The DMK Youth Wing is revitalizing traditional ‘mandrams’ in Tamil Nadu to train a new cadre generation at the grassroots level. These mandrams, launched by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, aim to engage youth in political activities at the neighborhood level. Each street is expected to have a youth mandram with a minimum of 20 members, emphasizing structured political involvement.
This initiative seeks to enhance ideological education and increase grassroots political participation amidst the rise of digital and social media-driven political campaigns. By reintroducing mandrams, the DMK is reinforcing its cadre-based political approach centered on collective learning and organized discussions. These mandrams historically served as ideological hubs of the Dravidian movement, fostering political education and activism at the local level.
The planned activities include group reading sessions, policy dialogues, outreach programs, and public meetings to educate young members on the Dravidian movement’s ideological principles. This move resonates with M. Karunanidhi’s past initiative, the Dravida Marumalarchi Mamandram, which provided structured ideological training to party workers through a postal-based course. The revival of mandrams is seen as a strategic step by the DMK to consolidate its grassroots presence and uphold Dravidian political discourse among the upcoming generation of voters.
