The youth are
idealistic. There are worlds to conquer, battles to win, deeds to be
done. They have not yet learned what can’t be done. They do not get
jaded by life’s heartbreaks and defeats. And because they don’t know
what can’t be done, they often achieve great things. They have boundless
energy. They never tire in whatever work they passionately believe in.
They approach many things with a clear slate. They don’t have many of
the old prejudices, that the older adults have. This is why there is
often less of a problem with communal and casteist bigotry among the
young than the old.
The DMK leadership correctly estimated the strength of the youth in society and successfully harnessed their idealism and boundless energy for the principles and programmes of the movement, which were mostly youth-oriented.
Whether it was the demand for Dravidanadu and later giving it up even while asserting that the reasons for secession still remained, or the agitations against Hindi imposition or the silent revolution for social reform through persuasive activities like self-respect and inter-caste marriages – they were more targeted towards younger generations in the interests of their future than the aged, who had got accustomed to living with the prevailing oppressive traditions and suffocating realities of life in absolute despondency. Of course, the Party did not lag behind in voicing the grievances of the people and launching struggles on issues like price rise and on sectional problems of workers, handloom weavers et al, as it was growing into a mass movement.
The appeal of the DMK for the youth did not abate but expanded and widened as it emerged during the anti-Hindi agitation in 1965 by the student community, the cream of the youth. It was because of such massive movements led by the Party that the menacing advance of Hindi as the sole official language was halted.
After assuming power in the State in 1967, the DMK government launched several schemes for the youth of both genders. Even as a ruling party, the DMK gave a call for organizing a ‘Day of Uprise’ urging the Centre to start Salem Steel Plant – both as a matter of staking the State’s right and for creating employment opportunities for youngsters.
The previous government of Kalaignar was pursuing a vigorous programme of industrialization taking Tamil Nadu as the most favoured destination for both domestic and foreign direct investments, thus creating tens of thousands of direct and indirect employment. In order to provide more avenues for self-employment, the DMK government was taking special interest in popularizing Self Help Groups of both young women and men and lakhs in both gender make a decent living. In order to provide at least minimum relief to the educated unemployed, the government was providing monthly financial assistance to these young men and women. One of the earliest measures taken by the government was scrapping of the freeze on recruitment to government service and departments imposed by the previous ADMK government and filling up all vacancies. Accordingly 2,28,149 youth were provided employment in five years as against the DMK poll promise to fill up three lakh vacancies in government jobs. To compensate the loss of five years for employment avenues, the minimum age in government employment for different sections of unemployed youth, was also raised by five years.
Although the Party and its governments were youthful as ever and fully addressing the concerns of the younger generations, the need for the self-initiatives of the next generations of the cadre, for strengthening the movement was felt, giving birth to the DMK Youth Wing in 1980 rightly under the stewardship of Thalapathi M.K.Stalin, who had pioneered a Youth DMK unit in his residential area Gopalapuram and involved it in all the functions and programmes of the Party. It must be underlined that the Youth Wing was inaugurated and started spreading its wings all over the State under terribly hostile and oppressive regimes. The cadres of the wing were in the forefront in all the actions and agitations of the Party against a fascist regime. Grown-up and matured under such inimical circumstances, the Youth wing cadres naturally were selfless, steeled in courage and determination.
It is also noteworthy that the Dravidian movement in general and the DMK, the movement of the youth, by the youth and for the youth, in particular was mainly instrumental for guarding the youth of Tamil Nadu, from going astray into fissiparous, communal, chauvinist and extremist tendencies and maintain the traditions of tolerance, amity and peace loving, despite periodical provocations.
It is this strength of the wing that Kalaignar wants to boost further and prepare it more intellectually and ideologically organized so as to lead the entire youth community on a noble and idealistic path, with the same spirit and zeal of those who followed Arignar Anna in 1949.
With this objective in mind and in order to infuse fresh blood into the Youth Wing, Thalapathi M.K.Stalin launched a campaign for identifying and recruiting new talents from the grass root levels and rejuvenate the Youth Wing.
In the first phase, interviews were conducted by Thalapathi M.K.Stalin assisted by Youth Wing Deputy Secretaries M.Subramanian, E.Sugavanam MP, SP T Sampath, Paranamathupatti Rajendran and Hasan Mohammed Jinnah, in all districts, among the aspirants for appointment of functionaries at Unions, town panchayat wards and area levels. Age limits upto 30 for the three levels and 40 years for district and city levels were fixed. In all those interviews in districts which were conducted, the respective party district secretaries were also present. At the end of the process, Thiru Stalin said over one lakh youngsters participated in these. Then lists of functionaries, for these positions were finalized with the approval of party leadership and announced.
In the second phase, these newly recruited youth wing functionaries were given ideological orientation through well organized Training camps conducted in all districts.
Eminent scholars and experienced DMK leaders including Dr. M.Nannan, Prof. Abdul Kadher, Prof. Sabapathi Mohan, Prof. A.Ramasamy, Dr. K.Ponmudy, Thiru Durai Murugan,
N.Selvendran and N.Siva MP imparted training on ‘History of the Dravidian movement’. ‘Social Justice’ and ‘Language agitation’. Those who attended the camps were much benefited.
In the third phase, interviews for ‘appointing organizers and deputy organizers for district and city units were conducted at Anbagam, the Youth Wing headquarters in Chennai.
The DMK’s Youth Wing will hold a State-level conference soon after obtaining permission from the party high command, said Thalapathi M.K. Stalin, secretary of the youth wing on Sep.19 at the end of the third phase.
The DMK leadership correctly estimated the strength of the youth in society and successfully harnessed their idealism and boundless energy for the principles and programmes of the movement, which were mostly youth-oriented.
Whether it was the demand for Dravidanadu and later giving it up even while asserting that the reasons for secession still remained, or the agitations against Hindi imposition or the silent revolution for social reform through persuasive activities like self-respect and inter-caste marriages – they were more targeted towards younger generations in the interests of their future than the aged, who had got accustomed to living with the prevailing oppressive traditions and suffocating realities of life in absolute despondency. Of course, the Party did not lag behind in voicing the grievances of the people and launching struggles on issues like price rise and on sectional problems of workers, handloom weavers et al, as it was growing into a mass movement.
The appeal of the DMK for the youth did not abate but expanded and widened as it emerged during the anti-Hindi agitation in 1965 by the student community, the cream of the youth. It was because of such massive movements led by the Party that the menacing advance of Hindi as the sole official language was halted.
After assuming power in the State in 1967, the DMK government launched several schemes for the youth of both genders. Even as a ruling party, the DMK gave a call for organizing a ‘Day of Uprise’ urging the Centre to start Salem Steel Plant – both as a matter of staking the State’s right and for creating employment opportunities for youngsters.
The previous government of Kalaignar was pursuing a vigorous programme of industrialization taking Tamil Nadu as the most favoured destination for both domestic and foreign direct investments, thus creating tens of thousands of direct and indirect employment. In order to provide more avenues for self-employment, the DMK government was taking special interest in popularizing Self Help Groups of both young women and men and lakhs in both gender make a decent living. In order to provide at least minimum relief to the educated unemployed, the government was providing monthly financial assistance to these young men and women. One of the earliest measures taken by the government was scrapping of the freeze on recruitment to government service and departments imposed by the previous ADMK government and filling up all vacancies. Accordingly 2,28,149 youth were provided employment in five years as against the DMK poll promise to fill up three lakh vacancies in government jobs. To compensate the loss of five years for employment avenues, the minimum age in government employment for different sections of unemployed youth, was also raised by five years.
Although the Party and its governments were youthful as ever and fully addressing the concerns of the younger generations, the need for the self-initiatives of the next generations of the cadre, for strengthening the movement was felt, giving birth to the DMK Youth Wing in 1980 rightly under the stewardship of Thalapathi M.K.Stalin, who had pioneered a Youth DMK unit in his residential area Gopalapuram and involved it in all the functions and programmes of the Party. It must be underlined that the Youth Wing was inaugurated and started spreading its wings all over the State under terribly hostile and oppressive regimes. The cadres of the wing were in the forefront in all the actions and agitations of the Party against a fascist regime. Grown-up and matured under such inimical circumstances, the Youth wing cadres naturally were selfless, steeled in courage and determination.
It is also noteworthy that the Dravidian movement in general and the DMK, the movement of the youth, by the youth and for the youth, in particular was mainly instrumental for guarding the youth of Tamil Nadu, from going astray into fissiparous, communal, chauvinist and extremist tendencies and maintain the traditions of tolerance, amity and peace loving, despite periodical provocations.
It is this strength of the wing that Kalaignar wants to boost further and prepare it more intellectually and ideologically organized so as to lead the entire youth community on a noble and idealistic path, with the same spirit and zeal of those who followed Arignar Anna in 1949.
With this objective in mind and in order to infuse fresh blood into the Youth Wing, Thalapathi M.K.Stalin launched a campaign for identifying and recruiting new talents from the grass root levels and rejuvenate the Youth Wing.
In the first phase, interviews were conducted by Thalapathi M.K.Stalin assisted by Youth Wing Deputy Secretaries M.Subramanian, E.Sugavanam MP, SP T Sampath, Paranamathupatti Rajendran and Hasan Mohammed Jinnah, in all districts, among the aspirants for appointment of functionaries at Unions, town panchayat wards and area levels. Age limits upto 30 for the three levels and 40 years for district and city levels were fixed. In all those interviews in districts which were conducted, the respective party district secretaries were also present. At the end of the process, Thiru Stalin said over one lakh youngsters participated in these. Then lists of functionaries, for these positions were finalized with the approval of party leadership and announced.
In the second phase, these newly recruited youth wing functionaries were given ideological orientation through well organized Training camps conducted in all districts.
Eminent scholars and experienced DMK leaders including Dr. M.Nannan, Prof. Abdul Kadher, Prof. Sabapathi Mohan, Prof. A.Ramasamy, Dr. K.Ponmudy, Thiru Durai Murugan,
N.Selvendran and N.Siva MP imparted training on ‘History of the Dravidian movement’. ‘Social Justice’ and ‘Language agitation’. Those who attended the camps were much benefited.
In the third phase, interviews for ‘appointing organizers and deputy organizers for district and city units were conducted at Anbagam, the Youth Wing headquarters in Chennai.
The DMK’s Youth Wing will hold a State-level conference soon after obtaining permission from the party high command, said Thalapathi M.K. Stalin, secretary of the youth wing on Sep.19 at the end of the third phase.
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