Nationalismus, Filmindustrie und Charisma in Tamil Nadu. Entstehung und politische Einbindung einer tamilischen Autonomiebewegung in Südindien

Abstract

This essay is an attempt to describe the peculiar interrelationship which has emerged over the span of half a century in Tamil Nadu between three important elements of populist, democratic politics: namely Tamil nationalism, movies as a medium of party propaganda and the charisma of a superstar, turned Chief Minister. I first demonstrate how a blueprint for Tamil nationalism originated in a missionary effort to counter the influence and authority of "Brahmanism" and how it acquired an ideological form and a political impact from the 1920s onwards, with the beginning of political reform and party competition. Secondly, I outline how after independence, a regional party, the DMK emerged which instrumentalized, transformed and diluted this Tamil nationalism. The DMK was founded and dominated by a Tamil intelligentsia and by Tamil artists who had worked in the newly developing movie studios in Madras and who now transformed the Tamil movies into vehicles for DMK party propaganda. This dominance of movie artists in the party organization and this dependence on movies as a means of propaganda and entertainment determines the structure and the popularity of the DMK. The DMK operates as a party of mass entertainment, it transforms moviegoers into party members and it dilutes an initially radical Tamil nationalism in accordance with the tastes of its fans and voters. When in 1967 a DMK-govemment displaces a Congress government, the DMK leaderhip tries to free itself from this dependence on movies and film stars. This attempt leads to the split of the DMK and to the rise of a new party, the AIADMK, founded by the most important DMK film star, "MGR", and based on his film clubs. In the final part of this essay, I describe how, parallel to the rise of this star to the position of chief minister, an already diluted Tamil nationalism is further transformed. While MGR turns into a political Messiah and Godhead, the remaining doctrines of Tamil nationalism merge into the charisma and worship of MGR. Thus, over the span of half a century, an initially radical, anti-Brahminical and secessionist doctrine is first modified by the self-generated constraints of the movie industry until it vanishes in the charisma of superstar turned Chief Minister who rules over Tamil Nadu as an allegory of the "common man" and as a patron of all Tamils.