V. Maitreyan, the first Brahmin to hold an organisational post in DMK

The assignment of Dr. V. Maitreyan arsenic vice-president of the DMK’s Educators’ Wing has made him possibly the archetypal Brahmin to clasp an organisational station successful the Dravidian party. The erstwhile Rajya Sabha MP had joined the DMK successful August this year.

He is among a tiny fig of well-known Brahmins who person chosen to enactment oregon articulation a enactment traditionally associated with atheism and anti-Brahminism positions. Before Maitreyan, the notable objection was V.P. Raman, who had served arsenic Advocate-General of Tamil Nadu during the AIADMK authorities nether Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran. Raman was a subordinate of the DMK for 4 years from 1957.

Mr. Maitreyan, who began his governmental vocation successful the BJP earlier joining the AIADMK, represented the second successful the Rajya Sabha and was considered 1 of the trusted lieutenants of enactment person and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. Her demise near leaders from the Brahmin community, specified arsenic Maitreyan and erstwhile DGP Natarajan, elected from the Mylapore Assembly constituency, without important governmental space.

In his societal media message, Dr. Maitreyan, an oncologist by qualification, said helium would enactment tirelessly to unafraid a expansive triumph nether the enactment of ‘Thalapathy’ (M. K. Stalin) successful the 2026 Assembly election.

Unlike the Dravidar Kazhagam, the DMK has nary explicit rules prohibiting the admittance of Brahmins arsenic members. Historian K. Thirunavukkarasu discusses this successful his enactment ‘DMK Varalaru’ (History of the DMK). In the 3rd volume, helium reproduces V.R. Nedunchezhian’s explanation, published successful the mag ‘Mandram’ successful 1955. The DMK dropped the missive “r” from “Dravidar” to marque the word much inclusive—signifying a federation alternatively than a race.

“The DMK has admitted not Arya Brahmins, but those who person relinquished Aryan Brahminical traits and ideas and embraced the civilization of the Dravidian land,” writes Mr. Thirunavukkarasu, recalling Nedunchezhian’s explanation. His penning frankincense endorsed the inclusion of Brahmins successful the DMK.

The DMK has ne'er shown an involvement successful admitting Brahmins into the party. It believes that the community, fixed its antipathy towards the party, volition not ballot for it. In the Madras South (now Chennai South) Lok Sabha bye-election, the DMK campaigner Murasoli Maran had drawn a blank successful a booth astatine Mylapore Chitrakulam contempt a run by C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) successful his favour. The bye-election was caused pursuing the resignation of DMK laminitis C.N. Annadurai successful 1967 erstwhile helium took implicit arsenic Chief Minister pursuing the DMK’s triumph successful the Assembly elections. 

V.P. Raman’s determination to articulation the DMK amazed many, fixed his Brahmin background. His father, A.V. Raman, was a person of Rajagopalachari, and it was astatine V.P. Raman’s house, connected the country of what was past Lloyds Road, that the historical gathering betwixt Rajaji and Annadurai took place. The gathering became a sensation. Rajaji had not yet launched his Swatantra Party, and V.P. Raman organised the gathering connected his ain initiative.

Mr. Thirunavukkarasu says erstwhile A.V. Raman died, Annadurai wrote an obituary successful ‘Dravida Nadu’ praising him for having fixed a “good lad to america (DMK) and to the country.” “Though calved a Brahmin, helium ne'er remained a stumbling artifact to progressive ideas,” wrote Annadurai, who participated successful a condolence gathering with Rajaji.

V.P. Raman ne'er held immoderate presumption successful the DMK. Nedunchezhian, successful his publication ‘The DMK’, says V.P. Raman was a subordinate of the committee to revise and reappraisal the enactment constitution successful 1958, and the amendments were approved astatine the wide assembly gathering successful Mayiladuthurai successful 1959. He aboriginal became Advocate-General during the AIADMK authorities betwixt 1977 and 1980.

Another notable Brahmin look of the DMK was Kamatchi Jayaraman, who became Mayor of Chennai. Her hubby Jayaraman had been a DMK councillor, and aft his decease she was elected and became Mayor.

“But nary Brahmin had go a Minister, MLA oregon MP successful the DMK,” Mr. Thirunavukkarasu said.