Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy (17 September 1879
– 24 December 1973), commonly known as Periyar,
also referred to as Thanthai Periyar, was
an Indian social activist, and politician
who started the Self-Respect Movement and
Dravidar Kazhagam.He is known as the 'Father
of modern Tamilnadu'. He has done exemplary
works against Brahminical dominance, caste
prevalence and women oppression in Tamilnadu.
E.V. Ramasamy joined the Indian National Congress
in 1919, but resigned in 1925 when he felt
that the party was only serving the interests
of Brahmins. He questioned the subjugation
of non-Brahmin Dravidians as Brahmins enjoyed
gifts and donations from non-Brahmins but
opposed and discriminated non-Brahmins in
cultural and religious matters. In 1924, E.V.
Ramasamy participated in a non-violent agitation
(satyagraha) in Vaikom, Kerala. From 1929
to 1932 Ramasamy made a tour of British Malaya,
Europe, and Russia which influenced him. In
1939, E.V. Ramasamy became the head of the
Justice Party, and in 1944, he changed its
name to Dravidar Kazhagam. The party later
split with one group led by C. N. Annadurai
forming the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)
in 1949. While continuing the Self-Respect
Movement, he advocated for an independent
Dravida Nadu (land of the Dravidians).E.V.
Ramasamy promoted the principles of rationalism,
self-respect, women’s rights and eradication
of caste. He opposed the exploitation and
marginalisation of the non-Brahmin Dravidian
people of South India and the imposition of
what he considered Indo-Aryan India.
== Biography ==
=== Early years ===
Erode Venkata Ramasamy was born on 17 September
1879 in Erode, then a part of the Coimbatore
district of the Madras Presidency. E.V. Ramasamy's
father, Kannada speaking a rich Balija businessman,
was Venkatappa Nayaka (or Venkata), and his
mother was Chinnathyee, Muthammal. He had
one elder brother named Krishnaswamy and two
sisters named Kannamma and Ponnuthoy. He later
came to be known as "Periyar" meaning 'respected
one' or 'elder' in Tamil.E.V. Ramasamy married
when he was 19, and had a daughter who lived
for only 5 months. His first wife, Nagammai,
died in 1933. E.V. Ramasamy married for a
second time in July 1948. His second wife,
Maniammai, continued E.V. Ramasamy's social
work after his death in 1973, but his thoughts
and ideas then were advocated by Dravidar
Kazhagam.In 1929, E.V. Ramasamy announced
the deletion of his caste title Naicker from
his name at the First Provincial Self-Respect
Conference of Chengalpattu. He could speak
three Dravidian languages: Kannada, Telugu
and Tamil. Periyar attended school for five
years after which he joined his father's trade
at the age of 12. He used to listen to Tamil
Vaishnavite gurus who gave discourses in his
house enjoying his father's hospitality. At
a young age, he began questioning the apparent
contradictions in the Hindu mythological stories.
As Periyar grew, he felt that people used
religion only as a mask to deceive innocent
people and therefore took it as one of his
duties in life to warn people against superstitions
and priests.E.V. Ramasamy's father arranged
for his wedding when he was nineteen. The
bride, Nagammai, was only thirteen. Despite
having an arranged marriage, Periyar and Nagammai
were already in love with each other. Nagammai
actively supported her husband in his later
public activities and agitations. Two years
after their marriage, a daughter was born
to them. However, their daughter died when
she was five months old. The couple had no
more children.
=== Kasi Pilgrimage Incident ===
In 1904, E.V. Ramasamy went on a pilgrimage
to Kasi to visit the revered Shiva temple
of Kashi Vishwanath. Though regarded as one
of the holiest sites of Hinduism, he witnessed
immoral activities such as begging, and floating
dead bodies. His frustrations extended to
functional Hinduism in general when he experienced
what he called Brahmanic exploitation.However,
one particular incident in Kasi had a profound
impact on E.V. Ramasamy's ideology and future
work. At the worship site there were free
meals offered to guests. To E.V. Ramasamy's
shock, he was refused meals at choultries,
which exclusively fed Brahmins. Due to extreme
hunger, E.V. Ramasamy felt compelled to enter
one of the eateries disguised as a Brahmin
with a sacred thread on his bare chest, but
was betrayed by his moustache. The gatekeeper
at the temple concluded that E.V. Ramasamy
was not a Brahmin, as Brahmins were not permitted
by the Hindu shastras to have moustaches.
He not only prevented Periyar's entry but
also pushed him rudely into the street.As
his hunger became intolerable, Periyar was
forced to feed on leftovers from the streets.
Around this time, he realised that the eatery
which had refused him entry was built by a
wealthy non-Brahmin from South India. This
discriminatory attitude dealt a blow to Periyar's
regard for Hinduism, for the events he had
witnessed at Kasi were completely different
from the picture of Kasi he had in mind, as
a holy place which welcomed all. Ramasamy
was a theist until his visit to Kasi, after
which his views changed and he became an atheist.
=== Member of Congress Party (1919–1925)
===
E.V. Ramasamy joined the Indian National Congress
in 1919 after quitting his business and resigning
from public posts. He held the chairmanship
of Erode Municipality and wholeheartedly undertook
constructive programs spreading the use of
Khadi, picketing toddy shops, boycotting shops
selling foreign cloth, and eradicating untouchability.
In 1921, Periyar courted imprisonment for
picketing toddy shops in Erode. When his wife
as well as his sister joined the agitation,
it gained momentum, and the administration
was forced to come to a compromise. He was
again arrested during the Non-Cooperation
movement and the Temperance movement. In 1922,
Periyar was elected the President of the Madras
Presidency Congress Committee during the Tirupur
session, where he advocated strongly for reservation
in government jobs and education. His attempts
were defeated in the Congress party due to
a strong presence of discrimination and indifference,
which led to his leaving the party in 1925.
=== Vaikom Satyagraha (1924–1925) ===
According to the prevalent caste system in
Kerala and the rest of India, low-caste Hindus
were denied entry into temples.
In Kerala, they were denied permission to
walk on the roads that led to the temples
also. (Kerala state was formed in 1956; earlier
it was broadly divided into Malabar (North
Kerala), Cochin and Travancore kingdoms).
In the Kakinada meet of the Congress Party
in 1923, T K Madhavan presented a report citing
the discrimination faced by the depressed
castes in Kerala. That session decided to
promote movements against untouchability.
In Kerala, a committee was formed comprising
people of different castes to fight untouchability
in the region. The committee was chaired by
K Kelappan; the rest of the members were T
K Madhavan, Velayudha Menon, Kurur Neelakantan
Namboodiripad and T R Krishnaswami Iyer.
The movement started on 30 March 1924.
There was a board outside the Vaikom Mahadeva
Temple which prohibited entry of avarnas (lower
castes).
The Satyagrahis moved to enter the temple
in batches of three. They were resisted and
arrested by the police.
Gandhiji, Chatampi Swamikal and Sree Narayana
Guru lend their support to the movement.
The movement gained all-India prominence and
support came from far and wide.
The Akalis of Punjab lend their support by
setting up kitchens to provide food to the
Satyagrahis.
Even Christian and Muslim leaders came forward
for support. This was shunned by Gandhiji
who wanted the movement to be an intra-Hindu
affair.
On advice from Gandhiji, the movement was
withdrawn temporarily in April 1924.
After the talks with caste-Hindus failed,
the leaders resumed the movement. Leaders
T K Madhavan and K P Kesava Menon were arrested.
E V Ramaswamy (Periyar) came from Tamil Nadu
to give his support. He was arrested.
On 1 October 1924, a group of savarnas (forward
castes) marched in a procession and submitted
a petition to the Regent Maharani Sethulakshmi
Bai of Travancore with about 25000 signatures
for temple entry to everyone.
Gandhiji also met with the Regent Maharani.
This procession of savarnas was led by Mannath
Padmanabhan Nair. Starting with about 500
people at Vaikom, the number increased to
about 5000 when the procession reached Thiruvananthapuram
in November 1924.
In February 1924, they decided to launch a
‘Keralaparyatanam’ to gain temple entry
and also the right to use public roads for
every Hindu irrespective of caste or creed.
|url=https://byjus.com/free-ias-prep/vaikom-satyagraha
|
In Vaikom, a small town in Kerala state, then
Travancore, there were strict laws of untouchability
in and around the temple area. Dalits, also
known as Harijans were not allowed into the
close streets around and leading to the temple,
let alone inside it. Anti-caste feelings were
growing and in 1924 Vaikom was chosen as a
suitable place for an organised Satyagraha.
Under his guidance a movement had already
begun with the aim of giving all castes the
right to enter the temples. Thus, agitations
and demonstrations took place. On 14 April,
Periyar and his wife Nagamma arrived in Vaikom.
They were immediately arrested and imprisoned
for participation. In spite of Gandhi's objection
to non-Keralites and non-Hindus taking part,
Periyar and his followers continued to give
support to the movement until it was withdrawn.
He received the title Vaikom Veeran, given
by his followers who participated in the Satyagraha.The
way in which the Vaikom Satyagraha events
have been recorded provides a clue to the
image of the respective organisers. In an
article entitle Gandhi and Ambedkar, A Study
in Leadership, Eleanor Zelliot relates the
'Vaikom Satyagraha', including Gandhi's negotiations
with the temple authorities in relation to
the event. Furthermore, the editor of E.V.
Ramasamy's Thoughts states that Brahmins purposely
suppressed news about E.V. Ramasamy's participation.
A leading Congress magazine, Young India,
in its extensive reports on Vaikom never mentions
E.V. Ramasamy.
According to the prevalent caste system in
Kerala and the rest of India, low-caste Hindus
were denied entry into temples.
In Kerala, they were denied permission to
walk on the roads that led to the temples
also. (Kerala state was formed in 1956; earlier
it was broadly divided into Malabar (North
Kerala), Cochin and Travancore kingdoms).
In the Kakinada meet of the Congress Party
in 1923, T K Madhavan presented a report citing
the discrimination faced by the depressed
castes in Kerala. That session decided to
promote movements against untouchability.
In Kerala, a committee was formed comprising
people of different castes to fight untouchability
in the region. The committee chaired by K
Kelappan, composed of T K Madhavan, Velayudha
Menon, Kurur Neelakantan Namboodiripad and
T R Krishnaswami Iyer.
In February 1924, they decided to launch a
‘Keralaparyatanam’ to gain temple entry
and also the right to use public roads for
every Hindu irrespective of caste or creed.
=== Self-Respect Movement ===
Periyar and his followers campaigned constantly
to influence and pressure the government to
take measures to remove social inequality,(abolish
untouchability, manual scavenging system etc)
even while other nationalist forerunners focused
on the struggle for political independence.
The Self-Respect Movement was described from
the beginning as "dedicated to the goal of
giving non-Brahmins a sense of pride based
on their Dravidian past".
In 1952, the Periyar Self-Respect Movement
Institution was registered with a list of
objectives of the institution from which may
be quoted as for the diffusion of useful knowledge
of political education; to allow people to
live a life of freedom from slavery to anything
against reason and self respect; to do away
with needless customs, meaningless ceremonies,
and blind superstitious beliefs in society;
to put an end to the present social system
in which caste, religion, community and traditional
occupations based on the accident of birth,
have chained the mass of the people and created
"superior" and "inferior" classes... and to
give people equal rights; to completely eradicate
untouchability and to establish a united society
based on brother/sisterhood; to give equal
rights to women; to prevent child marriages
and marriages based on law favourable to one
sect, to conduct and encourage love marriages,
widow marriages, inter caste and inter-religious
marriages and to have the marriages registered
under the Civil Law; and to establish and
maintain homes for orphans and widows and
to run educational institutions. Propagation
of the philosophy of self respect became the
full-time activity of Periyar since 1925.
A Tamil weekly Kudi Arasu started in 1925,
while the English journal Revolt started in
1928 carried on the propaganda among the English
educated people. The Self-Respect Movement
began to grow fast and received the sympathy
of the heads of the Justice Party from the
beginning. In May 1929, a conference of Self-Respect
Volunteers was held at Pattukkotai under the
presidency of S. Guruswami. K.V. Alagiriswami
took charge as the head of the volunteer band.
Conferences followed in succession throughout
the Tamil districts of the former Madras Presidency.
A training school in Self-Respect was opened
at Erode, the home town of Periyar. The object
was not just to introduce social reform but
to bring about a social revolution to foster
a new spirit and build a new society.
=== International travel (1929–1932) ===
Between 1929 and 1935, under the strain of
World Depression, political thinking worldwide
received a jolt from the spread of international
communism. Indian political parties, movements
and considerable sections of leadership were
also affected by inter-continental ideologies.
The Self-Respect Movement also came under
the influence of the leftist philosophies
and institutions. E.V. Ramasamy, after establishing
the Self-Respect Movement as an independent
institution, began to look for ways to strengthen
it politically and socially. To accomplish
this, he studied the history and politics
of different countries, and personally observed
these systems at work.E.V. Ramasamy toured
Malaya for a month, from December 1929 to
January 1930, to propagate the self-respect
philosophy. Embarking on his journey from
Nagapattinam with his wife Nagammal and his
followers, E.V. Ramasamy was received by 50,000
Tamil Malaysians in Penang. During the same
month, he inaugurated the Tamils Conference,
convened by the Tamils Reformatory Sangam
in Ipoh, and then went to Singapore. In December
1931 he undertook a tour of Europe, accompanied
by S. Ramanathan and Erode Ramu, to personally
acquaint himself with their political systems,
social movements, way of life, economic and
social progress and administration of public
bodies. He visited Egypt, Greece, Turkey,
Russia, Germany, England, Spain, France and
Portugal, staying in Russia for three months.
On his return journey he halted at Ceylon
and returned to India in November 1932.The
tour shaped the political ideology of E.V.
Ramasamy to achieve the social concept of
Self-Respect. The communist system obtained
in Russia appealed to him as appropriately
suited to deal with the social ills of the
country. Thus, on socio-economic issues Periyar
was Marxist, but he did not advocate for abolishing
private ownership. Immediately after his return,
E.V. Ramasamy, in alliance with the enthusiastic
communist, M. Singaravelar, began to work
out a socio-political scheme incorporating
socialist and self-respect ideals. This marked
a crucial stage of development in the Self-Respect
Movement which got politicised and found its
compatibility in Tamil Nadu.
=== Opposition to Hindi ===
In 1937, when Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari
became the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency,
he introduced Hindi as a compulsory language
of study in schools, thereby igniting a series
of anti-Hindi agitations. Tamil nationalists,
the Justice Party under Sir A. T. Panneerselvam,
and E.V. Ramasamy organised anti-Hindi protests
in 1938 which ended with numerous arrests
by the Rajaji government.During the same year,
the slogan "Tamil Nadu for Tamilians" was
first raised by E.V. Ramasamy in protest against
the introduction of Hindi in schools. He explained
that the introduction of Hindi was a dangerous
mechanism used by the Aryans to infiltrate
Dravidian culture. He reasoned that the adoption
of Hindi would make Tamils subordinate to
the Hindi speaking North Indians. E.V. Ramasamy
explained that Hindi would not only halt the
progress of Tamil people, but would also completely
destroy their culture and nullify the progressive
ideas that had been successfully inculcated
through Tamil in the recent decades.Cutting
across party lines, South Indian politicians
rallied together in their opposition to Hindi.
There were recurrent anti-Hindi agitations
in 1948, 1952 and 1965.
=== As President of the Justice Party (1938–1944)
===
A political party known as the South Indian
Libertarian Federation (commonly referred
to as Justice Party) was founded in 1916,
principally to oppose the economic and political
power of the Brahmin groups. The party's goal
was to render social justice to the non-Brahmin
groups. To gain the support of the masses,
non-Brahmin politicians began propagating
an ideology of equality among non-Brahmin
castes. Brahmanical priesthood and Sanskritic
social class-value hierarchy were blamed for
the existence of inequalities among non-Brahmin
caste groups.In 1937, when the government
required that Hindi be taught in the school
system, E.V. Ramasamy organised opposition
to this policy through the Justice Party.
After 1937, the Dravidian movement derived
considerable support from the student community.
In later years, opposition to Hindi played
a big role in the politics of Tamil Nadu.
The fear of the Hindi language had its origin
in the conflict between Brahmins and non-Brahmins.
To the Tamils, acceptance of Hindi in the
school system was a form of bondage. When
the Justice Party weakened in the absence
of mass support, E.V. Ramasamy took over the
leadership of the party after being jailed
for opposing Hindi in 1939. Under his tutelage
the party prospered, but the party's conservative
members, most of whom were rich and educated,
withdrew from active participation.
=== Dravidar Kazhagam (1944–onwards) ===
==== Formation of the Dravidar Kazhagam ====
At a rally in 1944, Periyar, in his capacity
as the leader of the Justice Party, declared
that the party would henceforth be known as
the Dravidar Kazhagam, or "Dravidian Association".
However, a few who disagreed with Periyar
started a splinter group, claiming to be the
original Justice Party. This party was led
by veteran Justice Party leader P. T. Rajan
and survived until 1957.
The Dravidar Kazhagam came to be well known
among the urban communities and students.
Villages were influenced by its message. Hindi,
and ceremonies that had become associated
with Brahmanical priesthood, were identified
as alien symbols that should be eliminated
from Tamil culture. Brahmins, who were regarded
as the guardians of such symbols, came under
verbal attack. From 1949 onwards, the Dravidar
Kazhagam intensified social reformist work
and put forward the fact that superstitions
were the cause for the degeneration of Dravidians.
The Dravidar Kazhagam vehemently fought for
the abolition of untouchability amongst the
Dalits. It also focused its attention on the
liberation of women, women's education, willing
marriage, widow marriage, orphanages and mercy
homes.
==== Split with Annadurai ====
In 1949, E.V. Ramasamy's chief lieutenant,
Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai, established
a separate association called the Dravida
Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), or Dravidian Progressive
Federation. This was due to differences between
the two, while Periyar advocated a separate
independent Dravidian or Tamil state, Annadurai
compromised with the Delhi government, at
the same time claiming increased state independence.
E.V. Ramasamy was convinced that individuals
and movements that undertake the task of eradicating
the social evils in the Indian sub-continent
have to pursue the goal with devotion and
dedication without deviating from the path
and with uncompromising zeal. Thus, if they
contest elections aiming to assume political
power, they would lose vigour and sense of
purpose. But among his followers, there were
those who had a different view, wanting to
enter into politics and have a share in running
the government. They were looking for an opportunity
to part with E.V. Ramasamy. Thus, when E.V.
Ramasamy married Maniammai on 9 July 1948,
they quit the Dravidar Kazhagam, stating that
E.V. Ramasamy married maniammayar who was
daughter of kanagasabhai when he was 70 and
she 32. Those who parted company with E.V.
Ramasamy joined the DMK. Though the DMK split
from the Dravidar Kazhagam, the organisation
made efforts to carry on E.V. Ramasamy's Self-Respect
Movement to villagers and urban students.
The DMK advocated the thesis that the Tamil
language was much richer than Sanskrit and
Hindi in content, and thus was a key which
opened the door to subjects to be learned.
The Dravidar Kazhagam continued to counter
Brahminism, Indo-Aryan propaganda, and uphold
the Dravidians' right of self-determination.
==== Later years ====
In 1956, despite warnings from P. Kakkan,
the President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee,
Periyar organised a procession to the Marina
to burn pictures of the Hindu God Rama. Periyar
was subsequently arrested and confined to
prison.The activities of Periyar continued
when he went to Bangalore in 1958 to participate
in the All India Official Language Conference.
There he stressed the need to retain English
as the Union Official Language instead of
Hindi. Five years later, Periyar travelled
to North India to advocate the eradication
of the caste system. Nearing Periyar's last
years, an award was given to him by the United
Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), and it was presented
to him by the Union Education Minister, Triguna
Sen in Madras (Chennai), on 27 June 1970.
The citation awarded by the UNESCO described
Periyar as "the prophet of the new age, the
Socrates of South East Asia, father of social
reform movement and arch enemy of ignorance,
superstitions, meaningless customs and base
manners. In his last meeting at Thiagaraya
Nagar, Chennai on 19 December 1973, Periyar
declared a call for action to gain social
equality and a dignified way of life. On 24
December 1973, Periyar died at the age of
94.
== Principles and legacy ==
Periyar spent over fifty years giving speeches,
propagating the realisation that everyone
is an equal citizen and the differences on
the basis of caste and creed were man-made
to keep the innocent and ignorant as underdogs
in the society. Although Periyar's speeches
were targeted towards the illiterate and more
mundane masses, scores of educated people
were also swayed. Periyar viewed reasoning
as a special tool. According to him, all were
blessed with this tool, but very few used
it. Thus Periyar used reasoning with respect
to subjects of social interest in his presentations
to his audiences. Communal differences in
Tamil society were considered by many to be
deep-rooted features until Periyar came to
the scene.
=== Rationalism ===
The bedrock of E.V. Ramasamy’s principles
and the movements that he started was rationalism.
He thought that an insignificant minority
in society was exploiting the majority and
trying to keep it in a subordinate position
forever. He wanted the exploited to sit up
and think about their position, and use their
reason to realise that they were being exploited
by a handful of people. If they started thinking,
they would realise that they were human beings
like the rest, that birth did not and should
not endow superiority over others and that
they must awaken themselves and do everything
possible to improve their own lot.Likewise,
E.V. Ramasamy explained that wisdom lies in
thinking and that the spear-head of thinking
is rationalism. On caste, he stated that no
other living being harms or degrades its own
class. But man, said to be a rational living
being, does these evils. The differences,
hatred, enmity, degradation, poverty, and
wickedness, now prevalent in the society are
due to lack of wisdom and rationalism and
not due to God or the cruelty of time. E.V.
Ramasamy had written in his books and magazines
dozens of times of various occasions that
the British rule is better than self-ruleE.V.
Ramasamy also blamed the capitalists for their
control of machineries, creating difficulties
for the workers. According to his philosophy,
rationalism, which has to lead the way for
peaceful life to all, had resulted in causing
poverty and worries to the people because
of dominating forces. He stated that there
is no use of simply acquiring titles or amassing
wealth if one has no self-respect or scientific
knowledge. An example he gave was the West
sending messages to the planets, while the
Tamil society in India were sending rice and
cereals to their dead forefathers through
the Brahmins.In a message to the Brahmin community,
Periyar stated, "in the name of god, religion,
and sastras you have duped us. We were the
ruling people. Stop this life of cheating
us from this year. Give room for rationalism
and humanism". He added that "any opposition
not based on rationalism, science, or experience
will one day or another, reveal the fraud,
selfishness, lies and conspiracies".
=== Self-respect ===
Periyar's philosophy of self-respect was based
on his image of an ideal world and a universally
accepted one. His philosophy preaches that
human actions should be based on rational
thinking. Further, the outcome of the natural
instinct of human beings is to examine every
object and every action and even nature with
a spirit of inquiry, and to refuse to submit
to anything irrational as equivalent to slavery.
Thus, the philosophy of self-respect taught
that human actions should be guided by reason,
right and wrong should follow from rational
thinking and conclusions drawn from reason
should be respected under all circumstances.
Freedom means respect to thoughts and actions
considered 'right' by human beings on the
basis of 'reason'. There is not much difference
between 'freedom' and 'self-respect'.Periyar's
foremost appeal to people was to develop self-respect.
He preached that the Brahmins had monopolised
and cheated other communities for decades
and deprived them of self-respect. He stated
that most Brahmins claimed to belong to a
"superior" community with the reserved privilege
of being in charge of temples and performing
archanas. He felt that they were trying to
reassert their control over religion by using
their superior caste status to claim the exclusive
privilege to touch idols or enter the sanctum
sanctorum.
=== Women’s rights ===
As a rationalist and ardent social reformer,
Periyar advocated forcefully throughout his
life that women should be given their legitimate
position in society as the equals of men and
that they should be given good education and
have the right to property. He thought age
and social customs was not a bar in marrying
women. He was keen that women should realise
their rights and be worthy citizens of their
country.Periyar fought against the orthodox
traditions of marriage as suppression of women
in Tamil Nadu and throughout the Indian sub-continent.
Though arranged marriages were meant to enable
a couple to live together throughout life,
it was manipulated to enslave women. Much
worse was the practice of child marriages
practised throughout India at the time. It
was believed that it would be a sin to marry
after puberty. Another practice, which is
prevalent today, is the dowry system where
the bride's family is supposed to give the
husband a huge payment for the bride. The
purpose of this was to assist the newly wedded
couple financially, but in many instances
dowries were misused by bridegrooms. The outcome
of this abuse turned to the exploitation of
the bride's parents wealth, and in certain
circumstances, lead to dowry deaths. There
have been hundreds of thousands of cases where
wives have been murdered, mutilated, and burned
alive because the father of the bride was
unable to make the dowry payment to the husband.
Periyar fiercely stood up against this abuse
meted out against women.Women in India also
did not have rights to their families' or
husbands' property. Periyar fought fiercely
for this and also advocated for women to have
the right to separate or divorce their husbands
under reasonable circumstances. While birth
control remained taboo in society of Periyar's
time, he advocated for it not only for the
health of women and population control, but
for the liberation of women.He criticised
the hypocrisy of chastity for women and argued
that it should either apply also to men, or
not at all for both genders. While fighting
against this, Periyar advocated getting rid
of the Devadasi system. In his view it was
an example of a list of degradations of women,
attaching them to temples for the entertainment
of others, and as temple prostitutes. Further,
for the liberation of women, Periyar pushed
for their right to have an education and to
join the armed services and the police force.According
to biographer M.D. Gopalakrishnan, Periyar
and his movement achieved a better status
for women in Tamil society. Periyar held that,
in matters of education and employment, there
should be no difference between men and women.
Gopalakrishnan states that Periyar's influence
in the State departments and even the Center
made it possible for women to join police
departments and the army. Periyar also spoke
out against child marriage.
=== Social reform and eradication of caste
===
Periyar wanted thinking people to see their
society as far from perfect and in urgent
need of reform. He wanted the government,
the political parties and social workers to
identify the evils in society and boldly adopt
measures to remove them. Periyar's philosophy
did not differentiate social and political
service. According to him, the first duty
of a government is to run the social organisation
efficiently, and the philosophy of religion
was to organise the social system. Periyar
stated that while Christian and Islamic religions
were fulfilling this role, the Hindu religion
remained totally unsuitable for social progress.
He argued that the government was not for
the people, but, in a "topsy-turvy" manner,
the people were for the government. He attributed
this situation to the state of the social
system contrived for the advantage of a small
group of people.One of the areas of Periyar's
focus was on the upliftment of rural communities.
In a booklet called Village Uplift, Periyar
pleaded for rural reform. At that time rural
India still formed the largest part of the
Indian subcontinent, in spite of the ongoing
process of urbanisation. Thus, the distinction
between rural and urban had meant an economic
and social degradation for rural inhabitants.
Periyar wanted to eradicate the concept of
"village" as a discrimination word among places,
just as the concept of "outcast" among social
groups. Periyar advocated for a location where
neither the name nor the situation or its
conditions imply differences among people.
He further advocated for the modernisation
of villages by providing public facilities
such as schools, libraries, radio stations,
roads, bus transport, and police stations.Periyar
felt that a small number of cunning people
created caste distinctions to dominate over
society, so he emphasised that individuals
must first develop self-respect and learn
to analyse propositions rationally. According
to Periyar, a self-respecting rationalist
would readily realise that the caste system
had been stifling self-respect and therefore
he or she would strive to get rid of this
menace.Periyar stated that the caste system
in South India is, due to Indo-Aryan influence,
linked with the arrival of Brahmins from the
north. Ancient Tamil Nadu (part of Tamilakkam)
had a different stratification of society
in four or five regions (Tinai), determined
by natural surroundings and adequate means
of living. Periyar also argued that birds,
animals, and worms, which are considered to
be devoid of rationalism do not create castes,
or differences of high and low in their own
species. But man, considered to be a rational
being, was suffering from these because of
religion and discrimination.The Samathuvapuram
(Equality Village) social equality system
introduced by the Government of Tamil Nadu
in the late 1990s is named after Ramasamy.
=== Tamil language and writing ===
Periyar claimed that Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam,
and Kannada came from the same mother language
of Old Tamil. He explained that the Tamil
language is called by four different names
since it is spoken in four different Dravidian
states. Nevertheless, current understanding
of Dravidian languages contradicts such claims.
For example, the currently known classification
of Dravidian languages provides the following
distinct classes: Southern (including Tamil–Malayalam,
Kannada and Tulu); Central (including Telugu–Kui
and Kolami–Parji); and, Northern (including
Kurukh–Malto and Brahui).
With relation to writing, Periyar stated that
using the Tamil script about the arts, which
are useful to the people in their life and
foster knowledge, talent and courage, and
propagating them among the masses, will enlighten
the people. Further, he explained that it
will enrich the language, and thus it can
be regarded as a zeal for Tamil. Periyar also
stated that if words of North Indian origin
(Sanskrit) are removed from Telugu, Kannada,
and Malayalam, only Tamil will be left. On
the Brahmin usage of Tamil, he stated that
the Tamil spoken by the Andhras and the Malayali
people was far better than the Tamil spoken
by the Brahmins. Periyar believed that Tamil
language will make the Dravidian people unite
under the banner of Tamil culture, and that
it will make the Kannadigas, Andhras and the
Malayalees be vigilant. With regards to a
Dravidian alliance under a common umbrella
language, Periyar stated that "a time will
come for unity. This will go on until there
is an end to the North Indian domination.
We shall reclaim an independent sovereign
state for us".At the same time, Periyar was
also known to have made controversial remarks
on the Tamil language and people from time
to time. On one occasion, he referred to the
Tamil people as "barbarians" and the Tamil
language as the "language of barbarians".
However, Anita Diehl explains that Periyar
made these remarks on Tamil because it had
no respective feminine verbal forms.Periyar's
ideas on Tamil alphabet reforms included those
such as the reasons for the vowel 'ஈ' (i)
having a cursive and looped representation
of the short form 'இ' (I). In stone inscriptions
from 400 or 500 years ago, many Tamil letters
are found in other shapes. As a matter of
necessity and advantage to cope with printing
technology, Periyar thought that it was sensible
to change a few letters, reduce the number
of letters, and alter a few signs. He further
explained that the older and more divine a
language and its letters were said to be,
the more they needed reform. Because of changes
brought about by means of modern transport
and international contact, and happenings
that have attracted words and products from
many countries, foreign words and their pronunciations
have been assimilated into Tamil quite easily.
Just as a few compound characters have separate
signs to indicate their length as in ' கா
', ' கே ' (kA:, kE:), Periyar questioned
why other compound characters like ' கி
', ' கீ ', 'கு ', ' கூ ' (kI,
ki:, kU, ku:) (indicated integrally as of
now), shouldn't also have separate signs.
Further, changing the shape of letters, creating
new symbols and adding new letters and similarly,
dropping those that are redundant, were quite
essential according to Periyar. Thus, the
glory and excellence of a language and its
script depend on how easily they can be understood
or learned and on nothing else"
=== Thoughts on Thirukkural ===
Periyar hailed the Thirukkural as a valuable
scripture which contained many scientific
and philosophical truths. He also praised
the secular nature of the work. Periyar praised
Thiruvalluvar for his description of God as
a formless entity with only positive attributes.
He also suggested that one who reads the Thirukkural
will become a Self-respecter, absorbing knowledge
in politics, society, and economics. According
to him, though certain items in this ancient
book of ethics may not relate to today, it
permitted such changes for modern society.On
caste, he believed that the Kural illustrates
how Vedic laws of Manu were against the Sudras
and other communities of the Dravidian race.
On the other hand, Periyar opined that the
ethics from the Kural was comparable to the
Christian Bible. The Dravidar Kazhagam adopted
the Thirukkural and advocated that Thiruvalluvar's
Kural alone was enough to educate the people
of the country.
One of Periyar's quotes on the Thirukkural
from Veeramani's Collected Works of Periyar
was "when Dravida Nadu (Dravidistan) was a
victim to Indo-Aryan deceit, Thirukkural was
written by a great Dravidian Thiruvalluvar
to free the Dravidians".Periyar also asserted
that due to the secular nature of Thirukkural,
it has the capacity to be the common book
of faith for all humanity and can be kept
on par or above the holy books of all religions.
This was rejected by Muslim scholars of the
day.
=== Self-determination of Dravida Nadu ===
The Dravidian-Aryan conflict was believed
to be a continuous historical phenomenon that
started when the Aryans first set their foot
in the Dravidian lands. Even a decade before
the idea of separation appeared, Periyar stated
that, "as long as Aryan religion, Indo-Aryan
domination, propagation of Aryan Vedas and
Aryan "Varnashrama" existed, there was need
for a "Dravidian Progressive Movement" and
a "Self-Respect Movement". Periyar became
very concerned about the growing North Indian
domination over the south which appeared to
him no different from foreign domination.
He wanted to secure the fruits of labour of
the Dravidians to the Dravidians, and lamented
that fields such as political, economic, industrial,
social, art, and spiritual were dominated
by the north for the benefit of the North
Indians. Thus, with the approach of independence
from Britain, this fear that North India would
take the place of Britain to dominate South
India became more and more intense.Periyar
was clear about the concept of a separate
nation, comprising Tamil areas, that is part
of the then existing Madras Presidency with
adjoining areas into a federation guaranteeing
protection of minorities, including religious,
linguistic, and cultural freedom of the people.
A separatist conference was held in June 1940
at Kanchipuram when Periyar released the map
of the proposed Dravida Nadu, but failed to
get British approval. On the contrary, Periyar
received sympathy and support from people
such as Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar and Muhammad
Ali Jinnah for his views on the Congress,
and for his opposition to Hindi. They then
decided to convene a movement to resist the
Congress.The concept of Dravida Nadu was later
modified down to Tamil Nadu. This led to a
proposal for a union of the Tamil people of
not only South India but including those of
Ceylon as well. In 1953, Periyar helped to
preserve Madras as the capital of Tamil Nadu,
which later was the name he substituted for
the more general Dravida Nadu. In 1955 Periyar
threatened to burn the national flag, but
on Chief Minister Kamaraj's pledge that Hindi
should not be made compulsory, he postponed
the action. In his speech of 1957 called Suthantara
Tamil Nadu En? (Why an independent Tamil Nadu?),
he criticised the Central Government of India,
inducing thousands of Tamilians to burn the
constitution of India. The reason for this
action was that Periyar held the Government
responsible for maintaining the caste system.
After stating reasons for separation and turning
down opinions against it, he closed his speech
with a "war cry" to join and burn the map
of India on 5 June. Periyar was sentenced
to six months imprisonment for burning the
Indian constitution.Advocacy of such a nation
became illegal when separatist demands were
banned by law in 1957. Regardless of these
measures, a Dravida Nadu Separation Day was
observed on 17 September 1960 resulting in
numerous arrests. However, Periyar resumed
his campaign in 1968. He wrote an editorial
on 'Tamil Nadu for Tamilians' in which he
stated, that by nationalism only Brahmins
had prospered and nationalism had been developed
to abolish the rights of Tamils. He advocated
that there was need to establish a Tamil Nadu
Freedom Organization and that it was necessary
to work towards it.
=== Anti-Brahmanism vs. Anti-Brahmin ===
Periyar was a radical advocate of anti-Brahmanism.
Periyar's ideology of anti-Brahmanism is quite
often confused as being anti-Brahmin. Even
a non-Brahmin who supports inequality based
on caste was seen as a supporter of brahmanism.
Periyar called on both Brahmins and non-Brahmins
to shun brahmanism.
In 1920, when the Justice Party came to power,
Brahmins occupied about 70 percent of the
high level posts in the government. After
reservation was introduced by the Justice
Party, it reversed this trend, allowing non-Brahmins
to rise in the government of the Madras Presidency.
Periyar, through the Justice Party, advocated
against the imbalance of the domination of
Brahmins who constituted only 3 percent of
the population, over government jobs, judiciary
and the Madras University. His Self-Respect
Movement espoused rationalism and atheism
and the movement had currents of anti-Brahminism.
Furthermore, Periyar stated that:
"Our Dravidian movement does not exist against
the Brahmins or the Banias (a North Indian
merchant caste). If anyone thinks so, I would
only pity him. But we will not tolerate the
ways in which Brahminism and the Bandiaism
is degrading Dravidanadu. Whatever support
they may have from the government, neither
myself nor my movement will be of cowardice".
Periyar also criticised Subramanya Bharathi
in the journal Ticutar for portraying Mother
Tamil as a sister of Sanskrit in his poems:
"They say Bharati is an immortal poet.…Even
if a rat dies in an akrakāram, they would
declare it to be immortal. … of Tamilnadu
praises him. Why should this be so? Supposedly
because he sang fulsome praises of Tamil and
Tamilnadu. What else could he sing? His own
mother tongue, Sanskrit, has been dead for
years. What other language did he know? He
cannot sing in Sanskrit. … He says Tamilnadu
is the land of Aryas."
=== 
Comparisons with Gandhi ===
In the Vaikom Satyagraha of 1924, Periyar
and Gandhi ji both cooperated and confronted
each other in socio-political action. Periyar
and his followers emphasised the difference
in point of view between Gandhi and himself
on the social issues, such as fighting the
Untouchability Laws and eradication of the
caste system.
According to the booklet "Gandhi and Periyar",
Periyar wrote in his paper Kudi Arasu in 1925,
reporting on the fact that Gandhi was ousted
from the Mahasabha because he opposed resolutions
for the maintaining of caste and Untouchability
Laws which would spoil his efforts to bring
about Hindu-Muslim unity. From this, Gandhi
learned the need for pleasing the Brahmins
if anything was to be achieved.Peiryar in
his references to Gandhi used opportunities
to present Gandhi as, on principle, serving
the interests of the Brahmins. In 1927, Periyar
and Gandhi met at Bangalore to discuss this
matter. The main difference between them came
out when Periyar stood for the total eradication
of Hinduism to which Gandhi objected saying
that Hinduism is not fixed in doctrines but
can be changed. In the Kudi Arasu, Periyar
explained that:
"With all his good qualities, Gandhi did not
bring the people forward from foolish and
evil ways. His murderer was an educated man.
Therefore nobody can say this is a time of
high culture. If you eat poison, you will
die. If electricity hits the body, you will
die. If you oppose the Brahmin, you will die.
Gandhi did not advocate the eradication of
Varnasrama Dharma structure, but sees in it
a task for the humanisation of society and
social change possible within its structure.
The consequence of this would be continued
high-caste leadership. Gandhi adapted Brahmins
to social change without depriving them of
their leadership".
Gandhi accepted karma in the sense that "the
Untouchables reap the reward of their karma,
but was against discrimination against them
using the revaluing term Harijans. As shown
in the negotiations at Vaikom his methods
for abolishing discrimination were: to stress
on the orthodox, inhumane treatment of Untouchables;
to secure voluntary lifting of the ban by
changing the hearts of caste Hindus; and to
work within a Hindu framework of ideas.On
the Temple Entry issue, Gandhi never advocated
the opening of Garbha Griha to Harijans in
consequence of his Hindu belief. These sources
which can be labelled "pro-Periyar" with the
exception of M. Mahar and D.S. Sharma, clearly
show that Periyar and his followers emphasised
that Periyar was the real fighter for the
removal of Untouchability and the true upliftment
of Hairjans, whereas Gandhi was not. This
did not prevent Periyar from having faith
in Gandhi on certain matters.
=== Religion and atheism ===
Periyar was generally regarded as a pragmatic
propagandist who attacked the evils of religious
influence on society, mainly what he regarded
as Brahmin domination. At a young age, he
felt that some people used religion only as
a mask to deceive innocent people and considered
it as his life's mission to warn people against
superstitions and priests. Anita Diehl explains
that Periyar cannot be called an atheist philosopher.
Periyar, however, qualified for the definition
of what the term 'atheist' implies in his
address on philosophy. He repudiated the term
as without real sense: "…the talk of the
atheist should be considered thoughtless and
erroneous. The thing I call god... that makes
all people equal and free, the god that does
not stop free thinking and research, the god
that does not ask for money, flattery and
temples can certainly be an object of worship.
For saying this much I have been called an
atheist, a term that has no meaning". EVR
Periyar, a born Hindu, was vehemently opposed
to Hinduism and Christianity. He did not criticize
Islam.Anita Diehl explains that Periyar was
against incompatibility of faith with social
equality and not religion itself. In a book
on revolution published in 1961, Periyar stated,
"be of help to people. Do not use treachery
or deceit. Speak the truth and do not cheat.
That indeed is service to God".On Hinduism,
Periyar believed that it was a religion with
no distinctive sacred book (bhagawad gita)
or origins, but an imaginary faith preaching
the "superiority" of the Brahmins, the inferiority
of the Shudras, and the untouchability of
the Dalits (Panchamas). Maria Misra, a lecturer
at Oxford University, compares him to the
philosophes, by stating, "his contemptuous
attitude to the baleful influence of Hinduism
in Indian public life is strikingly akin to
the anti-Catholic diatribes of the enlightenment
philosophes". In 1955, Periyar was arrested
for his public agitation of burning the pictures
of Rama at public places, as a symbolic protest
against the Indo-Aryan domination and degradation
of the Dravidian leadership according to the
Ramayana epic. Periyar also shoed the images
of Krishna and Rama, stating that they were
Aryan gods that considered the Dravidian Shudras
to be "sons of prostitutes".Periyar openly
suggested to those who were marginalised within
the Hindu communities to consider converting
to other faiths such as Islam, Christianity,
or Buddhism. On Islam, he stated how it was
good for abolishing the disgrace in human
relationship, based on one of his speeches
to railway employees at Tiruchirapalli in
1947. Periyar also commended Islam for its
belief in one invisible and formless God;
proclamation of equal rights for men and women;
and advocating of social unity.At the rally
in Tiruchi, Periyar said:
"Muslims are following the ancient philosophies
of the Dravidians. The Arabic word for Dravidian
religion is Islam. When Brahmanism was imposed
in this country, it was Mohammad Nabi who
opposed it, by instilling the Dravidian religion's
policies as Islam in the minds of the people"
Periyar viewed Christianity similar to the
monotheistic faith of Islam. He explained
that their faith says that there can be only
one God which has no name or shape. Periyar
took an interest in Rev. Martin Luther, where
both he and his followers wanted to liken
him and his role to that of the European reformer.
Thus, Christian views such as that of Ram
Mohan Roy's The Precepts of Jesus has had
at least an indirect influence on Periyar.Apart
from Islam and Christianity, Periyar also
found in Buddhism a basis for his philosophy
though he did not accept that religion. It
was again an alternative in the search for
self-respect and the object was to get liberation
from the discrimination of Hinduism. Through
Periyar's movement, Temple Entry Acts of 1924,
1931, and up to 1950 were created for the
non-Brahmins. Another accomplishment took
place during the 1970s when Tamil replaced
Sanskrit as the temple language in Tamil Nadu,
while Dalits were finally eligible for priesthood.
=== Controversies ===
==== 
Factionism in the Justice Party ====
When B. Munuswamy Naidu became the Chief Minister
of Madras Presidency in 1930, he endorsed
the inclusion of Brahmins in the Justice Party,
saying:
So long as we exclude one community, we cannot
as a political speak on behalf of, or claim
to represent all the people of our presidency.
If, as we hope, provincial autonomy is given
to the provinces as a result of the reforms
that may be granted, it should be essential
that our Federation should be in a position
to claim to be a truly representative body
of all communities. What objection can there
be to admit such Brahmins as are willing to
subscribe to the aims and objects of our Federation?
It may be that the Brahmins may not join even
if the ban is removed. But surely our Federation
will not thereafter be open to objection on
the ground that it is an exclusive organisation.
Though certain members supported the resolution,
a faction in the Justice Party known as the
"Ginger Group" opposed the resolution and
eventually voted it down. Periyar, who was
then an observer in the Justice Party, criticised
Munuswamy Naidu, saying:
At a time when non-Brahmins in other parties
were gradually coming over to the Justice
Party, being fed up with the Brahmin's methods
and ways of dealing with political questions,
it was nothing short of folly to think of
admitting him into the ranks of the Justice
Party.
This factionism continued until 1932 when
Munuswamy Naidu stepped down as the Chief
Minister of Madras and the Raja of Bobbili
became the chief minister.
==== Tamil Language ====
'For more than 40 years, I have been describing
Tamil as a barbarous language (Kattumirandi
Mozhi) used only by barbarians. When Brahmins
and the Brahmin-dominated government wanted
to make Hindi a State language, I started,
to a very limited extent, advocating the promotion
of Tamil language only to oppose the imposition
of Hindi language. The only language that
ought to replace Tamil is English. What is
not there in English which can be found in
Tamil Language?'. .
==== Dalits ====
'One of the main reasons why there is an upward
trend in the prices of clothes and textiles
is that women belonging to the Scheduled Castes
(Parachies) have started wearing blouses these
days. The reason for growing unemployment
in society is on account of increasing number
of people belonging to Scheduled Castes (Parayans)
taking to school education and higher education'.
== Followers and influence ==
After the death of Periyar in 1973, conferences
were held throughout Tamil Nadu for a week
in January 1974. The same year Periyar's wife,
Maniyammai, the new head of the Dravidar Kazhagam,
set fire to the effigies of 'Rama', 'Sita'
and 'Lakshmana' at Periyar Thidal, Madras.
This was in retaliation to the Ramaleela celebrations
where effigies of 'Ravana', 'Kumbakarna' and
'Indrajit' were burnt in New Delhi. For this
act she was imprisoned. During the 1974 May
Day meetings held at different places in Tamil
Nadu, a resolution urging the Government to
preserve 80 percent of jobs for Tamils was
passed. Soon after this, a camp was held at
Periyar Mansion in Tiruchirapalli to train
young men and women to spread the ideals of
the Dravidar Kazhagam in rural areas.On Periyar's
birthday on 17 September 1974, Periyar's Rationalist
Library and Research Library and Research
Institute was opened by the then Tamil Nadu
Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. This library
contained Periyar's rationalist works, the
manuscripts of Periyar and his recorded speeches.
Also during the same year Periyar's ancestral
home in Erode, was dedicated as a commemoration
building. On 20 February 1977, the opening
function of Periyar Building in Madras was
held. At the meeting which the Managing Committee
of the Dravidar Kazhagam held, there on that
day, it was decided to support the candidates
belonging to the Janata Party, the Dravida
Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and the Marxist Party
during the General Elections.On 16 March 1978,
Maniyammai died. The Managing Committee of
the Dravidar Kazhagam elected K. Veeramani
as General Secretary of the Dravidar Kazhagam
on 17 March 1978. From then on, the Periyar-Maniyammai
Educational and Charitable Society started
the Periyar Centenary Women's Polytechnic
at Thanjavur on 21 September 1980. On 8 May
1982, the College for Correspondence Education
was started under the auspices of the Periyar
Rationalist Propaganda Organization.Over the
years, Periyar influenced Tamil Nadu's political
party heads such as C.N. Annadurai and M.
Karunanidhi of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam'
(DMK), V. Gopalswamy founder of the Marumalarchi
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), S. Ramadoss
founder of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK),
Thol. Thirumavalavan, founder of the Dalit
Panthers of India (DPI), and Dravidar Kazhagam's
K. Veeramani. Nationally, Periyar is main
ideological icon for India's third largest
voted party, Bahujan Samaj Party and its founder
Kanshi Ram. Other political figures influenced
by Periyar were former Congress minister K.
Kamaraj, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
Mayawati. Periyar's life and teachings have
also influenced writers and poets such as
Kavignar Inkulab, and Bharathidasan including
actors such as Kamal Hassan and Sathyaraj.
Noted Tamil Comedian N. S. Krishnan was a
close friend and follower of Periyar.W. P.
A. Soundarapandian Nadar was a close confidant
of Periyar and encouraged Nadars to be a part
of the Self-Respect Movement. An OBC community
writer from Uttar Pradesh, Lalai Singh Yadav
translated Periyar's notable works into Hindi.
== In popular culture ==
Sathyaraj and Khushboo Sundar starred in a
government-sponsored film Periyar released
in 2007. Directed by Gnana Rajasekaran, the
film was screened in Malaysia on 1 May 2007
and was screened at the Goa International
Film Festival in November that year. Sathyaraj
reprised his role as Periyar in the film Kalavadiya
Pozhudugal directed by Thangar Bachan which
released in late 2010.
== Notes
