Statesman who made democracy deeper, inclusive
NEW DELHI: Muthuvel Karunanidhi deepened Indian democracy in ways that made it truly representative, respectful and accommodative of India’s regional, linguistic and social diversity.
He played a role in ensuring Indian democracy took into account the voice of the South; helped make ‘social justice’ a key principle of political practice; pushed the Indian state to respect linguistic diversity; and strengthened the role of states in Indian federalism and regional parties in national politics.
Here is how.
DEMOCRACY DEEPENED
Karunanidhi’s political socialisation was premised on scepticism of the pan India project of the Indian National Congress, viewing it as an effort to impose Northern hegemony, and the Brahmanical nature of the local elite in the region. Congress was often oblivious to grievances driven by identity, be it language or caste. The Self Respect Movement and DMK represented resistance to this.
In 1965, DMK led protests against declaring Hindi as the sole official language. The Centre had to backtrack, paving way for sustained linguistic diversity. Karunanidhi eventually took over as the state’s CM later in the 1960s. Tamil Nadu, because of leaders like Karunanidhi, also embarked on a radical affirmative action programme that went beyond constitutional scheme of reservations only for Dalits and tribals. This empowered other backward communities. The state also embarked on a social welfare programme. Karunanidhi may not have achieved this alone. But his contribution in making India sensitive to caste and language-driven differences, and pushing it towards welfarist politics, was crucial.
BOOSTING FEDERALISM
The first two decades also saw the Congress rule the Centre and almost all the states.
The turning point was 1967. Across northern India, Congress lost election. But the alternative coalitions did not last. It was in Tamil Nadu that not only did DMK win, it had the confidence to seek and wrest more power from the Centre. Karunanidhi set up a committee to suggest how to make states more autonomous. The Tamil Nadu assembly became the first state legislature to pass a resolution for autonomy to states in 1974. The formal granting of autonomy may have never happened. But as regional parties gained strength, even if the Constitution remained partial to the Centre, the states began seeking more powers.
SHAPING THE CENTRE
Karunanidhi exercised a say at the Centre. He backed Indira Gandhi’s bank nationalisation, but opposed the Emergency. He played a key role in the formation of the National Front government and provided support to VP Singh as he decided to implement the Mandal Commission recommendations.
His party was a force in the United Front government between 1996 and 1998, then the NDA from 1999 and seamlessly switched to the UPA after 2004. Many saw it as opportunism. The record was often blemished with charges of corruption. But it also revealed a ruthlessly pragmatic streak in Karunanidhi.
Take another example of this pragmatism. The United Font government fell in 1998 because the Congress wanted IK Gujral to get rid of Karunanidhi after the interim Jain Commission report was reported to implicate DMK in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination. Six years later, Karunanidhi and Sonia Gandhi were working together to form the United Progressive Alliance.
Karunanidhi’s life spanned the course of modern political history. He showed how you could be a welfarist, a champion of the poor and underprivileged, a pragmatic power politician, a reformer and administrator, and most importantly, both a Tamil nationalist and Indian nationalist all together.