In the sixteen long years of ruling by the Justice Party, no scheduled caste Tamil could become even a minister.
Rajaji, in 1937, when he headed a Congress ministry, made V.I. Munuswami Pillai, a scheduled caste leader, as a member of his cabinet.
Rajaji, in 1937, when he headed a Congress ministry, made V.I. Munuswami Pillai, a scheduled caste leader, as a member of his cabinet.
11.07.1921 When Subbarayalu stepped down due to illness, P.Ramaraya Ningar, the Panagal Raja as he was called, became the Prime Minister.(CM of Madras Province)
1921. The workers of the Madras Buckingham & Carnatic Mills struck from work. But it was not supported by the Adi Dravida section of the workers. Pitti Thyagarajan, the President of the Justice Party then, recommended deportation of the Adi Dravida workers from Madras city.
15.01.1922 Visit of the Prince of Wales to Madras. A complete bandh was observed in response to a call from the Congress. The supporters of the Justice Party and the British Government jointly accorded a rousing welcome to the Prince.
20.01.1922 A resolution was passed in the Assembly to notify the scheduled castes as Adi Dravidians in the government gazette. It was proclaimed that this changed name would become vogue only in the Tamil speaking parts of the Madras Rajdhani (Province).
It was ‘Adi Telugu’ in Andhra and ‘ Adi Kannada’ in the Kannada speaking areas as declared by the government. The scheduled castes in those regions summarily rejected the prefix ‘Dravida’ from references to them.
11.02.1922 In Chouri Choura, a suburb of Ghorakpur, UP, a procession took place. The police fired at the crowd to disperse the procession. When bullets were exhausted, the people surrounded the police station. They set the station ablaze. Twenty policemen died in the fire.
17.09-1922 A special conference of the Congress was held in Delhi. It was resolved to permit those congressmen who wished to stand for elections.
December-1922 . In the Gaya conference, it was resolved not to enter the Assembly. CR Das, the President of the convention, resigned. Das and Motilal Nehru jointly started the Swarajya Party.
31.10.1923, In the second elections, both the Justice Party and the Swarajya Party contested for the total number of ninety eight constituencies. The Justice Party won in sixty one.
The frontline leaders of the Justice Party, MC Raja, O Kandasami Chettiyar, C.Natesa Mudaliyar etc felt aggrieved with the high command. Tamils and Telugu parochial feelings started creeping into the Party.
Dec. 1923. MC Raja, of the Chennai Adi Dravida Maha Sabha, left the Justice Party.
Dec. 1923, In the Kakinada Congress Meeting, it was compromisingly resolved that people of the Swarajya Party could contest elections and that they can continue to remain in Congress.
Dec. 1923, In the Kakinada Congress Meeting, it was compromisingly resolved that people of the Swarajya Party could contest elections and that they can continue to remain in Congress.
Social reformist novelist A Madhavaiah, accosted Panagal Raja, “Do you treat the paraiah the same way as you want the Brahmins to treat you?”
1924. There was a ban for the scheduled castes for using the road by the side of the temple in Vaikkom. E.V.R led the protest of the Congressmen there against this ban. The protest was withdrawn after the ban was removed at the instance of Gandhiji.
“Not in just speech alone but in deed as well, the Justice Party was, to a fault, a loyal servant of the Imperialism. Even to the extent of unabashedly supporting the draconian Rowlat Act., to the extent of stoic silence even when General O’Dyer in 1919,
The leaders who released the statement supporting were the same Theagaraja Chettiar and Dr.T.M.Nair whom the people of the Dravidian movement are still eulogizing as ‘the undisputed leaders of the Dravidian Movement’.”
- Page - 19 /Dravida Iyakkam- Oru Marxiya Aayvu /Arunan.
- Page - 19 /Dravida Iyakkam- Oru Marxiya Aayvu /Arunan.
