Dravidianists argue that the Brahmins and other upper castes were originally Aryan migrants from outside of India, and that they imposed their language, Sanskrit, religion and heritage on the Dravidian people.
The hypothesis has ancient origins based on Sangam literature and the concept of Tamilakam but was codified in its modern form by E. V. Ramasami Periyar.
[5] Since the 1969 election victory of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) under C. N. Annadurai, Dravidian nationalism has been a permanent feature of the government of Tamil Nadu.
After the Dravidian people achieved self-determination the claim for secession became weaker with most mainstream political parties, except a fringe few, are committed to development of Tamil Nadu within a united India.
Most major Tamil Nadu regional parties such as DMK, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) frequently participate as coalition partners of other pan-Indian parties in the Union Government of India at New Delhi.