Rise of regional parties

The essentials

Regional parties grew from movements that sought recognition of regional language, culture and interests, and from dissatisfaction with central control. Their rise shows how Indian federalism and democracy allow regions to express their aspirations through elections.

The Dravidian movement in Tamil Nadu was led by E.V. Ramasami, known as Periyar. It opposed Brahmin dominance and the imposition of Hindi, and promoted Tamil identity and social justice. The Dravidar Kazhagam was formed under Periyar. Its leader C.N. Annadurai later formed the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in 1949. The DMK led protests against Hindi in the 1960s and won the 1967 Assembly election in Madras state. A split in 1972 created the AIADMK, led by M.G. Ramachandran.

Key points

• The Akali Dal, formed in 1920 as the political wing of the Sikhs, led the Punjabi Suba movement for a Punjabi-speaking state, which was achieved in 1966.
• The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was founded by N.T. Rama Rao in 1982 and won the Andhra Pradesh election in 1983, raising the issue of Telugu self-respect.
• The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) was formed after the Assam Accord in 1985 and won the state election that year.
• The National Conference has been a major regional party in Jammu and Kashmir since before independence.
• Goa was liberated from Portuguese rule in 1961. In a 1967 “opinion poll” the people chose to remain separate from Maharashtra, and Goa became a state in 1987.
• Sikkim became a part of India in 1975 after a referendum and the end of the monarchy there.

Exam tips

• Match each regional party with its state, founder and year.
• Remember that the 1967 opinion poll in Goa was a special referendum, not a survey.

Common mistakes

• Thinking Periyar founded the DMK; Annadurai did.
• Thinking Goa became part of India in 1947; it was liberated in 1961.