Tamil Nadu CM Stalin and the Dravidian Nation project
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M K Stalin appears to be on a “mission mode” to push the State towards secession from India. In his bid to establish a Dravida Nation, Stalin is reportedly receiving support from Islamist outfits like Popular Front of India (PFI), SDPI, Jamaat-e-Islami, remnants of the LTTE operating in Tamil Nadu, urban Naxalites, evangelist networks, and even the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala.
If political trends in Tamil Nadu are any indication, the State is increasingly sending out secessionist signals. What Rajiv Malhotra and Aravindan Neelakandan had warned about in their 2011 path-breaking book, Breaking India, seems to be becoming a reality, with Tamil Nadu emerging as the hub of anti-national forces.
Stalin’s conduct towards Governor R N Ravi, a respected former IPS officer, has been openly hostile. Since the day Ravi assumed office in September 2021, the Chief Minister and his party leaders have targeted him with frequent taunts and confrontations.
Governor’s role and the NEET dispute
Much of Stalin’s anger stems from the Governor’s proactive approach in highlighting governance issues. Governor Ravi consistently raised concerns about the falling standards of education in Tamil Nadu. Matters escalated when Ravi withheld assent to the State Bill abolishing the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET). The DMK saw this as a major setback, since NEET ended the profiteering model around medical college admissions.
A DMK spokesperson even mocked the Governor by recalling E V Ramasamy Naicker’s statement that “sheep don’t have beards, and the State doesn’t need a Governor.” Stalin went further, calling the Governor a mere “postman[1][2].” However, constitutional experts point out that Stalin either misunderstands or is deliberately misrepresenting the Governor’s role.
Articles 154 and 200 of the Constitution clearly vest executive powers in the Governor and allow him to withhold, return, or reserve Bills for Presidential consideration. The framers of the Constitution included these safeguards to prevent State legislatures from passing resolutions declaring independence from the Union of India.
DMK’s political posturing
The Tamil Nadu Assembly has passed several controversial resolutions, including one demanding the retrieval of Katchatheevu Island, ceded to Sri Lanka in 1975. Constitutional experts and even the Supreme Court have dismissed this as impractical, pointing out that only war could achieve such an outcome[3].
Tamil Nadu also remains the only State without a single Navodaya Vidyalaya. While these schools were designed to democratize access to quality education across districts, Stalin has opposed them under the pretext of resisting “Hindi imposition.” Ironically, elite private schools in Tamil Nadu do teach Hindi, exposing the political hypocrisy of denying opportunities to the poor while preserving them for the rich.
DMK leaders argue that Hindi and Sanskrit are linked to Sanatana Dharma and thus unwelcome in Dravidian Nadu. Their deeper aim seems to be cultural alienation to strengthen future secessionist claims.
Anti-India agitations: Jallikattu & Sterlite
The 2017 Marina Beach sit-in demanding the resumption of Jallikattu—originally banned by the Supreme Court—was widely seen as part of a larger anti-India agitation. LTTE sympathizers and Tamil chauvinists played a role in organizing the protests. Encouraged by the government’s eventual ordinance overturning the ban, anti-national elements gained confidence.
Soon after, violent protests erupted in Thoothukudi against Sterlite Copper (Vedanta Group), accused of environmental violations. Despite hundreds of factories in the same industrial zone, only Sterlite was targeted. Police firing left over 30 people dead. This event was later described as a test run for secessionist mobilization under the banner of “Cutting South.”
DMK’s legacy of secessionist demands
Since Stalin assumed power in 2021, relations between the State and the Union have deteriorated sharply. This is not surprising, given the DMK’s historic advocacy of a separate Dravidian Nation.
In 2018, Stalin publicly declared in Erode that the “Dravidian Nation” was the DMK’s ultimate aim. The party’s constitution once carried an explicit secessionist clause, only later dropped under constitutional pressure. Yet the ideology remains alive.
DMK allies like MDMK, VCK, and DK openly endorse separatism. VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan even declared that “North Indians will not be allowed to enter Tamil Nadu[4].” Senior DMK ministers frequently belittle Hindi speakers and migrants, normalizing ethnic chauvinism.
Manufacturing history & archaeology
Governor Ravi has challenged Dravidian nationalism by citing global research debunking the Aryan invasion theory. In response, Stalin has attempted to “manufacture” history, most notably through politically motivated claims about the Keeladi excavations. Archaeologists from the Archaeological Survey of India have dismissed Stalin’s assertions about Tamil Nadu’s “first use of iron in the world” as politically motivated pseudo-history.
The Dravidian Nation dream
Stalin’s imagined Dravidian Nation goes beyond Tamil Nadu. It allegedly includes Tamil-majority regions of Sri Lanka, and even parts of Malaysia and Myanmar. DMK leaders harbor historical hostility towards the Sinhalese and frequently echo LTTE rhetoric.
Reports suggest that LTTE remnants, Maoist networks, and international evangelical groups continue to fund this separatist project. Analysts argue that Stalin is stoking these flames largely to consolidate his political base and secure positions of power for his extended family.
Conclusion
M K Stalin is playing a dangerous game. His flirtation with separatism and reliance on divisive politics could push Tamil Nadu—and India—towards instability. While projecting this as a movement for Dravidian pride, the underlying reality seems to be dynastic self-preservation. If unchecked, these politics of secession and manufactured grievances could lead to disastrous consequences for national unity.
Reference:
[1] NEET row: Governor is nothing but a postman, says Tamil Nadu CM Stalin – Apr 26, 2022, India Today
[2] Power of Governor only that of postman between Centre & state: Stalin – Apr 20, 2025, ToI
[3] In TN, N Indians not welcome: MP courts controversy – Jun 05, 2019, The Pioneer
[4] Will have to wage war to get back Katchatheevu Island: Govt to SC – Aug 27, 2014, The Indian Express
Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
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