Periyar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Periyar
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Portrait of Periyar on a postage stamp
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| President of Dravidar Kazhagam | |
| In office 27 August 1944 – 24 December 1973 |
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| Preceded by | Position Established |
| Succeeded by | Annai E. V. R. Maniammai |
| Head of Justice Party | |
| In office 1939 – 27 August 1944 |
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| Inaugural Holder | C. Natesa Mudaliar |
| Preceded by | Ramakrishna Ranga Rao of Bobbili |
| Succeeded by | P. T. Rajan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 September 1879 Erode, Coimbatore District, Madras Presidency, British India (now Erode District, Tamil Nadu, India) |
| Died | 24 December 1973 (aged 94) Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Resting place | Periyar Ninaividam |
| Political party | Dravidar Kazhagam |
| Other political affiliations |
Indian National Congress Justice Party |
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| Nicknames | E.V.R., Pagutharivu Pagalavan, Vaikom Veerar, Venthaadi Venthan |
Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy (born September 17, 1879 – died December 24, 1973) was an important Indian social activist and politician. People often called him Periyar or Thanthai Periyar, which means 'respected elder' or 'father Periyar'. He started the Self-Respect Movement and the Dravidar Kazhagam political party. He is known as the 'Father of the Dravidian movement' because he fought against unfair treatment based on gender and caste in Tamil Nadu. Since 2021, his birthday is celebrated as 'Social Justice Day' in Tamil Nadu.
Ramasamy joined the Indian National Congress party in 1919. However, he left in 1925 because he felt the party was mostly helping a small group of people, the Brahmins. He questioned why non-Brahmin people were treated unfairly. He saw that Brahmins received gifts but often discriminated against non-Brahmins in religious matters. In 1924, Ramasamy took part in a peaceful protest called satyagraha in Vaikom, Travancore. From 1929 to 1932, he traveled to places like British Malaya, Europe, and the Soviet Union. These trips greatly influenced his ideas. In 1939, Ramasamy became the leader of the Justice Party. In 1944, he changed its name to Dravidar Kazhagam. Later, in 1949, a part of the party split off and formed the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Ramasamy continued his Self-Respect Movement. He also supported the idea of an independent Dravida Nadu, which would be a separate land for the Dravidians.
Periyar promoted ideas like rationalism, self-respect, women’s rights, and ending the caste system. He spoke out against the unfair treatment of non-Brahmin Dravidian people in South India. He also opposed what he saw as the forced influence of "Indo-Aryan India" on the south.
Contents
- Periyar's Life Story
- Periyar's Ideas and Impact
- Periyar's Followers and Influence
Periyar's Life Story
Early Years and Family
Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy was born on September 17, 1879. His family were merchants from the Kannada Balija community. They lived in Erode, which was then part of the Coimbatore district in the Madras Presidency. His father was Venkatappa Nayakar, and his mother was Chinnathyee. He had an older brother, Krishnaswamy, and two sisters, Kannamma and Ponnuthoy. Later, people started calling him "Periyar," meaning 'respected one' or 'elder' in the Tamil.
Ramasamy got married at 19. He had a daughter who sadly lived for only five months. His first wife, Nagammai, passed away in 1933. Ramasamy married a second time in July 1948. His second wife, Maniammai, continued his important social work after his death in 1973. She helped keep his ideas alive through the Dravidar Kazhagam.
In 1929, Ramasamy announced that he was removing his caste name Naicker from his name. He did this at a Self-Respect Conference in Chengalpattu. He could speak two Dravidian languages: Kannada and Tamil. Ramasamy went to school for five years. At age 12, he started helping his father with his business. He often listened to Tamil Vaishnavite gurus who gave talks at his house. Even when he was young, he began to question things in Hindu mythological stories. As he grew up, he felt that some people used religion to trick others. So, he made it his goal to warn people against superstitions and priests.
Kashi Pilgrimage Incident
In 1904, Ramasamy went on a religious trip to Kashi. He wanted to visit the famous Shiva temple of Kashi Vishwanath. This place is considered very holy in Hinduism. However, he saw many unfair things happening there. He became frustrated with how Hinduism was practiced when he saw what he called Brahmanic exploitation.
One event in Kashi deeply affected Ramasamy's beliefs and future work. Free meals were offered to visitors at the worship site. To his surprise, he was refused food at places that only fed Brahmins. He was very hungry, so he tried to enter one place pretending to be a Brahmin. He put a sacred thread on his chest. But his mustache gave him away. The gatekeeper decided Ramasamy was not a Brahmin because Brahmins were not supposed to have mustaches according to Hindu shastras. He was not allowed in and was rudely pushed into the street.
Ramasamy was so hungry that he had to eat leftovers from the streets. Around this time, he realized that the place that refused him entry was built by a rich non-Brahmin from South India. This unfair treatment greatly changed Ramasamy's view of Hinduism. What he saw in Kashi was very different from the holy place he had imagined. Before his visit to Kashi, Ramasamy believed in God. After this experience, his views changed, and he became an atheist.
Joining the Congress Party (1919–1925)
Ramasamy joined the Indian National Congress in 1919. He left his business and public jobs to do so. He became the chairman of Erode Municipality. He worked hard on programs like promoting Khadi cloth, protesting against alcohol shops, and ending untouchability. In 1921, Ramasamy was jailed for protesting alcohol shops in Erode. His wife and sister also joined the protests, which made the movement stronger. The government had to reach an agreement. He was arrested again during the Non-Cooperation movement and the Temperance movement. In 1922, Ramasamy was chosen as the President of the Madras Presidency Congress Committee. At a meeting in Tirupur, he strongly argued for reserving government jobs and education spots for certain groups. His ideas were not accepted by the Congress party due to unfair treatment. This led him to leave the party in 1925.
Vaikom Satyagraha (1924–1925)
In Kerala and other parts of India, people from lower castes were not allowed into temples. In Kerala, they were even stopped from walking on roads leading to temples. The state of Kerala was formed in 1956. Before that, it was divided into Malabar, Cochin, and Travancore kingdoms.
In 1923, a report was presented at a Congress Party meeting. It talked about the unfair treatment faced by lower castes in Kerala. The meeting decided to support movements against untouchability.
A committee was formed in Kerala with people from different castes to fight untouchability. In February 1924, they decided to start a movement. Their goal was to allow all Hindus, no matter their caste, to enter temples and use public roads.
Vaikom, a small town in the former Travancore kingdom, had very strict rules about untouchability near its temple. Dalits, also called Harijans, were not allowed on the streets around the temple, let alone inside it. Feelings against the caste system were growing. In 1924, Vaikom was chosen for an organized Satyagraha (peaceful protest). A movement had already begun to give all castes the right to enter temples. Protests and demonstrations took place. On April 14, Ramasamy and his wife Nagamma arrived in Vaikom. They were quickly arrested and put in prison for joining the protest. Even though Gandhi did not want non-Keralites or non-Hindus to join, Ramasamy and his followers kept supporting the movement until it ended. His followers gave him the title Vaikom Veeran, meaning 'Hero of Vaikom'.
The way the Vaikom Satyagraha was recorded often highlighted other leaders. Some sources suggest that Brahmins tried to hide news about Ramasamy's involvement. A major Congress magazine, Young India, did not mention Ramasamy in its detailed reports on Vaikom.
The movement gained support from all over India. People from Punjab helped by setting up kitchens to feed the protesters. Christian and Muslim leaders also offered support. Gandhi did not like this, as he wanted the movement to be only for Hindus. The movement was temporarily stopped in April 1924 after Gandhi's advice. When talks with upper-caste Hindus failed, the leaders restarted the movement. Leaders T K Madhavan and K P Kesava Menon were arrested. Ramasamy came from Tamil Nadu to help. He was also arrested.
On October 1, 1924, a group of Savarnas (upper castes) marched in a procession. They gave a petition with about 25,000 signatures to the Regent Maharani Sethulakshmi Bai of Travancore. The petition asked for temple entry for everyone. Gandhi also met with the Regent Maharani. This procession was led by Mannath Padmanabhan Nair. It started with about 500 people in Vaikom and grew to about 5000 by the time it reached Thiruvananthapuram in November 1924.
The Self-Respect Movement
Ramasamy and his followers constantly worked to get the government to remove social inequality. They wanted to end untouchability and manual scavenging. This happened while other leaders focused on gaining political independence. The Self-Respect Movement was created to give non-Brahmins a sense of pride based on their Dravidian history.
Spreading the idea of self-respect became Ramasamy's main work from 1925. He started a Tamil weekly newspaper called Kudi Arasu in 1925. An English journal called Revolt started in 1928. Both spread his ideas to educated people. The Self-Respect Movement grew quickly. It also gained support from the leaders of the Justice Party. In May 1929, a conference of Self-Respect Volunteers was held in Pattukkotai. Many conferences followed across the Tamil districts of the former Madras Presidency. A training school for Self-Respect was opened in Erode, Ramasamy's hometown. The goal was not just to make small social changes. It was to bring about a big social revolution to create a new spirit and a new society.
Global Travels (1929–1932)
Between 1929 and 1935, the Great Depression caused many changes in political thinking worldwide. Ideas like international communism became popular. Indian political parties and leaders were also influenced by these global ideas. The Self-Respect Movement was also affected by these new philosophies. After making the Self-Respect Movement strong on its own, Ramasamy looked for ways to make it even stronger politically and socially. To do this, he studied the history and politics of different countries. He also saw these systems working firsthand.
Ramasamy visited Malaya for a month, from December 1929 to January 1930. He went there to spread his self-respect ideas. He started his journey from Nagapattinam with his wife Nagammal and his followers. About 50,000 Tamil Malaysians welcomed him in Penang. In the same month, he opened the Tamils Conference in Ipoh. Then he went to Singapore. In December 1931, he traveled to Europe with S. Ramanathan and Erode Ramu. He wanted to learn about their political systems, social movements, way of life, and how they managed public services. He visited Egypt, Greece, Turkey, the Soviet Union, Germany, England, Spain, France, and Portugal. He stayed in Russia for three months. On his way back, he stopped in Ceylon and returned to India in November 1932.
His travels shaped Ramasamy's political ideology. He wanted to achieve the social concept of Self-Respect. The communist system in the Soviet Union seemed good to him for solving India's social problems. So, on socio-economic issues, Ramasamy had some Marxist ideas. However, he did not support ending private ownership. After he returned, Ramasamy worked with the communist M. Singaravelar. They created a plan that combined socialist and self-respect ideas. This was an important step for the Self-Respect Movement, which became more political and found its place in Tamil Nadu.
Opposing Hindi Imposition
In 1937, Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari became the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency. He made Hindi a required language in schools. This started a series of protests against Hindi. Tamil nationalists, the Justice Party, and Ramasamy organized anti-Hindi protests in 1938. Many people were arrested by the Rajaji government.
In the same year, Ramasamy first used the slogan "Tamil Nadu for Tamilians." This was to protest against Hindi being taught in schools. He said that making Hindi compulsory was a dangerous way for Aryans to take over Dravidian culture. He believed that if Tamils accepted Hindi, they would become less important than Hindi-speaking North Indians. Ramasamy argued that Hindi would stop the progress of Tamil people. He also said it would destroy their culture and the new ideas that Tamil had helped spread.
Politicians from South India, regardless of their party, joined together to oppose Hindi. There were more anti-Hindi agitations in 1948, 1952, and 1965.
Leading the Justice Party (1938–1944)
The South Indian Libertarian Federation, also known as the Justice Party, was formed in 1916. Its main goal was to oppose the power of Brahmin groups in economy and politics. The party wanted to bring social justice to non-Brahmin groups. To get public support, non-Brahmin politicians started spreading the idea of equality among non-Brahmin castes. They blamed Brahmin priests and the Sanskritic social class-value hierarchy for the unfairness among non-Brahmin groups.
In 1937, when the government made Hindi a required subject in schools, Ramasamy organized protests through the Justice Party. After 1937, the Dravidian movement gained a lot of support from students. Later, opposing Hindi played a big role in the politics of Tamil Nadu. The fear of the Hindi language came from the conflict between Brahmins and non-Brahmins. For the Tamils, accepting Hindi in schools felt like being enslaved. When the Justice Party became weaker, Ramasamy took over its leadership in 1939. He had been jailed for opposing Hindi. Under his leadership, the party grew. However, many rich and educated members, who were more traditional, stopped being active.
Dravidar Kazhagam (1944–onwards)
Forming the Dravidar Kazhagam
At a meeting in 1944, Ramasamy, as the leader of the Justice Party, announced a change. He declared that the party would now be called the Dravidar Kazhagam, or "Dravidian Association." However, some members disagreed with Ramasamy. They formed a separate group, claiming to be the original Justice Party. This group was led by P. T. Rajan and lasted until 1957.
The Dravidar Kazhagam became well-known among city people and students. Villages were also influenced by its message. Hindi and Brahmin religious ceremonies were seen as foreign symbols that should be removed from Tamil culture. Brahmins, who were seen as protectors of these symbols, were often criticized. From 1949, the Dravidar Kazhagam worked harder on social reforms. They argued that superstitions were causing problems for Dravidians. The Dravidar Kazhagam strongly fought to end untouchability among the Dalits. It also focused on women's liberation, women's education, marriage by choice, widow marriage, and homes for orphans and those in need.
Split with Annadurai
In 1949, Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai, a key leader under Ramasamy, formed a new group. It was called the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), or Dravidian Progressive Federation. This happened because of differences between them. Ramasamy wanted a separate, independent Dravidian or Tamil state. Annadurai, however, was willing to work with the Delhi government, while still asking for more independence for the state. Ramasamy believed that people and movements fighting social problems in India needed to stay focused. He felt they should not get involved in elections or political power, as this would make them lose their purpose. But some of his followers wanted to enter politics and be part of the government. They were looking for a reason to leave Ramasamy. So, when Ramasamy married Maniammai on July 9, 1948, they left the Dravidar Kazhagam. They pointed out that Ramasamy was 70 and Maniammai, the daughter of Kanagasabhai, was 32. Those who left joined the DMK. Even though the DMK split, it continued to spread Ramasamy's Self-Respect Movement ideas to villagers and students. The DMK argued that the Tamil language was richer than Sanskrit and Hindi. The Dravidar Kazhagam continued to oppose Brahminism and promote the Dravidians' right to self-determination.
Later Years
In 1956, Ramasamy organized a protest at the Marina Beach. He planned to burn pictures of the Hindu God Rama. He did this despite warnings from P. Kakkan, the President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee. Ramasamy was arrested and jailed for this act.
Ramasamy's activities continued. In 1958, he went to Bangalore for the All India Official Language Conference. There, he emphasized that English should remain the official language of India instead of Hindi. Five years later, Ramasamy traveled to North India to advocate for ending the caste system. In his last meeting in Thiagaraya Nagar, Chennai, on December 19, 1973, Ramasamy called for action. He urged people to fight for social equality and a life of dignity. On December 24, 1973, Ramasamy passed away at the age of 94.
Periyar's Ideas and Impact
Ramasamy spent over fifty years giving speeches. He wanted people to understand that everyone is equal. He believed that differences based on caste and religion were created by humans. These differences were used to keep innocent and uneducated people down. Ramasamy's speeches were mainly for ordinary people, but many educated people were also influenced. Ramasamy saw reasoning as a special tool. He believed everyone had this tool, but few used it. So, he used reasoning in his talks about social issues. Before Ramasamy, many thought that differences in Tamil society were permanent.
Rationalism
The main idea behind Ramasamy's principles and movements was rationalism. He believed that a small group of people was exploiting the majority. They were trying to keep the majority in a lower position forever. He wanted the exploited people to think about their situation. He wanted them to use their reason to see that a few people were taking advantage of them. If they started thinking, they would realize they were human beings like everyone else. They would understand that birth should not make one person better than another. They needed to wake up and do everything to improve their lives.
Ramasamy explained that true wisdom comes from thinking. And the best way to think is through rationalism. About caste, he said that no other living being harms its own kind. But humans, who are supposed to be rational, do these bad things. The differences, hatred, poverty, and meanness in society are due to a lack of wisdom and rationalism. They are not caused by God or bad times. Ramasamy often wrote that British rule was better than self-rule.
Ramasamy also blamed rich business owners for controlling machines. He said this created problems for workers. In his view, rationalism should lead to a peaceful life for everyone. But it had caused poverty and worries because of powerful groups. He said there was no point in gaining titles or wealth if one had no self-respect or scientific knowledge. He gave an example: the West was sending messages to planets, while people in Tamil society were sending rice to their dead ancestors through Brahmins.
In a message to the Brahmin community, Ramasamy said, "You have tricked us in the name of god, religion, and holy books. We were the ruling people. Stop this cheating life from this year. Make room for rationalism and humanism." He added that "any opposition not based on rationalism, science, or experience will eventually show its fraud, selfishness, lies, and plots."
Self-Respect
Ramasamy's idea of self-respect was based on his vision of a perfect world. It was a world that everyone could accept. His idea teaches that human actions should be based on logical thinking. Also, people naturally question everything. They should refuse to accept anything that is not logical, as that would be like slavery. So, the idea of self-respect taught that reason should guide human actions. What is right and wrong should come from rational thinking. And conclusions from reason should always be respected. Freedom means respecting thoughts and actions that humans consider 'right' based on 'reason'. There is not much difference between 'freedom' and 'self-respect'.
Ramasamy's most important message to people was to develop self-respect. He taught that Brahmins had unfairly controlled and cheated other communities for many years. They had taken away their self-respect. He said that most Brahmins claimed to be from a "superior" community. They had special rights to be in charge of temples and perform archanas (prayers). He felt they were trying to keep control over religion by using their higher caste status. They claimed the only right to touch idols or enter the holiest parts of temples.
Women's Rights
As a rationalist and strong social reformer, Ramasamy always argued for women's equal place in society. He believed women should have the same rights as men. He also thought they should get a good education and have the right to property. He felt that age and social customs should not stop women from marrying. He wanted women to understand their rights and become valuable citizens.
Ramasamy fought against old marriage traditions in Tamil Nadu and India. He saw them as ways to suppress women. While arranged marriages were meant to help couples live together, they were often used to enslave women. Even worse was the practice of child marriages, which was common then. People believed it was a sin to marry after puberty. Another common practice was the dowry system. In this system, the bride's family had to give the husband a large payment. This was meant to help the new couple financially, but often the money was misused by the husbands.
Women in India also did not have rights to their families' or husbands' property. Ramasamy fought hard for this. He also argued for women to have the right to separate or divorce their husbands when there were good reasons.
He criticized the unfair idea of chastity only for women. He argued that it should apply to men too, or not at all for either gender. For women's freedom, Ramasamy pushed for their right to education. He also wanted them to be able to join the armed services and the police force.
According to his biographer M.D. Gopalakrishnan, Ramasamy and his movement helped women gain a better status in Tamil society. Ramasamy believed there should be no difference between men and women in education and jobs. Gopalakrishnan says that Ramasamy's influence in government departments helped women join police and army forces. Ramasamy also spoke out against child marriage.
Social Reform and Ending Caste
Ramasamy wanted thinking people to see that society was not perfect. He believed it needed urgent changes. He wanted the government, political parties, and social workers to find the bad things in society. Then, they should bravely take steps to remove them. Ramasamy's ideas did not separate social and political service. He believed a government's first duty was to manage society well. He also thought religion's purpose was to organize the social system. Ramasamy said that Christian and Islamic religions were doing this. But he felt the Hindu religion was not suitable for social progress. He argued that the government was not for the people. Instead, it was the other way around: people were for the government. He blamed this on a social system designed to benefit a small group.
One of Ramasamy's main focuses was improving rural communities. In a booklet called Village Uplift, Ramasamy asked for changes in villages. At that time, rural India was still the largest part of the country. But living in rural areas meant economic and social disadvantages. Ramasamy wanted to get rid of the idea of "village" as a word that meant lower status. He compared it to the idea of "outcast" among social groups. Ramasamy wanted places where names or conditions did not create differences among people. He also pushed for modernizing villages. He wanted public facilities like schools, libraries, radio stations, roads, bus transport, and police stations.
Ramasamy felt that a few clever people created caste distinctions to control Indian society. So, he stressed that people must first develop self-respect. They also needed to learn to think logically about ideas. According to Ramasamy, a self-respecting rationalist would quickly realize that the caste system was stopping self-respect. Therefore, they would work to get rid of this problem.
Ramasamy stated that the caste system in South India came from Indo-Aryan influence. He linked it to the arrival of Brahmins from the north. Ancient Tamil Nadu had a different way of organizing society. It was based on four or five regions (Tinai), determined by nature and ways of living. Ramasamy also argued that birds, animals, and worms, which are not considered rational, do not create castes. They do not make differences of high and low within their own species. But humans, who are thought to be rational, suffered from these problems because of religion and discrimination.
The Samathuvapuram (Equality Village) system was introduced by the Government of Tamil Nadu in the late 1990s. It is named after Ramasamy and promotes social equality.
Tamil Language and Writing
Ramasamy believed that Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada all came from the same ancient language, Old Tamil. He explained that the Tamil language was called by four different names because it was spoken in four different Dravidian states. However, modern understanding of Dravidian languages shows that they are classified into distinct groups.
Regarding writing, Ramasamy said that using the Tamil script for useful arts and knowledge would enlighten people. He felt it would enrich the language and show a passion for Tamil. Ramasamy also stated that if words of North Indian origin (Sanskrit) were removed from Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam, only Tamil would be left. He believed that the Tamil spoken by Andhras and Malayali people was better than the Tamil spoken by Brahmins. Ramasamy thought that the Tamil language would unite Dravidian people under Tamil culture. He also believed it would make Kannadigas, Andhras, and Malayalees more aware. About a Dravidian alliance under one common language, Ramasamy said, "a time will come for unity. This will go on until North Indian control ends. We shall reclaim an independent sovereign state for us."
Ramasamy also made some controversial comments about the Tamil language. He once called the Tamil people "barbarians" and the Tamil language the "language of barbarians." He explained that he said this because Tamil, being a very old language, had not been reformed enough. He felt people were too focused on its ancient glory instead of working for its growth and making it easier to use in modern times.
Ramasamy had ideas for Tamil alphabet reforms. He questioned why some letters that combine sounds, like 'கி' (ki) and 'கீ' (kī), didn't have separate signs for their length, like 'கா' (kā) and 'கே' (kē). He believed that to keep up with printing technology, it made sense to change some letters, reduce their number, and alter some signs. He argued that the older and more sacred a language and its letters were said to be, the more they needed reform. He felt that changes in transport and international contact had brought in foreign words and sounds into Tamil. So, changing letter shapes, creating new symbols, and removing unnecessary ones were essential. He believed the greatness of a language and its script depended on how easily they could be understood and learned.
Thoughts on the Thirukkural
Ramasamy praised the Thirukkural as a valuable scripture. He said it contained many scientific and philosophical truths. He also liked that the work was not tied to any single religion. Ramasamy praised Thiruvalluvar for describing God as a formless being with only good qualities. He suggested that anyone who reads the Thirukkural would become a Self-respecter. They would gain knowledge in politics, society, and economics. He believed that even if some parts of this old book of ethics didn't fit today, it allowed for changes in modern society.
Regarding caste, he believed the Kural showed how Vedic laws of Manu were against the Sudras and other Dravidian communities. Ramasamy also thought the ethics in the Kural were similar to the Christian Bible. The Dravidar Kazhagam adopted the Thirukkural. They argued that Thiruvalluvar's Kural alone was enough to educate the people of the country. One of Ramasamy's quotes about the Thirukkural was: "when Dravida Nadu (Dravidistan) was a victim to Indo-Aryan deceit, Thirukkural was written by a great Dravidian Thiruvalluvar to free the Dravidians."
Ramasamy also said that because the Thirukkural is not religious, it could be a common book of faith for all humanity. He believed it could be as important as, or even more important than, the holy books of all religions.
Dravida Nadu: A Separate Land
The conflict between Dravidians and Aryans was seen as a long-standing historical issue. It was believed to have started when Aryans first came to Dravidian lands. Even ten years before the idea of separation came up, Ramasamy said that as long as "Aryan religion, Indo-Aryan control, and Aryan 'Varnashrama'" existed, there was a need for a "Dravidian Progressive Movement" and a "Self-Respect Movement." Ramasamy became very worried about the increasing control of North India over the south. To him, it felt no different from foreign rule. He wanted the Dravidians to benefit from their own hard work. He felt that fields like politics, economy, industry, society, art, and spirituality were controlled by the north for the benefit of North Indians. So, as India neared independence from Britain, the fear grew that North India would replace Britain in controlling South India.
Ramasamy had a clear idea for a separate nation. It would include the Tamil areas of the then-existing Madras Presidency and nearby regions. This new federation would protect minorities and ensure religious, language, and cultural freedom. A conference for separation was held in June 1940 in Kanchipuram. There, Ramasamy released a map of the proposed Dravida Nadu. However, he did not get approval from the British. Instead, Ramasamy received support from people like Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. They agreed with his views on the Congress party and his opposition to Hindi. They then decided to start a movement to resist the Congress.
The idea of Dravida Nadu was later changed to Tamil Nadu. This led to a proposal for a union of Tamil people not only from South India but also from Ceylon. In 1953, Ramasamy helped keep Madras as the capital of Tamil Nadu. Later, he used "Tamil Nadu" instead of the broader "Dravida Nadu." In 1955, Ramasamy threatened to burn the national flag. But he postponed the action when Chief Minister Kamaraj promised that Hindi would not be made compulsory. In his 1957 speech called Suthantara Tamil Nadu En? (Why an independent Tamil Nadu?), he criticized the Central Government of India. He encouraged thousands of Tamilians to burn the Indian constitution. He did this because he believed the government was responsible for keeping the caste system. After giving reasons for separation, he ended his speech with a call to burn the map of India on June 5. Ramasamy was sentenced to six months in prison for burning the Indian constitution.
Supporting such a separate nation became illegal in 1957 when laws banned separatist demands. Despite these laws, a Dravida Nadu Separation Day was observed on September 17, 1960. Many people were arrested. However, Ramasamy restarted his campaign in 1968. He wrote an article titled 'Tamil Nadu for Tamilians'. In it, he stated that only Brahmins had benefited from nationalism. He believed nationalism had been created to take away the rights of Tamils. He argued that a Tamil Nadu Freedom Organization needed to be formed, and people should work towards it.
Anti-Brahmanism vs. Anti-Brahmin
Ramasamy was a strong supporter of anti-Brahmanism. His idea of anti-Brahmanism is often misunderstood as being against Brahmins as people. However, he believed that even a non-Brahmin who supported caste inequality was supporting Brahmanism. Ramasamy called on both Brahmins and non-Brahmins to reject Brahmanism.
In 1920, when the Justice Party came to power, Brahmins held about 70 percent of high-level government jobs. After the Justice Party introduced reservations, this trend changed. Non-Brahmins were able to rise in the government of the Madras Presidency. Ramasamy, through the Justice Party, argued against the unfair control of Brahmins. They made up only 3 percent of the population but dominated government jobs, the judiciary, and Madras University. His Self-Respect Movement promoted rationalism and atheism. The movement had strong elements of anti-Brahminism.
However, Ramaswamy did make some very strong statements. For example, he said: "Pambaium parpanaium partha parpanai adi" - If you see a snake and a Brahmin, beat the Brahmin.
Periyar and Gandhi
In the Vaikom Satyagraha of 1924, Ramasamy and Gandhi both worked together and also disagreed. Ramasamy and his followers highlighted their different views on social issues. These included fighting untouchability laws and ending the caste system.
According to a booklet called "Gandhi and Periyar," Ramasamy wrote in his paper Kudi Arasu in 1925. He reported that Gandhi opposed resolutions to keep caste and untouchability laws. Gandhi felt these would harm his efforts to unite Hindus and Muslims. From this, Gandhi learned he needed to please Brahmins to achieve anything.
Periyar often used chances to show Gandhi as someone who, in principle, served the interests of Brahmins. In 1927, Ramasamy and Gandhi met in Bangalore to discuss this. Their main difference became clear when Ramasamy supported completely ending Hinduism. Gandhi disagreed, saying Hinduism was not fixed and could change.
Gandhi accepted karma in the sense that "the Untouchables reap the reward of their karma." But he was against discriminating against them. He used the term Harijans (children of God) for them. In the Vaikom negotiations, Gandhi's methods for ending discrimination were: to highlight the cruel treatment of Untouchables; to get upper-caste Hindus to voluntarily lift the ban by changing their hearts; and to work within Hindu ideas.
On the issue of Temple Entry, Gandhi never supported opening the Garbha Griha (inner sanctuary) to Harijans. This was because of his Hindu beliefs. Sources that support Periyar show that Ramasamy and his followers believed Ramasamy was the true fighter for ending untouchability and helping Harijans, while Gandhi was not. However, this did not stop Ramasamy from trusting Gandhi on some matters.
Religion and Atheism
Ramasamy was generally seen as a practical speaker. He attacked the negative influence of religion on society, especially what he saw as Brahmin control. He criticized both Indian (Dharmic) and Western (Abrahamic) religions.
When he was young, he felt that some people used religion to trick innocent people. He saw it as his life's mission to warn people against superstitions and priests. However, Anita Diehl explains that Ramasamy cannot be called just an atheist philosopher. Ramasamy himself explained what "atheist" meant to him. He said the term didn't have a real meaning: "...the talk of the atheist should be considered thoughtless and wrong. 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."
Anita Diehl explains that Ramasamy believed faith could exist with social equality. He did not oppose religion itself. In a book about revolution published in 1961, Ramasamy stated: "Be of help to people. Do not use trickery or lies. Speak the truth and do not cheat. That indeed is service to God."
About Hinduism, Ramasamy believed it was a religion without a clear sacred book or origin. He saw it as an imaginary faith that taught the "superiority" of Brahmins, the lower status of Shudras, and the untouchability of Dalits.
Periyar also criticized Christianity and Islam. He said, "It will be more difficult to abolish Islam and Christianity from society," and "What was said 2000 years ago cannot be relevant today." He added, "Heaven in all religion is a way of collecting money. Can you accept Christ according to reason?"
Ramasamy saw Christianity as similar to the monotheistic faith of Islam. He explained that the Christian faith says there is only one God, who has no name or shape. Ramasamy was interested in Martin Luther. Both he and his followers wanted to compare Periyar's role to that of the European reformer. So, Christian ideas, like those in The Precepts of Jesus (1820) by Ram Mohan Roy, had some indirect influence on Ramasamy.
Ramasamy also found ideas in Buddhism that supported his philosophy, even though he did not fully accept that religion. It was another option in his search for self-respect. The goal was to gain freedom from the unfairness of Hinduism. The fact that Buddha rejected the traditional Hindu ideas of Brahman, "god," and Atman (soul) appealed to Periyar. Also, the idea that Buddha-Bodhi could mean wisdom and sense appealed to him. Early Buddhism supported reason or enlightenment, and Periyar connected this to his rationalist ideas. The search for a basis for his movement began and grew stronger after India gained independence. It was another attempt to find self-respect and freedom from being called a "shudra" in Hinduism. Periyar stated that his teachings were similar to Buddha's teachings from 2000 years ago. He wanted to bring them back as an independent movement. Ramasamy claimed that Buddhist temples (Vihars) in Srirangam, Kanchi, Palani, and Tirupati were turned into Hindu temples.
Through Ramasamy's movement, Temple Entry Acts were created between 1924 and 1950 for non-Brahmins. Another achievement happened in the 1970s. Tamil replaced Sanskrit as the temple language in Tamil Nadu, and Dalits finally became eligible for priesthood.
Periyar's Followers and Influence
After Ramasamy's death in 1973, conferences were held across Tamil Nadu for a week in January 1974. In the same year, Ramasamy's wife, Maniyammai, who became the new head of the Dravidar Kazhagam, burned statues of 'Rama', 'Sita', and 'Lakshmana' at Ramasamy Thidal, Madras. This was a response to the Ramaleela celebrations in New Delhi, where statues of 'Ravana', 'Kumbakarna', and 'Indrajit' were burned. She was imprisoned for this act. During the May Day meetings in 1974, a resolution was passed. It urged the government to save 80 percent of jobs for Tamils. Soon after, a camp was held at Ramasamy Mansion in Tiruchirapalli. It trained young men and women to spread the ideas of the Dravidar Kazhagam in rural areas.
On Ramasamy's birthday, September 17, 1974, his Rationalist Library and Research Institute were opened. The then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi opened them. This library held Ramasamy's rationalist works, his original writings, and his recorded speeches. Also in the same year, Ramasamy's childhood home in Erode was made into a memorial building. On February 20, 1977, the Ramasamy Building in Madras was opened. At a meeting held there by the Dravidar Kazhagam Managing Committee, they decided to support candidates from the Janata Party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and the Marxist Party in the General Elections.
On March 16, 1978, Maniyammai passed away. The Managing Committee of the Dravidar Kazhagam chose K. Veeramani as the General Secretary of the Dravidar Kazhagam on March 17, 1978. From then on, the Periyar-Maniyammai Educational and Charitable Society started the Periyar Centenary Women's Polytechnic in Thanjavur on September 21, 1980. On May 8, 1982, the College for Correspondence Education was started under the Periyar Rationalist Propaganda Organization.
Over the years, Ramasamy influenced many political leaders in Tamil Nadu. These include C.N. Annadurai and M. Karunanidhi of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam' (DMK). He also influenced V. Gopalswamy, founder of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), and S. Ramadoss, founder of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK). Other influenced leaders are Thol. Thirumavalavan, founder of the Dalit Panthers of India (DPI), and Dravidar Kazhagam's K. Veeramani. Nationally, Ramasamy is a key figure for India's third-largest party, Bahujan Samaj Party, and its founder Kanshi Ram. Other political figures influenced by Ramasamy include former Congress minister K. Kamaraj and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayawati. Ramasamy's life and teachings have also influenced writers and poets like Kavignar Inkulab and Bharathidasan. Actors like Kamal Haasan and Sathyaraj were also inspired. The famous Tamil comedian N. S. Krishnan was a close friend and follower of Ramasamy. W. P. A. Soundarapandian Nadar was a close friend of Ramasamy. He encouraged Nadars to join the Self-Respect Movement. A writer from Uttar Pradesh, Lalai Singh Yadav, translated Ramasamy's important works into Hindi.
