(Last Updated on : 14/11/2009) Dravidian movement had its origin
in various successive political and social formations. The
earliest, the South India Welfare Association, was founded in
the year 1916, by zamindars and maharajas to counter the growing
power of Brahmans in society and politics. This was also
established to agitate for their share in office proportionate
to their population. Loosely called the Non-Brahman Association,
it published a journal, Justice, which later gave it the name
`Justice Party`. E. V. Ramaswamy Naicker famously known as
Periyar, disillusioned with the Congress Party that he believed
was dominated by Brahmans, established his Self-Respect Movement
in the year 1925, to assert the dignity of non-Brahmans, and
joined hands with the Justice Party only to take over its
leadership. In the year, 1944 he rechristened it Dravida
Kazhagam and crystallized its objectives. The objectives were
mainly rejection of Brahman domination in all spheres of life,
rejection of Aryan and northern domin