Blackshirts (India)

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Blackshirts are members of the anti-religious, atheist quasi-political organization Dravidar Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu, founded by "Periyar" E V Ramasamy.[1] Periyar wanted to uproot caste sentiments and superstitions prevalent in Tamil society. So, he chose the towel[clarification needed] and to fight superstition, he chose the black shirt. The cadres of the Dravidian movement have followed it since.[2] This has its origins in the banning of black flags as a protest tool in Tamil Nadu. To circumvent this ban, members wore black shirts. Black shirts and black flags were also seen as a symbol of anarchy in southern India especially in Tamil Nadu during the early 20th century.[3]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Nambi, Karthick (12 July 2019). "Black shirts and India". Medium. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  2. ^ Natarajan, Anand (15 October 2012). "It's not all black and white in TN dress politics". India Today. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  3. ^ "Atheist Blackshirts". The Anatomy Lesson. 17 December 2008. Retrieved 26 December 2020.