At 74, DMK has new battles to wage

Three score and fourteen years ago on September 17, 1949, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) was founded. The following day, at its public launch, founder CN Annadurai (Anna) said their political father, the Dravidar Kazhagam’s 70-year-old EV Ramaswamy Periyar, was authoritarian and by marrying his aide Maniammai, less than half his age, had brought infamy to them. Nevertheless, he named Periyar the titular head, wished him a long life and said their aims were the same – a socialist garden where "Dravidam" (an independent Dravida Nadu made of the south) would bloom.

On July 27, 1947, Periyar had described the impending independence on August 15, 1947, as "British-Bania-Brahmin Contractual Day". The Dravidar Kazhagam had, since 1939, considered the aforementioned three Bs enemies. On August 10, 1947, Anna demurred. He said one of the two enemies, the British, was leaving and only the Bania remained. He avoided mention of the Brahmin.