Justice Party (South Indian Liberal Federation) – Non-Brahmin Manifesto 1916, Dyarchy Ministries 1920–37, Communal G.O.s, HRE Act & Salem 1944 | TNPSC Notes

The Justice Party, officially the South Indian Liberal Federation (SILF), was formed in Madras on 20 November 1916 by non-Brahmin leaders led by Dr. C. Natesa Mudaliar, Sir P. Theagaraya Chetty and Dr. T. M. Nair. Through its Non-Brahmin Manifesto (December 1916) it demanded a fair share for non-Brahmins in jobs, education and politics. It won the first election under dyarchy (1920) and ruled the Madras Presidency for most of 1920–1937, issuing the Communal G.O.s (1921, 1922) and passing the Hindu Religious Endowments law. After its defeat in 1937 it came under Periyar (1938) and was renamed the Dravidar Kazhagam at Salem in 1944.

தமிழில் படிக்க

These notes are written for TNPSC Group 1, 2/2A and 4 aspirants and are meant to be complete on their own. The Justice Party is a core topic in History, Culture, Heritage and Socio-Political Movements of Tamil Nadu (the non-Brahmin movement, the roots of the Dravidian movement and social justice). The Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms and dyarchy belong to History, Culture of India and Indian National Movement; communal reservation and its constitutional story link to Indian Polity; and the social-justice measures that shaped later Tamil Nadu policy come under Development Administration in Tamil Nadu. Read each section, then use the tables, the quick revision table and the key points at the end.

Background: Why a Non-Brahmin Movement Arose

In the early twentieth century, leaders of non-Brahmin communities in the Madras Presidency argued that a small section of society held most posts in government service, in the universities and in public life, while the non-Brahmin majority had only a small share. Figures collected by the Madras government and later quoted by historians showed this imbalance – for example, government data for 1912 showed Brahmins holding a large majority of the posts of Deputy Collector, Sub-Judge and District Munsif.

• Imbalance in jobs and education: non-Brahmin leaders pointed to the high share of one community in the civil services and among university graduates.
• Political setbacks: in 1916 T. M. Nair lost the election to the Imperial Legislative Council (southern districts) to V. S. Srinivasa Sastri; such defeats pushed non-Brahmin leaders towards forming their own political body.
• Home Rule agitation: non-Brahmin leaders feared that self-government demanded by the Home Rule movement and the Congress of that time would leave power with the same educated elite.
• Coming constitutional reforms: the British government was preparing new reforms (announced in 1917), and non-Brahmin leaders wanted separate representation before the new councils were formed.

Forerunners

• Madras United League (1912): formed with Dr. C. Natesa Mudaliar as secretary; it was later renamed the Madras Dravidian Association.
• Hostel for non-Brahmin students: Natesa Mudaliar's association ran a hostel for non-Brahmin students who came to Madras for higher studies.

Formation of the South Indian Liberal Federation (1916)

• Date: 20 November 1916, at the Victoria Public Hall, Madras – a meeting of about 30 non-Brahmin leaders.
• Founders: Dr. C. Natesa Mudaliar, Sir Pitti Theagaraya Chetty and Dr. T. M. Nair; Alamelu Mangai Thayarammal is also named among the founders. The Raja of Panagal (P. Ramarayaningar) was among the early leaders.
• First president: P. Theagaraya Chetty, who led the party until his death in 1925.
• Name "Justice Party": taken from its English daily Justice.

The Non-Brahmin Manifesto (December 1916)

In December 1916 the new organisation issued the Non-Brahmin Manifesto. Its main points were:

• Non-Brahmins formed the overwhelming majority of the population of the Presidency but had a very small share in government service, education and the legislature.
• Non-Brahmins should organise themselves to secure their share of political power and public appointments.
• It expressed loyalty to British rule and did not support the Home Rule demand of the time.
• It is regarded as a founding document of the Dravidian movement.

Newspapers of the Movement

Founders and Key People

Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms and Dyarchy

The Montagu Declaration of August 1917 promised the gradual development of self-governing institutions in India. The Montagu–Chelmsford Report (1918) led to the Government of India Act, 1919, which introduced dyarchy (double government) in the provinces.

• Nair in London: T. M. Nair went to England in 1918 to press for separate representation for non-Brahmins and was due to give evidence before the Joint Select Committee of Parliament, but died in London on 17 July 1919.
• Meston Award: the dispute between Brahmin and non-Brahmin groups over seats was referred to Lord Meston; his award gave non-Brahmins 28 reserved seats.
• Congress boycott: the Congress, then following Non-Cooperation, boycotted the 1920 elections.

Justice Party Ministries (1920–1937)

In the 1920 election, the first under dyarchy, the Justice Party won 63 of the 98 elected seats. Theagaraya Chetty declined to head the government, and A. Subbarayalu Reddiar became the first First Minister (the title then used for Chief Minister) of the Madras Presidency. The Legislative Council met for the first time in January 1921.

Exam tip: under dyarchy the head of the ministry was called the First Minister or Premier; modern books and question papers usually say Chief Minister. The first was A. Subbarayalu Reddiar, not Theagaraya Chetty (who declined) and not Rajaji (first Congress Premier, 1937).

Achievements of the Justice Party Governments

1. Communal Government Orders (1921 and 1922)

• First Communal G.O.: issued on 16 September 1921 by the Justice Party government, after a resolution in the Legislative Council. Its aim was to increase the share of non-Brahmins in government posts.
• Second Communal G.O.: 1922, issued to put the first order into effect.
• Groups to benefit: non-Brahmin Hindus, Muslims, Indian Christians and Adi Dravidars.
• Significance: it is regarded as the starting point of communal representation in government posts in the Madras Presidency. In practice it was applied slowly, because appointments remained largely in the hands of British officials.
• Later history: after independence, the Communal G.O. as applied to college admissions was struck down in State of Madras v. Champakam Dorairajan (1951); this led Parliament to pass the First Constitutional Amendment (1951), which added Article 15(4).

2. Staff Selection Board (1924) and Public Service Commission (1929)

• The Panagal ministry set up a Staff Selection Board in 1924 to select candidates for government posts.
• In 1929 it was replaced by the Madras Service Commission, – the first provincial Public Service Commission in India. It is the forerunner of today's TNPSC.

3. Hindu Religious Endowments Act

• The Panagal ministry brought a bill to regulate the administration of Hindu temples and their endowments, aimed at checking mismanagement of temple funds.
• The bill met strong opposition and became law as the Madras Hindu Religious Endowments Act (Act I of 1925).
• A Hindu Religious Endowments Board was set up to supervise temples (sources give 1925 or 1927); it is the forerunner of today's HR&CE Department.
• Note on years: sources give different years for this law – 1921 or 1922 (bill), 1925 (Act I of 1925) and 1927 (the Tamil Nadu HR&CE policy note refers to the Madras Hindu Religious Endowments Act, 1927). In the exam, look at which ministry and which purpose are asked; the ministry is always the Raja of Panagal's.

4. Women's Franchise (1921)

• In 1921 the Madras Legislative Council passed a resolution to give women the right to vote on the same property and education qualifications as men. Madras was one of the first provinces of British India to do so.
• Later, the Council allowed women to become members; Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy was nominated to the Council in 1926, becoming the first woman legislator in British India.

5. Education

• Universities: Andhra University was established in 1926 and Annamalai University in 1929; the University of Madras was reorganised.
• Mid-day meals: in 1920 a mid-day meal was served in a Madras Corporation school at Thousand Lights; Theagaraya Chetty is credited with the idea.

6. Other Measures

• Town planning: the development of Theagaraya Nagar (T. Nagar) in Madras, on land reclaimed by filling a lake, with Panagal Park at its centre.

Decline of the Justice Party (1926–1937)

• Loss of founders: T. M. Nair died in 1919 and Theagaraya Chetty in 1925.
• Internal divisions: groups broke away from the party from the 1923 Council onwards, and the leadership changed in 1932.
• Narrow leadership base: the party was led mainly by landlords, zamindars and English-educated professionals, and had little organisation among ordinary people.
• Loyalty to the British: in a period of mass national movements (Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience), its loyal stand cost it popular support.
• Rise of the Congress: under the Government of India Act, 1935 (provincial autonomy), the Congress contested the 1937 election and won a large majority of the 215 Assembly seats; the Justice Party won only about 18, and the Raja of Bobbili lost his own seat to V. V. Giri.
• Satyamurti's remark: after the defeat, Congress leader S. Satyamurti is reported to have said that the Justice Party had been buried.

Periyar, the Salem Conference and the Dravidar Kazhagam (1938–1944)

• 1938: during the first anti-Hindi agitation, Periyar E. V. Ramasamy was elected president of the Justice Party while he was in prison. The Justice Party and the Self-Respect Movement then worked together under him.
• Salem, 27 August 1944: at the party's conference at Salem, a resolution moved by C. N. Annadurai renamed the Justice Party the Dravidar Kazhagam (DK).
• Change of direction: the DK stayed away from elections and worked as a social movement for self-respect, rationalism and social justice.
• Rump Justice Party: a group of older leaders, led by P. T. Rajan, continued to use the Justice Party name; it had little success and faded out after the 1952 election.
• Later line: Justice Party (1916) → Dravidar Kazhagam (1944) → Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (1949, formed by Annadurai).

Timeline of the Justice Party

Significance and Legacy

• Social justice in administration: the Communal G.O.s began the policy of communal representation in public services that later developed into Tamil Nadu's reservation system.
• Institutions: the Staff Selection Board led to the first provincial Public Service Commission (1929); the Religious Endowments Board is the root of today's HR&CE Department.
• Parliamentary experience: it was the first party in the Presidency to form an elected ministry and gave Indians experience of running transferred departments under dyarchy.
• Women's political rights: women's franchise (1921) and the entry of Muthulakshmi Reddy (1926) came in this period.
• Dravidian movement: its ideas passed to the Self-Respect Movement, the Dravidar Kazhagam and later the DMK.
• Limitations: its leadership came mostly from landed and professional elites, its loyalty to British rule kept it apart from the national movement, and many of its orders were applied only partly.

Writing Mains Answers on the Justice Party (Group 1 / Group 2)

Descriptive papers often ask about the Justice Party's rule and its contribution to social justice. Build your answer around these points and support each with a fact from the notes above.

Achievements of the Justice Party rule (about 200–250 words)

• Introduction: SILF formed 20 November 1916; won the 1920 dyarchy election (63 of 98 seats); ruled most of 1920–1937.
• Social justice: Communal G.O.s of 1921 and 1922 – share in government posts for all communities.
• Administration: Staff Selection Board (1924) → Madras Service Commission (1929), the first provincial PSC.
• Religion and society: Hindu Religious Endowments Act (Act I of 1925) and Board to regulate temple administration.
• Women: franchise in 1921; Muthulakshmi Reddy nominated in 1926.
• Education: Andhra University (1926), Annamalai University (1929), mid-day meal in a Madras Corporation school (1920).
• Conclusion: laid the base of Tamil Nadu's social-justice policies; limits – elite leadership and loyalist stand.

Causes for the decline of the Justice Party (about 150 words)

• Death of founders (Nair 1919, Theagaraya Chetty 1925).
• Internal splits and leadership changes (1923, 1932).
• Narrow social base – landlords, zamindars and professionals.
• Loyalist stand during mass national movements.
• Congress victory in 1937 under provincial autonomy; transformation into the DK at Salem (1944).

Dyarchy in the Madras Presidency (about 100–150 words)

• Government of India Act, 1919 – reserved and transferred subjects.
• Indian ministers held only transferred subjects; finance stayed with the Governor's Executive Council.
• Justice ministries (1920–26, 1930–37) used the transferred departments for social legislation.
• Ended with provincial autonomy under the 1935 Act (1937 elections).

Practice: Match the Following

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Official name: South Indian Liberal Federation – not "Liberation" Federation (a misprint seen in some books).
• First Chief Minister: A. Subbarayalu Reddiar (1920) – not Theagaraya Chetty, who declined; not the Raja of Panagal, who came in 1921.
• 1926–30 ministry: P. Subbarayan was an Independent, not a Justice Party leader; the Swaraj Party refused office.
• First Communal G.O.: 16 September 1921; the second was 1922. Do not confuse them with the Communal Award (1932) of Ramsay MacDonald.
• Staff Selection Board vs PSC: Board 1924; Madras Service Commission 1929.
• HRE Act year: sources vary (1921/1922 bill, Act I of 1925, 1927 Act named in the HR&CE policy note); the ministry was the Raja of Panagal's.
• T. M. Nair: died in London in 1919, before the first Justice ministry was formed.
• Salem 1944: the Justice Party became the Dravidar Kazhagam; the DMK came only in 1949.

Quick Revision Table

TNPSC Key Points (PYQ-style facts)

• South Indian Liberal Federation formed on 20 November 1916 by about 30 non-Brahmin leaders in Madras.
• Founders: Dr. C. Natesa Mudaliar, Sir P. Theagaraya Chetty, Dr. T. M. Nair; first president: Theagaraya Chetty.
• Founding meeting at the Victoria Public Hall, Madras; Non-Brahmin Manifesto: December 1916.
• Natesa Mudaliar: Madras United League (1912) → Madras Dravidian Association.
• Party named after its English daily Justice; Tamil paper Dravidan; Telugu paper Andhra Prakasika.
• T. M. Nair died in London on 17 July 1919.
• Government of India Act, 1919 – dyarchy; Meston Award – 28 seats for non-Brahmins.
• 1920 election: Justice won 63 of 98; Congress boycotted.
• First ministry: A. Subbarayalu Reddiar (1920); Raja of Panagal 1921–26.
• 1926–30: P. Subbarayan (Independent); 1930–32: B. Munuswamy Naidu; 1932–37: Raja of Bobbili.
• Communal G.O.s: 16 September 1921 and 1922.
• Staff Selection Board 1924; Madras Service Commission 1929 – first provincial PSC in India.
• Hindu Religious Endowments Act (Act I of 1925); its Endowments Board is the forerunner of HR&CE.
• Women's franchise in Madras: 1921; Muthulakshmi Reddy nominated: 1926.
• Andhra University 1926; Annamalai University 1929.
• 1937: Congress won; Raja of Bobbili lost to V. V. Giri; Rajaji's ministry from July 1937.
• 1938: Periyar became party president (while in jail).
• 27 August 1944, Salem: Justice Party renamed Dravidar Kazhagam; P. T. Rajan led the group that kept the old name.
• Champakam Dorairajan case (1951) → First Constitutional Amendment – Article 15(4).

Frequently Asked Questions

When and by whom was the Justice Party founded?

The South Indian Liberal Federation (SILF) was formed on 20 November 1916 at the Victoria Public Hall, Madras, by about 30 non-Brahmin leaders. Its leading founders were Dr. C. Natesa Mudaliar, Sir P. Theagaraya Chetty and Dr. T. M. Nair; Alamelu Mangai Thayarammal is also named among the founders. Theagaraya Chetty was its first president. The organisation came to be called the Justice Party after its English newspaper, Justice.

What was the Non-Brahmin Manifesto?

It was the statement issued by the new organisation in December 1916. It said that non-Brahmins formed the large majority of the population of the Madras Presidency but had only a small share in government jobs, education and politics, and it asked them to organise to secure their due share. It also stated loyalty to British rule.

Who was the first Chief Minister under dyarchy in Madras?

A. Subbarayalu Reddiar of the Justice Party became the first First Minister (Chief Minister) of the Madras Presidency after the Justice Party won 63 of the 98 elected seats in the 1920 election, held under the Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms (Government of India Act, 1919). Theagaraya Chetty had declined the post. Subbarayalu Reddiar resigned in 1921 for health reasons and the Raja of Panagal succeeded him.

What were the Communal G.O.s of 1921 and 1922?

They were government orders of the Justice Party ministry that sought to distribute government appointments among different communities so that the share of non-Brahmin Hindus, Muslims, Indian Christians and Adi Dravidars in government posts would rise. The first was issued on 16 September 1921, after a resolution in the Legislative Council, and a second followed in 1922 to put it into effect. They are seen as the beginning of communal representation in public employment in the Madras Presidency; in practice they were applied slowly.

How did the Justice Party become the Dravidar Kazhagam?

After its heavy defeat in the 1937 election the party declined. Periyar E. V. Ramasamy became its president in 1938. At the party's conference at Salem on 27 August 1944 a resolution moved by C. N. Annadurai renamed it the Dravidar Kazhagam, which kept away from electoral politics. A group led by P. T. Rajan continued to use the Justice Party name for some years.

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