Draft:Dravidian Model

Dravidian Model

The Dravidian model is a governance approach that aims for peace, progress, and prosperity through principles of social justice, rational thought, and equity. It emphasizes inclusive industrialization to address both economic and social deprivations, with a focus on sharing prosperity through productivity. It is a theoretical framework used to explain the social, cultural, and political dynamics of South India, particularly in relation to the region's historical and contemporary identity. The term is often associated with the rise of Dravidian politics in Tamil Nadu but can also apply to a broader set of ideas, particularly in the context of social reform, identity, and language politics in South India.

Dravidian Model of Governance:

1. Economic Imperialism: Goods and services tax or GST levied by the central government has reduced the flexibility of State governments to collect taxes arbitrarily which has led to criticism of GST and appeals to withdraw it. The previous value added tax regime allowed the collection of sales tax, cess and other charges from the states citizen's by formulating its own state policies.
2. Federal Structure: The model calls for an equitable distribution of fiscal taxes collected by the Central Government from surplus states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka and spent on deficit states referred to as BIMARU (detested) with a deficit revenue and population surplus. It seeks federal autonomy from the Centre on governance and policy formulation on economic, linguistic and socio cultural aspects. Dravidian model advocates generating employment locally to ease the economic stress generated due to mass migrations. Mass migrations have created demographic changes creating local resentment and cross cultural exchanges often leading to sporadic violence and riots.
3. Opposition to Hindi and North Indian Hegemony: The Dravidian movement has also been strongly critical of the dominance of Hindi and the centralization of political power in New Delhi. It has advocated for the protection and promotion of regional languages and autonomy for South Indian states, seeing the imposition of Hindi as a form of northern cultural and linguistic imperialism. Widespread adoption and promotion of Hindi has seen a push back from southern, northeastern states along with non Hindi states like West Bengal and Maharashtra.
4. Cultural and Linguistic Identity: The Dravidian model is rooted in the distinct cultural and linguistic identity of the Dravidian-speaking peoples, which includes languages such as Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and other unrecognized languages. This identity has been historically contrasted with the "Aryan" or "Indo-Aryan" identity geographically associated with Iran (Aryan), Pakistan, Afghanistan and North India. The Dravidian model emphasizes the ancient roots and unique culture of the Dravidian people, which predate the influence of Aryan culture in South India.
5. Self Respect Movement: The Dravidian model is most strongly associated with the Self Respect movement, which emerged in the early 20th century, particularly in Tamil Nadu. It's leaders like Periyar E. V. Ramasamy promoted a secular and rationalist thoughts and sought to challenge the dominance of Sanskrit and the Hindu orthodoxy associated with Brahminical culture. Leaders like and C. N. Annadurai championed this movement, which included demands for social justice, equality, and the end of caste-based discrimination. This model, therefore, became a vehicle for advocating for the rights of backward classes, Dalits, and other disenfranchised groups. This starkly contrasted the more caste based and religiously oriented National politics.

Harsh Criticism of Dravidian Model:

The model has seen a harsh rebuttal and criticism from the right wing Hindu organizations like the VHP, RSS, SJM and other affiliated organizations. Political parties like the BJP and its allies in the NDA have discredited it completely raising questions on its relevance and viability. Even parties in the Non Hindi states like Maharashtra and South India like Shiv Sena and Jana Sena have trashed and out rightly rejected the Dravidian model. Even parties in Tamil Nadu like the newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) led by popular actor Thalapathi Vijay have out rightly rejected it and countered it questioning DMK's authoritarian and dynastic politics.

While the Dravidian model has its roots in the early to mid-20th century, its legacy continues to shape the political and social landscape of Tamil Nadu. The state remains a stronghold of Dravidian political ideology, with debates around language, caste, and secularism still central to public discourse. The model has also influenced political movements in other parts of South India, though Tamil Nadu remains the most prominent example.

The Dravidian model has been heavily critiqued and reinterpreted in various ways, with some emphasizing its achievements in terms of social justice and governance, while others question its efficacy in addressing issues like caste-based violence or economic disparities. However, its foundational principles of regional pride, social justice, and secularism continue to resonate in the region's politics.