescence of Paternalist Populism:
The ADMK 246
VII Conclusion 311
ClassifiedB ibliograpby 331
Name Index 357
Subjecti ndex 361
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Tables
1.1 Indian Parliamentary Elections: Electoral
Performance of Pan-Indian, Hindu Revivalist
and Other Ethnic Parties 6
1.2 Turnout Rates in the Ecological Zones, 1952-89 19
'
1.3 Performance of Major Parties in the
Ecological Zones in Key State Legislative
Assembly Elections, Tamil Nadu 20
A. 1962 Elections
B. 1977 Elections
C. 1989 Elections
1.4 Tamil Nadu State Legislative Assembly Elections:
Electoral Performance of Pan-Indian,
Dravidian and Other Ethnic Parties 33
1.5 Voter Participation Rates in Tamil Nadu Legislative
Legislative Assembly Elections and Indian
Parliamentary Elections 34
1.6 Two Party Dominance: Tamil Nadu Legislative
Assembly Elections 34
5.1 Caste Composition of Representative Cabinets 219
7.1 Indian Parliamentary Elections: Hindu Revivalists'
Electoral Performance in Regions of India 324
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ROYAPURAM
•
TIRUVANNAMALAI
I
IV
II
•
OINOIGUL
V
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SERMAOEVI
ZONES
I NORTHERN PLAINS
II KAVERI VALLEY
Ill TAMIRAPARANI VALLEY
IV WESTERN PLAINS
V SOUTHERN PLAINS
MAP: TAMIL NADU
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Abbreviations
ADMK Anna Dravida Munne tra Kazhagam (Anna's Party
for the Progress of Dravidam)
AITUC All India Trade Union Congress
BJP Bharatiya Janata Party (Indian People's Party)
Congress Indian National Congress
CPI Communist Party of India
CPI (M) Communist Party of India (Marxist)
DK Dravidar Kazhagam (Party of the Dravidians)
DMK Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (Party for the Progress
of Dravidam)
INTUC Indian National Trade Union Congress
LPF Thozhilaalar Munnetra Kazhagam (Federation for
the Progress of Labour)
MDMK Marumalarchchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
(Revitalized Party for the Progress of Dravidam)
PMK Paattaali Makkal Katchi (Party of the Toiling People)
RSS Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (National Service
Society)
VHP Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council)
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Acknowledgements
This book grew out of a doctoral dissertation I completed at the
Department of Political Science at MIT. I was fortunate to receive
support and encouragement from many during the various phases
of this project.
The field work was supported by the American Institute of
Indian Studies, the American Council of Learned Societies and the
Social Science Research Council. Grants from the American
Council of Learned Societies and the Social Science Research
Council, the MacArthur Foundation in association with the
Centre for International Studies at MIT, the Augustana College
Research Fund and the McGill Faculty Research Grants Committee
helped me while I wrote my dissertation and later reworked it.
The Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi, and
the Madras Institute of Development Studies granted me affiliation
during my field work. I was given permission to use the libraries
of the Anna Arivaalayam, the Periyar Thidal, the University of
Madras, the Madras Institute of Development Studies, The Hind11,
The Indian Expressa nd the Tamil Nadu state archives in Madras;
the Institute for World Affairs library and the Nehru Memorial
Library in Delhi; the Library of Congress and the Van Pelt Library
at the University of Pennsylvania, in the United States; and the
India Office Library and the University of London library in the
United Kingdom. The Centre for International Studies at MIT,
Augustana College and McGill University afforded me congenial
settings to work on my manuscript at different stages.
The project was deeply influenced by the sharp criticism and
helpful suggestions from the members of my dissertation commit
tee-Myron Weiner, David Washbrook, Josh Cohen and Jonathan
Fox. David Washbrook and James Manor encouraged me to
undertake a study of South Indian politics. Stanley Tambiah and
Harbans Mukhia extended their warm encouragement and
practical help in my efforts to convert my dissertation into the
book. Amrita Basu, T arini Bedi, Vince Brown, Roger Karapin,
Minakshi Menon, Phil Oxhorn, John Rogers, Ajantha Subramanian,
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xiv Acknow/edge,nenis
Sonia Verma, Crawford Young, Maren Zerrifi and anonymous
referees offered many valuable comments on drafts of the manu-
.
scnpt.
For helping me gain access to documents and interviewees, I am
particularly indebted to Sathyavani Muthu, Murasoli Maran,
J.
C. Subramaniam, C. D. Prabhakaran, K. Nagaimugan,
K. Veeramani, S. Guhan, D. K. Oza, ·M. Balasubramaniam,
A. Pannerselvam, K. Anguswami, B. Valarmathi, T. Govindarajan,
B. Neelakantan, Aa. Subramaniam, A. Natarajan and the late N. D.
Sundaravadivelu. I am grateful to many friends and relatives for
their help with practical aspects of my field work-$. C.
Govindarajan, K. S. Ranganathan, V. Vasanthi Devi, P. V. Das,
Ajantha Subramanian, K. S. Subramanian, L. M. Sakthivel, Renu
Addlakha, K. Nagaraj, A. Nityanandam, K. S. Santhanakrishnan,
K. Chandru, A. Vidyasagar, Jayaprakash, Mushtaq, Sundar,
N. Karuppannan, Swaminathan, Pirai. Arivazhagan, Nadanam,
Srinivasan and Chinnaraj; and to others for their warm hospital
ity-my late grandparents, V. Janaki Das and the late P. V. Das,
Deepti Mehrotra, Praveen Kumar, K. S. Rajagopal Mudaliar,
K. Santhanakrishnan, Sanjay Pradhan and P. T. Venugopal. Many
interviewees were generous with their time, sometimes at consid-
erable inconvenience. ·
My research assistants-Indhumathi Ravishankar, T. N. Gopalan,
Tarini Bedi, B. Ramesh, V. Bhashyam, S. Shankarraj, Paula Bub,
Billy Gathings and Kate Goodrich-helped make the study what
it is. M. Shankar helped me take my first steps in Lotus and
D-Base. Jane Tiedge patiently typed parts of the manuscript . Tarini
Bedi helped me bring it all together at the end. Special thanks are
due to Nitasha Dcvasar and Anupama Arora for overseeing the
production of the book and giving it the last lick of paint .
I met Minakshi Menon while I did my field work and she has
been n1y very best friend since then. Mini's support, understand
ing, patience, and personal and intellectual con1pany sustained me
through this study. Spooky, a more recent housemate, has also
been there for me, though more silently .
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