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www.GOALias.blogspot.comRegional Aspirations 153giving Tamil cultural historygreater importance inschool curricula. The thirdagitation was againstthe craft educationscheme of the Stategovernment, which italleged was linkedto the Brahmanicalsocial outlook. It alsoagitated against makingHindi the country’s official language. Thesuccess of the anti-Hindi agitation of 1965 added to theDMK’s popularity.Sustained political agitations brought the DMK to power in theAssembly elections of 1967. Since then, the Dravidian parties havedominated the politics of Tamil Nadu. Though the DMK split after thedeath of its leader, C. Annadurai, the influence of Dravidian parties inTamil politics actually increased. After the split there were two parties– the DMK and the All India Anna DMK (AIADMK) – that claimedDravidian legacy. Both these parties have dominated politics in TamilNadu for the last four decades. Since 1996, one of these parties hasbeen a part of the ruling coalition at the Centre. In the 1990s, manyother Dravidian parties have emerged. These include MarumalarchchiDravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK)and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam(DMDK). All theseparties have keptalive the issueof regional pridein the politics ofTamil Nadu. Initiallyseen as a threat toIndian nationalism,regional politicsin Tamil Nadu is agood example ofthe compatibilityof regionalism andnationalism.