- Dravida Peravai
-
Dravida Peravai (Dravidian Front), is a political party in Pondicherry, India. The DP was formed in 1996 by a break-away faction of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. The Party claims to be a "Green" party. The present Party General Secretary is N. Nandhivarman. The DP strives to unite Tamils and impart a scientific outlook for the enrichment of Tamil culture. Despite claiming to be "Green" the Party has fought for national projects like the Indian Rivers Inter-link, the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project and the Tenth Degree Canal, an Indo-Thailand joint venture. The DP is concerned about future continental and coastal changes affecting Tamil Nadu and Tamils.
The Dravida Peravai supports what they refer to as the "Tamil struggle" in Sri Lanka.
Contents
The ideology of the party: Socialism called as Annaism
Dravida Peravai is a socialist party, which it describes as Annaism. “A world without beggar’s outstretched palm, the miser’s heartless stony stare, the piteous wail of want, the pallid face of crime, the livid lips of lies, the cruel eyes of scorn, a race without disease of flesh or brain, A land where life lengthens, fear dies, joy deepens, love intensifies and man regains his dignity, is what Aringnar Anna dreamt of and Annaism stands for” says the party manifesto. Aringnar Anna, the founder of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, parent party of Dravida Peravai, spoke about the ideals while delivering the convocation address in Annamalai University. Those words were chosen to describe Annaism, as a socialist ideology suitable to Indian soil.
[Date of Formation: 15.02.1996. Registration with Election Commission of India 25.10.1996.]
Objectives of the party
Dravida Peravai is for complete nuclear disarmament and moral re-armament. It strives for pooling the knowledge of science and technology for eradicating poverty, disease, illiteracy from the face of Earth. It aims towards a quest all over galaxies for betterment of humanity and all living creatures on Earth. For ending speculative economics it moots evolving of single global currency for knitting the economies of the countries and continents together. It promotes the idea of Common Asian Market to begin with, and for a Confederation of Asian Countries and Asian Economic Union to become stepping stones for greater global cohesion. The party is for enriching the Constitution of India in the light of its working since independence and making it true federal in nature. The party is for overhaul of our electoral system to ensure proportional representation and state funding of elections. The party is for making Tamil as one of the official languages of India in view of its heritage, richness, cultural evolution into language of scientific temper and its universal outlook. The party is for due respect to all regional languages in the territory of its usage. The party is for correcting the mis-interpretations that has crept into the concept of social justice propounded by the Dravidian movement, and redeeming the oppressed, depressed, backwards and minorities from the clutches of division and economic backwardness by constitutional means through a silent revolution. The party is for creation of National Environment Commission as an autonomous body sanctioned by Constitution of India, to check the growth of pollution in all states of India. The party is for revamping the public sector undertakings ensuring workers participation in management, and the shares of such public sector undertakings should be allocated to workers of such undertakings and to the people whose land is lost because of such projects coming up in their soil, and to all displaced persons in general. Prosperity should percolate down and people should become partners in progress, the party feels. The party is for total ban on food exports till poverty is eradicated internally and all people are fed or are in a position to feed them.
Dravida Peravai is for solidarity with the working class and for their struggle to relay the world economic order to ensure justice for all. The under currents beneath the words and the social revolutions it recalls form the source of inspiration to Dravida Peravai. Hence the motto: Equality, Liberty, Fraternity, Duty, Discipline, Decorum, Educate, Unify, Struggle and the doctrine to each according to his need from each according to his/her ability stands as guiding principles for the party. Dravida Peravai strives to establish casteless, creedless and party-less democracy pursuing the path of non-violence, upholding socialism, secularism and liberal democracy.
Dravida Peravai shall bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established and to the principles of socialism, secularism and democracy, to uphold the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.
Dravida Peravai is for ensuring gender justice equal-representation for women in all electoral avenues. The party is for enforcing total prohibition in the country. The party strives to end all kinds of gambling, flesh trade, abuses of children and women, bonded labor practices, dowry system, superstition, corruption and criminalization.
In short, Dravida Peravai is for creating a congenial climate for healthy democracy to flourish within the parameters of Constitution of India and inculcating a new political culture that fosters simple living and global vision to be in harmony with Nature and unearthing new dimensions of higher consciousness.
Code of conduct
The rules and regulations of Dravida Peravai registered with Election Commission of India contains a code of conduct for party functionaries. a] A party functionary must be proficient in Thirukural and must be secular in outlook. b] A party functionary must consider " Every country is my country, Everyone is my kinsmen" as Poet Kaniyan Poongundranaar says. In short galaxial thinking pushing the borders of human consciousness is the single most important duty of the party functionary. c] A party functionary must not fall at the feet of the leaders, must not indulge in flattery, must not add suffixes or prefixes to original names. d] A party functionary must identify him with the common man and hence adopt simple living and should not even publicize educational qualifications, honorary doctorates, or titles before or after the name, as such high sounding titles degrees and suffixes distances the common man for whose sake party is founded e] A party functionary must disclose his assets and liabilities before public and take an oath that any property in excess of the declared assets is established to be in his possession after his term in the various forums of democracy expires such assets will be transferred to the party trust, which will be floated simultaneously on floating of this party. Such Trust known as Annaist Trust will work for unifying Tamil brethren and educate rationalism and proletarian internationalism to the common man. f] Anyone who is an eve-teaser, womanizer or has more than one wife or anyone connected with the crime against woman shall not be admitted into the party. If anyone after becoming a member raises enough suspicion in the minds of the governing committee shall be dismissed from the party immediately. g] Anyone connected with Cofeposa, Fera etc or has criminal records or is known to be a goonda and rowdy in the locality he lives, will not be admitted into the party. Any party functionary availing the services of anti-social elements during public agitations or elections shall be suspended by the General Secretary pending an inquiry by a committee constituted by the governing body. Once that committee confirms the allegation, the suspension will automatically become dismissal. h] To enforce strict adherence to moral, ethical and rational standards a National Disciplinary Committee will be chosen by the General Council. Such a committee of three will decide on all matters of inner party discipline and external social behaviour of a party functionary. i] Any functionary who tries to dilute the rational and scientific temper built by the Dravidian Movement and its leaders like Periyar E.V.R, Aringnar Anna and anyone who espouses religious fundamentalism or embraces castiest outfits or platforms will not be eligible to get party tickets for any elections be it for party posts or for Parliamentary/assembly/Municipalty/ Panchayats or whatever posts party has to make a choice.
The Party has a website describing the former Minister of Defence George Fernandes as the "International Torch-bearer of Socialism" in view of his longstanding association with socialist movement. Party also spearheads a movement for separate Union Territory for Karaikal within Indian Union.
External links
Categories: Dravidian political parties
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
