Seeking a new paradigm for Dravidian exceptionalism

The victory of cinema superstar C. Joseph Vijay in the recent State Assembly election marks a watershed moment for politics in Tamil Nadu. Breaking with nearly 60 years of voting for one of only two major Dravidian parties is not just a signal of dissatisfaction but also an abiding quest for enlightened State leadership that recognises the contours of Tamil exceptionalism, and delivers the quality of governance required to meet that imperative.

At the heart of Mr. Vijay’s emphatic win, which resulted in his party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), cornering 108 out of the 234 seats in the Assembly, lies a disenchantment with the smug complacence of rule by both the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and, for a decade until 2021, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). Between them, the DMK and the AIADMK have alternated periodically in occupying power in Chennai to deliver on the promises of their Dravidian forebears C.N. Annadurai and Periyar E.V. Ramaswamy, which includes values such as state autonomy, freedom from Hindi imposition and other diktats of a distant New Delhi, and welfare policies including the noon-meal scheme and direct transfers to vulnerable groups.