DMK’s Rajaram Asked Diplomat Whether U.S. Would Back Tamil Nadu Secession

[Abu Zolfiqar]

A week into the Emergency when the relationship between the Congress government at the Centre and the DMK government in Tamil Nadu was becoming increasingly hostile, Labour and Housing Minister K. Rajaram asked a U.S. diplomatic representative in Chennai whether the U.S. would give assistance to the State if it decided to secede from India. In a diplomatic cable dated July 3, 1975, obtained by WikiLeaks (1975NEWDE08889_b, secret ), the representative said his direct answer to this question was that the U.S. would not support such a move.

“This was an internal affair of India and we supported the territorial integrity of India and other countries,” the representative said.

To the diplomat’s query whether the DMK regime was seriously considering independence from the Union, Rajaram is reported to have said: “Not at the highest levels.”

The conversation was taking place 13 years after the DMK abandoned separatism. A separate Tamil Nadu was a key demand of the DMK’s parent organisation, the Dravidar Kazhagam (DK).

It was also part of the DMK’s platform but during the India-China war, the party’s founder, C.N. Annadurai, gave up the demand after the Nehru government passed a strong anti-sedition law in 1963. The party has since advocated federalism. It sent its first ministerial representatives to the Centre in 1989 and has been a member of coalition governments in the 2000s.

Rajaram, who died in 2008, told the U.S. representative at the 1976 meeting held at his residence that while no such move was in the offing, many young people within the DMK were talking about separation.

“The USSR and other communist countries are backing Mrs. Gandhi in her efforts to kill democracy here. If this succeeds, communist influence will grow and [the young party workers felt] Tamil Nadu should secede.” Rajaram said that was his reason for floating the trial balloon.

The U.S. diplomat notes in the cable that despite the talk among the younger elements secession is not something “that is now being seriously considered by the higher echelons of the party.”

The cable also details a meeting between the same diplomat and a “local educator” who said he had told the then Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi, “that if the rest of India were under a communist-influenced dictatorship, the U.S. might help.”

But Mr. Karunanidhi reportedly told the educator that after Vietnam he did not think the U.S. would take on anything new in Asia.

DMK

 

[jaunty]

Worth highlighting-- In a diplomatic cable dated July 3, 1975,

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

Thanks for pointing it out; was mentioned clearly enough in the first paragraph but yeah just in case you'd still miss it

Rather relevant to today given all the debates going on about Tamil-ism

 

[Sashan]

Thanks for pointing it out; was mentioned clearly enough in the first paragraph but yeah just in case you'd still miss it

Rather relevant to today given all the debates going on about Tamil-ism

There is no debate going on about Tamil-ism or -istan or other crap - Even among the TN members here.


On topic, good that these DMK fools did not try anything stupid - They started institutionalizing the corruption in 1971 in TN and by 1975 they were on sticky wicket with the center(who formed Sarkaria commission to probe corruption against these guys) and that is when they thought they can mislead people again - The only difference is if they have raised the voice loudly in 1975 would mean that their a**es would have got spanked by GOI much earlier(than during the emergency when his dear son Stalin got his a** spanked for non-political reasons along with other DMK leaders)

 

[funtoosh]

I am Indian, who is a Tamil speaker born and raised in madras. there is no talk of separate country here.

 

[Ayush]

@joekrish @KS

 

[IFB]

Not gonna happen for the next 1000 years at least .

 

[LaBong]

It was during indira imposed emergency, things were very murky back then with indira putting most of dmk leadership in jail.

 

[Nitin Tomer]

Tamils should secede from India, they bring bad name to us by supporting LTTE

 

[apolitical]

Tamils should secede from India, they bring bad name to us by supporting LTTE

Us? Why do they bring bad name to Pakistanis like you ?

 

[navtrek]

Thanks for pointing it out; was mentioned clearly enough in the first paragraph but yeah just in case you'd still miss it

Rather relevant to today given all the debates going on about Tamil-ism

No buddy that debate is dead now i guess i know better coz i am from South India. Tamil people are more Indian than most southern states. They are fiercely patriotic.

PS: LTTE was the first organization to use suicide bombs and Cyanide pills. (A stupid comparison but we are all Tamil and we are fiercely patriotic)

DMK

The article needs to be seen in the context of the policies taken by the then central government and its repercussions and also the period when emergency was declared.

 

[joekrish]

To anyone who doubts a tamilians patriotisum this video is my answer.

Sindhu Nadhiyin Isai (Kai Kodutha Deivam) | Bharathiyar Song - YouTube

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

No buddy that debate is dead now i guess i know better coz i am from South India. Tamil people are more Indian than most southern states. They are fiercely patriotic.

PS: LTTE was the first organization to use suicide bombs and Cyanide pills. (A stupid comparison but we are all Tamil and we are fiercely patriotic)



The article needs to be seen in the context of the policies taken by the then central government and its repercussions and also the period when emergency was declared.

Yes we are all well aware about this innovative and productive tactic your fellow Tamils brought to the subcontinent (more specifically Sri Lanka). You don't need to remind us.

You'll have a harder time selling your patriotism here; if that patriotism you talk about manifested itself as LTTE then I'm glad we could do our part to help out Lankan allies rid itself of this "patriotism" and the venomous snake who spear-headed and ran this patriotic terrorism organization

 

[joekrish]

Yes we are all well aware about this innovative and productive tactic your fellow Tamils brought to the subcontinent (more specifically Sri Lanka). You don't need to remind us.

You'll have a harder time selling your patriotism here; if that patriotism you talk about manifested itself as LTTE then I'm glad we could do our part to help out Lankan allies rid itself of this "patriotism" and the venomous snake who spear-headed and ran this patriotic terrorism organization

We are sorry if we gave you the wrong idea, Our patriotism is not for sale, we are as Indian as any Indian and we do not have to prove it to any tom, dick or harry. As far as your claims about us supporting the LTTE, yes we were as proud or as guilty as you are about supporting the Kashmir terrorist but for sure we did know where to draw the line.

 

[Kavin]

Who is Rajaram?