As Bernard Bate notes in Tamil Oratory and the Dravidian Aesthetic, the literary sophistication of the centamil (chaste Tamil) movement ensured that Dravidianist politicians distinguished themselves not only from their political opponents but, interestingly, also from the electorate. Photo: cup.columbia.edu
For many years, an old wall stood in my village, its whitewash had peeled and was scarred by the rain. The downpour left behind curious patterns, exposing the mud beneath. Across it was written the slogan: “Kaveri, Thenpennai, Palaru; Congress paruppu vegathu.”
It was likely the handiwork of supporters of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) during an election against the Indian National Congress. Taking inspiration from one of the DMK’s leaders — renowned for peppering his speeches with alliteration — local cadres linked three rivers of Tamil Nadu — Kaveri, Thenpennai, and Palaru — with the Congress party’s electoral fortunes. “Paruppu vegathu” roughly translates to “the dal won’t cook” to denote “it will not succeed.”
Published – April 17, 2026 01:23 am IST
