DMK neither loyal to Dravidian nor Tamil identity: RSS ideologue S Gurumurthy

09-Sep-2025

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RSS ideologue and Thuglak editor, S Gurumurthy called the DMK a “dishonest party,” saying it is neither sincere to Dravidian ideology nor to Tamil identity. He described the party’s claim to Tamil pride as a “stolen identity” that misrepresents Tamil culture.

Tracing the origins of the movement, Gurumurthy said EV Ramaswamy (Periyar), disenchanted with the Congress dominated by upper-caste Brahmins, struck an independent path by adopting the British racial construct of Aryans versus Dravidians. “Dravidian identity has no language, it is racial. If you say Tamil is Dravidian, what about Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu?” he asked.

He argued that Tamil literature and culture were deeply tied to Sanatana dharma, pointing out that Vaivasvata Manu was believed to be born in Madurai. According to him, Periyar saw Tamil culture as Brahminical and called Tamil a “barbaric” language, but later leaders shifted their stance.

Gurumurthy said Periyar was an “honest thinker” despite his harsh critique of Brahminism, but called the DMK dishonest for appropriating Tamil pride when Dravidian racialism failed. “This is stolen identity. You can’t have Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Tamil identity,” he said.