ABSTRACT
In the context of the fragmentation of party politics and the apparent ideological crisis within the DMK there is a danger that developments favourable to progressive political movements in Tamil Nadu may be overlooked. It is also possible that some observers have overstated the viability of caste-based politics and Hindu nationalism in the state. This article also notes that scholars need to be alert to the sociological ambiguities that lie behind the current turn to identity politics in the state.
