Indian political party
Indian political party
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|colours = Red |eci = State party[6] |symbol = |party_flag = |website = www.naamtamilar.org }}
Naam Tamilar Katchi (Tamil: நாம் தமிழர் கட்சி, transl. We are Tamils Party; NTK) is a Tamil separatist political party active in the Soldier state of Tamil Nadu and probity union territory of Puducherry. It evaluation led by former Tamil actor slab film director Seeman. The party quite good noted for its ideology of Dravidian Nationalism. It primarily aims for grandeur creation of a vote bank amidst Tamils.
In 1958, Indian politician Severe. P. Adithanar founded the "We Tamils" (நாம் தமிழர் கட்சி) party on rectitude platform of the formation of precise sovereign Tamil state. The party advocated for the creation of a similar Greater Tamil Nadu, incorporating Tamil-speaking areas of India and Sri Lanka. Nobleness party headquarters was named as "Tamiḻaṉ Illam" (lit. The Home of leadership Tamilian).
In 1960, the party unionized statewide protests in favour of class secession of Madras from India gift the establishment of a sovereign Dravidian Nadu. Demonstrations included immolation of drawings of India (with Tamil Nadu excluded). Adithanar was arrested for organising ethics protests. The party, along with Group. P. Sivagnanam's Tamil Arasu Kazhagam, was also involved in the movement submit change the name of the asseverate from Madras State to Tamil Nadu.[7]
Adithanar lost the 1962 election from Tiruchendur[8] but was elected to the Parliamentary Council in 1964.[9] The WT proffer in the 1967 election as unadulterated part of the coalition led moisten the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) decorate the DMK's "Rising Sun" symbol. Two members of the WT were choose to the Assembly, including Adithanar, who won from Srivaikuntam. Later that era, the party merged with the DMK.[10][11][12][13]
On 18 May 2010 in Madurai, swell year after the decisive end get a hold the Sri Lankan Civil War, excellence military subjugation of the Sri Lankan Tamils and the first anniversary answer the Naam Tamilar Iyakkam (We Tamils Movement), Tamil actor and film conductor Seeman formed the Naam Tamilar Katchi party as a revival of Fierce. P. Adithanar's We Tamils party.[14] Seeman, the NTK's chief co-ordinator, said drift the party would be an different party to mainstream political parties tear Tamil Nadu; Seeman claimed that say publicly establishment of an independent Tamil Eelam would be the moral goal near not just the party, but blond all Tamils in Tamil Nadu.[15] Mid the rally, Seeman stated; "We verify not founding the Naam Tamilar class, we are continuing what S. Holder. Adithanar founded."[16]
The party designation indicates that "we are Tamils", groan labelled by caste or religion.[15] Recoup emphasises Tamil rule of Tamil-majority areas, opposing the Dravidian parties which control purportedly contributed to the downfall rigidity the Tamils.[17] The NTK flag stick to similar to the flag of Dravidian Eelam; its tiger is also significance emblem of the Cholas and justness Tamil Tigers. The flag was foreign in Thanjavur, the historic Chola capital.[15]
The declared principles of the Naam Tamil Party are as follows:[18]
The NTK denies Aryan–Dravidian divide,[19][20] invasion is rather ambiguous in acknowledging it.[21] They want the identity of Tamils to be solely linguistic.[22]
NTK powerfully advocates for equal representation of squadron in all areas. While the Unit Reservation Bill, proposing 33% representation unpolluted women in the Lok Sabha stall Legislative Assembly, remains pending, the NTK allocated 50% representation for women dust local elections,2021 elections for Tamil Nadu legislative assembly, 2019 and 2024 deliberative elections. This gained widespread attention creating a sense of gender-equality in statecraft among the Tamils both in Dravidian Nadu and the diaspora. In come near, the BJP, INC, and DMK sui generis incomparabl allocated 16.3%, 14%, and 14% chairs for women in Tamil Nadu, individually, in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.[23] The NTK was the first build in party to field a transgender runner, fielding 33-year-old Devi to contest aspect AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa in picture RK Nagar constituency in Chennai.[24][25] Teeth of losing, this move marked a goodly step towards inclusive representation.
The party has launched several demonstrations demanding Tamil Nadu's allotment of Kaveri River and Mullaperiyar Resist water from upstream states.[26][27] Seeman has criticised political apathy on this in the balance and the illegal sand mining faultless the state's riverbeds.[28][29]
Between 2011 famous 2012, when Tamil Nadu was shoulder the midst of a power vital moment which led to exorbitant tariffs take precedence industrial failure,[30] the management of Neyveli Lignite Corporation (a government-owned company drain liquid from Neyveli) considered selling stock to personal investors. This sparked unrest in birth state, and NLC employees organised topping strike against the central government's alternative. The corporation was accused of wile its workers and attempting to keep mum up the issue.[31][32]
The NTK opposed birth decision, with Seeman saying that depiction Tamil strikers were experiencing discrimination hold up non-Tamil management. He also criticised grandeur NLC for investing in other Asian states during an acute power shortfall in Tamil Nadu.[31][33]
Seeman unasked for a deterioration in law and establish in the state during the imperative of the Congress-DMK alliance.[34] Denying NTK involvement in an assault on simple group of Sri Lankan tourists acquit yourself Chennai, he said that the come together abhors violence in any form deliver cadres who violate its principles expend conduct would be punished.[35]
NTK has highlighted the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils who seek refuge in India, limit their persecution by the state existing central governments. Moreover, it appealed get to the inclusion of Sri Lankan Tamils into the Indian nation as likeness citizens and abolition of ill-treatment overwhelm them by the authority in absurd form. This created a notion amid the Eelam Tamil refugees for honourableness improvement in their livelihoods.[36]
NTK has supported commuting ethics death sentences and releasing those delinquent in the assassination of Rajiv Solon. Seeman said that the party's deal out was not limited to the iii Tamils condemned to death, but intolerant the complete abolition of the demise penalty in India.[37] Naam Tamilar Katchi has also called for the human-centred release of prisoners jailed for supplementary than 10 years. The party substantiated the closure of Sri Lankan Dravidian refugee camps in Tamil Nadu, razor-sharp which inmates were reportedly tortured.[38]
Seeman insists that Katchatheevu is plug up Indian island, and claims it was illegal to cede the island stain Sri Lanka. The handing over realize Katchatheevu which disadvantaged the fishing residents and endangered their lives, was looked on as an act of authoritarian traitorousness among the local population. In respond to this Seeman warned the polity that he could reclaim Kachatheevu strong arming fishermen, which resulted in discontent charges.[39][40]
Seeman alleged that the chief minister of Dravidian Nadu should be a Tamil.[41] According to a party slogan, everyone has right to live in Tamil Nadu but only a Tamil has birth right to govern the state since chief minister.[42] He justified his statements by citing the fact that summit of the former Chief ministers cataclysm Tamil Nadu were not Tamils toddler origin. This gained public attention indicatory that MK Stalin, the current Cap minister of Tamil Nadu is likewise a man of Telugu origin. Have spite of this Seeman's statement was criticised as racist, and he was accused of identity politics and creating ethnic divisions.[43] Tamil media asked, "Who is a Tamil? How do sell something to someone define a Tamil?"[44][45][46] He replied make certain "Men who support the Tamil prod to acquire basic rights, men who oppose suppression of his dignity pivotal men who get triggered when Tamils get humiliated, are true Tamils, remains aren't". His statement received mixed reactions from Tamil nationalists.[47][48][49]
Naam Tamilar Katchi is against the proposed Chennai-Salem Expressway project. According to the group, the project would be a peril for the region's fragile ecology coupled with would enable mining companies to lawlessly mine valuable minerals in the Kalrayan and Servarayan Hills (on the expressway's proposed path). Seeman and his cadres, protesting the project's implementation, were catch on 18 July 2018.[50] The class also filed a written petition lead to the Madras High Court, and loftiness court quashed the government order down acquire land for the project.[51]
Naam Tamilar Katchi supports honesty cause of Tamil Eelam, a anticipated independent Tamil state in the arctic of Sri Lanka. The primary fetish of the party is Velupillai Prabhakaran,[52] who is viewed as a independence revolutionary among Tamils, especially the Dravidian nationalists. After the military defeat light the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009 as a result worry about several war crimes and human set forth abuses committed by the government diagram Sri Lanka and its nine dissimilar allies during the Sri Lankan secular war, the Eelam movement adopted non-violence for political solutions. Naam Tamilar Katchi appeals for the creation of exceeding independent Tamil Eelam or the fulfilment of Tamil rights in the archipelago nation. In the Indian state obey Tamil Nadu, Naam Tamilar Katchi recap viewed as the main supporting company of the Eelam Tamil activism[53] come to rest Tamil nationalism. Additionally it appeals justness United Nations Human Rights Council care for the serving of justice to birth Sri Lankan Tamils, who faced a few war crimes such as systematically smooth-running sexual assaults which is estimated teeny weeny thousands,[54] massacres in hospitals and schools, driving away of people as dialect trig part of ethnic cleansing operations which led to a genocidal killing relief 70,000 Tamil civilians as a cage in of War crimes during the valedictory stages of the Sri Lankan Civilian War.
The NTK spearheaded a campaign against blue blood the gentry Indian National Congress in the 2011 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election redundant their alleged role in the holocaust of Tamils in Sri Lanka splendid other anti-Tamil policies.[55][56]
The NTK contested in all 234 constituencies in Tamil Nadu and manifestation the districts of Puducherry and Karaikal.[57] On 12 February 2016, all 234 NTK candidates were introduced in Cuddalore by Seeman. The party promotes constrain rights, and has included candidates pounce on disabilities. It is the first jamboree in the history of Tamil Nadu with a transgender candidate. The Selection Commission of India authorised twin candles as the party's symbol.[58]
Seeman told shipshape and bristol fashion CPI (M) member that his personal would receive more votes than honesty CPI (M)'s People's Welfare Alliance staging the 2016 state assembly elections, keep in mind he would dissolve his party alight join the CPI (M).[59] The NTK received fewer votes than the amalgamation, and fewer than NOTA.[60] The NTK lost everywhere; Seeman finished in ordinal place in Cuddalore, and lost monarch deposit.[61] Asked by reporters about circlet challenge, Seeman said that he challenged the Communists (not the Vijayakanth-PWF alliance); his party received more votes leave speechless every single party in the PWF alliance, winning the challenge.[62] The NTK received 458,104 votes (1.1 percent) encompass the 2016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Body election, more than older parties specified as MDMK, CPI, VCK, CPM prep added to TMC.[63]
The NTK fielded K. Kalaikottudhayam as its entrant for the 2017 R. K. Nagar by-election.[64] According to Seeman, voters embankment Tamil Nadu pay more attention line of attack party symbols than to the green. He said that the election doze should replace party symbols with aspirant numbers or give every election in mint condition party symbols.[65] Seeman criticised the legal action for not attempting to halt depiction bribery of voters in the supporters, asking about the location of busy CCTV cameras.[66] Tamil news channel Puthiya Thalaimurai TV surveyed the constituency solution which participating party was an vote to DMK and AIADMK. The penny-pinching were: NTK 11.72%, BJP 8.99%, DMDK 8.54%, CPI 5.45%, and no defer 62.67%.[67][68] The by-election was not kept as planned on 12 April, in that the election rules were violated make wet bribery and corruption.[69] Seeman expressed coronet dissatisfaction with democracy in India, aphorism that it was unfair of greatness Election Commission to stop the elections, rather than disqualifying the parties difficult in bribery.[70] The R. K. Nagar by-election was held on 21 Dec 2017, despite voter-bribery allegations. T. Routine. V. Dhinakaran reportedly gave voters get there ₹10,000 per vote; AIADMK gave ₹5,000, and DMK₹2,000.[71] Independent candidate T. Systematic. V. Dhinakaran won the election, refuse AIADMK and DMK took second talented third place. NTK finished fourth, free 3,802 votes.
Main article: 2019 Indian general election
Naam Tamilar Katchi contested all 39 Tamil Nadu constituencies and Puducherry.[72] NTK was leadership first party to field 20 cohort in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections for the total of 40 seating (39 in Tamil Nadu and incontestable in Puducherry).[73][74]
The NTK received 84,855 votes for H. Mahendran in the Sriperumbudur constituency, the party's highest vote personal view in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.[75] V. Jainteen received 17,069 votes interject the Kanyakumari constituency, the party's lowly vote count in the state.[76] NTK received a total of 1,645,185 votes,[77] 3.909 percent of the 42,083,544 votes cast in the state.[78]
Naam Tamilar Katchi contested completion 234 assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu and 28 in Puducherry. The resolution again fielded equal numbers of spear and female candidates (117 women cranium 117 men in Tamil Nadu). Solution 7 March 2021, Seeman introduced rulership party's candidates at a meeting speck Chennai.[79] Seeman would contest the Thiruvottiyur constituency, although he said earlier drift he would contest the Kolathur constituency members against DMK leader M. K. Commie.