Biography of Periyar E.V.Ramasami
Compiled by : S.V.Rajadurai, Professor & Head, Centre for
Periyar Studies, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirapalli-620
024
(1879 -1973)
1879
Born on 17.9.1879 to the wealthy merchant family of Venkata
Naicker and Chinnathayee Ammal at Erode, Tamil Nadu, India
1889
His formal schooling ended at the age of ten. As he jokingly
remarked to his early biographer Sami Sidambaranar, he was more
interested in harassing teachers than attending the classes.
1888
Married 13 year old Nagammal. 1898
Entered into the family business of trading 1904
Went on a pilgrimage to north Indian cities of Calcutta
(Kolkotta) and Benares (Varanasi) to experiment with the life of
an ascetic. Disillusioned with the philosophy and practice of
the sanyasins ,returned to his hometown 1907
Took to social service works and gravitated towards Indian
National Congress 1914-1916
Took an active role in organizing Congress Conferences. 1917
Elected Chairman of Erode Municipality and held responsible
position in Erode Taluk Temple Committee and many other honorary
posts for several years. During his tenure as the Municipal
Chairman, drinking water scheme was implemented. Joined Madras
Presidency Association (MPA) floated by the non-Brahmin Congress
leaders to counter the Justice Party. Elected Vice-President of
MPA and served as the Reception Committee Chairman for its
second provincial conference held at Erode in October 1919
1919 -1920
Persuaded by C.Rajagopalachari and P.Varadarajulu Naidu,leading
Congressmen of the day Periyar resigned from the Chairmanship of
Erode Municipality and from many other honorary posts to plunge
himself into active nationalist politics. His brief tie-up with
Annie Besant's Home Rule movement ended up in disillusionment.
In his short autobiographical notes Periyar mentions that he
visited Amrister after the Jalianwallabagh massacre and that
what he saw and heard there made him an ardent Nationalist. He
was soon to be elected President of Tamil Nadu Congress
Comiitee. From 1920 onwards he was consistently urging the Tamil
Nadu Congress Committee to demand for proportional
representation of non Brahmins and depressed castes in
government services. 1920
Actively involved in Gandhi’s non co-operation movement and
Constructive Programme together with his wife Nagammal and
sister S.R.Kannammal. 1921
Sentenced for involvement in Temperance movement and cut down
500 coconut trees in his garden. 1922
At the session of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee held at
Tiruppur in Coimbatore district he declared that Manusmriti,
Ramayana and such other texts that legitimise the Varna –Caste
system be burnt to ashes. 1924
Led the Satyagraha at Vaikom in the erstwhile princely state of
Travancore for the right of the untouchable castes to use the
roads around the Hindu temple .Arrested in May, sentenced to
jail term for one month and held at Arvukuththi jail and after
release resumed the struggle to be sentenced to imprisonement
for six months. His wife Nagammal and sister S.R.Kannammal also
participated in satyagraha. Dhananjay Keer, the biographer of Dr
B.R.Ambedkar writes of Vaikom struggle: “The outstanding event
of the year concerning the struggle of the Depressed Classes was
the Satyagraha or the passive resistance sponsored by Ramaswami
Naicker, a Non-Brahmin leader at Vaikom in the Travancore State
for vindicating the rights of the Untouchables to use a certain
road to which they were forbidden entry. Its moral pressure and
the spirit of righteous assertion had a tremendous effect, and
the orthodox Hindus, for a while, regained their civic sense and
sanity, and the road was thrown open to the
untouchables…Ambedkar … referred to the Vaikom struggle, a few
months latter, very touchingly in one of his editorials, on the
eve of the Mahad Satyagraha.” Always already critical of the
reactionary Brahmins of the Swarajist wing of the Congress
Party, Periyar began taking on the’ radical’ elements on matters
concerning social reforms. He vehemently criticised the practice
of serving food separately for the Brahmin and non-Brahmin
students in Gurukula Ashram run by V.V.S.Iyer, a Congressman (
once convicted of ‘terrorist activities’) out of Congress funds.
The Gurukula incident exposed the growing schism between the
Brahmin and non-Brahmin public figures in Tamil country.
Periyar lent his support to the Hindu Religious Endowment Bill
moved in the Madras legislature by the Justice Party ministry
with a view to put an end to the monopoly of Brahmins in running
the affairs of the temples and to utilize the temple funds for
secular purposes. He also presided over the 30th session of
the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee at Thiruvannamalai and
declared that the annihilation of castes was the only means to
abolish untouchability. 1925
Still being a Congressman and with a strong faith in the
efficacy of Gandhi’s constructive programme in the upliftment of
the poor and untouchables , Periyar launched his celebrated
Tamil weekly ‘Kudi Arasu’ (Republic) on 2.5.1925 for serving the
cause of “Tamils such as Untouchables”. With this weekly came
into being his Self-Respect movement, the core philosophy was to
do away with oppression and exploitation based on caste, class
and gender. He parted company with the Congressmen (though not
officially making a break with the Party) after the resolution
moved by him in the Tamil Nadu Congress Conference in
Kanchevaram to provide for proportional representation for
non-Brahmin and Untouchable castes in legislature, government
jobs etc., was disallowed. While moving closer to the Justice
party, he persuaded the latter to adopt Gandhi’s constructive
programme. At the same time he called for a militant non
Brahminism which would not be content with the bread and crumbs
offered by the rulers but would radically challenge the caste
system. 1927
Final break with Gandhi came when Periyar and other
Self-Respecters failed to persuade Gandhi to give up his belief
in Varnashrama Dharma. Periyar welcomed the Simon Commission as
he believed that its recommendations would pave the way for the
rightful representation of non Brahmin and Untouchable castes in
running the affairs of the government. While his Self-Respect
ideas were making a powerful appeal to the downtrodden masses
crystallizing in horizontal solidarity of the backward and
depressed castes throwing a powerful challenge to the status
quo, he began actively supporting the Independent Ministry
headed by P.Subbaroyan (after the Justice Party failed to get a
majority in the Madras Legislative Assembly in 1927 elections)
for its daring implementation of the Government Orders passed by
the Justice ministry to give proportional representation in the
Government jobs for non Brahmins and depressed castes and for
its radical measures to uplift women and depressed castes. For
the first time in the history of Tamil Nadu two members of
‘untouchable’ community were appointed as members of Devoswam
(Temple Affairs) Committee. Periyar supported the bill moved
in the Legislative Assembly by social reformer and the Congress
member Muthulakshmi Reddy to do doing away with the Devadasi
system in the Temples. Copies of Manu Smriti were burnt in many
Self respect meetings. Periyar removed from his name once and
for all the caste appellation ‘Naicker’. 1928
In the month of May Periyar was arrested at Erode for his
participation in the strike of the employees and workers of
South Indian Railway. He was earlier arrested at Tiruchirapalli
at the beginning of the year for his alleged provocative remarks
against the upper caste Christians. Periyar launched his
English weekly ‘Revolt’ on 7th November 1928. In the first
anniversary number he wrote:” It was on the 7th day November
1928 that memorable day in the history of the nations, the day
of the anniversary of the immortal Revolution in Russia, the day
which is looked upon as the violent explosion of human liberty,
the day which is memorialised by millions in Russia for the
mighty mixing up of monarchs and the massed, - it was on that
day that the revolt saw the light of day at Erode. Even as we
pointed out at the outset, we ‘unfurled the flag of revolt to
destroy tyrannies and to befriend men and women’. Our aim, as we
declared, was to put before our people, and humanity in general,
how ‘social injustice is at the root of our economic bondage and
political subjugation”. ‘Revolt’ gave extensive coverage to
the anti-caste and social reform movements taking place in
various parts of British India as well as in princely states.
These included reports on Adi Dravida Conference in Karaikudi,
Non Brahmin Youth Conference held at Madurai, All Travancore
Social Conference in Nagercoil, Anti-Caste Conference organized
by Dr.B.R.Ambedkar in Nasik, Lohore conference of Jat Pat Todak
Mandal. It gave great importance to the struggle waged by Samaj
Samata Sangh led by Dr. B.R.Ambedkar for the rights of the
Untouchables to enter the Temple in Ganesh temple in Dadar,
Bombay. Periyar and his movement put their focus on the rights
and emancipation of untouchable castes and endeared themselves
to the depressed caste organizations of the day. In the
Karaikudi Conference of Adi Dravida Association led by M.C.Raja,
a resolution was passed urging its members to buy and read
Justice Party daily ‘Dravidan’ and Self respect weekly ‘Kudi
Arasu’ Periyar welcomed into the fold of Self-Respect Movement
M.Singaravelu, an outstanding intellectual (born in a poor
fisherfolk family) and a radical Congressman with Buddhist
scholarship turned Communist (‘ the first Communist of South
India’).Singaravelu began enriching the movement through his
essays on socialism, religion, superstition and rationalism.
K.V.Alagarisamy, a Self-Respect veteran was instrumental in
bringing this great man of letters to the movement after both of
them jointly addressed a meeting in Napier Park in Madras to
condemn the death sentence awarded to Sacco and Vanzetti , the
American anarchist labour leaders after a fake trial. 1929
Published detailed reports eulogizing Dr.B.R.Ambedkar’s
struggles.
Organised the first Madras Provincial Self-Respect Conference at
Chingleput near Chennai on 18th February 1929 sending shivers up
the spines of the casteist forces across the country. Visited
Malaya and Singapore with his wife Nagammal and addressed a
number of meetings organized by the expatriate Tamils with
Self-Respect leanings. 1930
Periyar published his celebrated book “Garba Aaatchi’ (Right of
reproduction), which anticipated many of the arguments of the
radical feminists of the future. He also wrote a number of
articles dealing with the questions of patriarchy and gender
justice thus contributing some original and thought provoking
ideas to the feminist movement in India. Organised the second
provincial self-respect conference at Erode under the
presidentship of the Congress-Hindu Sabhaite M.R.Jeyakar and for
the first time in the history of political gatherings in Tamil
Nadu the food to the delegates was served by the Adi Dravida
members of the Self- respect movement. Criticised Gandhi’s
Civil Disobedience Movement and his Salt Satyagraha as these did
not address the questions of caste oppression, exploitation of
the poor by rich and the gender injustice and called
Gandhi-Irvin pact as a total surrender of the Congress to the
British raj. The press controlled by the Brahmins came up for
severe criticism of Periyar as they glorified the participation
of the Brahmin leaders who offered the least harmful Satyagraha
in the civil disobedience movement while deliberately belittling
the severe police repression suffered by the non Brahmin
Congressmen. Moblised public support for the Bill tabled by
the Congress legislator and social reformer Muthulakshmi Reddi
for the abolition of Devadasi system and criticized the Justice
Party leadership for its nationalist pretences and its lukewarm
attitude towards the Devadasi abolition bill. Organised along
with the Coimbatore District Self Respect Conference, a separate
conference non-Brahmin musicians whose talents and merits were
systematically belittled and unrecognized by the Brahmins whose
hegemony extended to all realms of public and private lives and
called upon the non Brahmin artistes to assert their
self-respect and fight for getting their rightful place in
Concert Halls and other musical events. 1931-1932
Organised public meeting and published articles criticizing the
All India Conference of the Indian National Congress held at
Karachi. In Periyar’s view the resolutions on fundamental rights
passed in the Congress , especially its advocacy of ‘neutrality
in religious matters’ held dangerous portends for the shudras
and untouchable castes as they adumbrated the essential features
of the Rama Rajya of Gandhi and the Congress where the caste
order and religious obscurantism would be preserved (The Karachi
resolutions were as follows: The articles in the Constitution
relating to Fundamental Rights shall include a guarantee to the
communities concerned of protection of their culture, languages,
scripts, education, profession, practice religion and religious
endowments.
2.Personal Laws shall be protected by specific provisions to be
embodied in the Constitution.) Periyar and other
self-respecters wrote and spoke in support of Bhagat Singh who
in their view was betrayed by Gandhi and his Congress.Periyar
offered a trenchant theoretical and philosophical critique of
Gandhi’s philosophy of ‘ahimsa’ and his claims of listening to
the dictates of ‘conscience’. 29.3.1931 issue of ‘Kudi Arasu’
published an important speech of Prof Lakshminarasu, co-founder
of South Indian Buddhist Association on “Untouchability and
Samadharma” Organised the third provincial Self-Respect
conference at Virudhunagar in response to the Karachi Congress.
With S.Ramanathan, a leading Self-Respecter, translated from
English and published ‘The Communist Manifesto’ in Kudi Arasu.
The Tamil version with Periyar’s lengthy introduction was
published in ‘Kudi Arasu’ weekly from 4.10.1931 to 25.10.1931.
In compliance with a resolution passed in the third provincial
self-respect conference, Periyar accompanied by S.Ramanathan
began his long foreign trip to learn from the experiences of
various countries in solving social problems. He made brief
visits to South Africa, Egypt, Greece, Turkey, England, Germany,
Spain, Portugal and Italy. But his primary interest was Soviet
Union where he stayed from 13.2.1932 to 19.5.1932 visiting
factories, Communist Party functionaries, Atheist Groups etc. In
Germany he met Communist and anarchist leaders and the Nudists.
He briefly joined the Nudist Club to experiment with the idea of
shedding the gendered notions of shame, honour, decency and
‘naturally endowed sexual differences. In London he had
several meetings with Sarbuji Sakhlatwala, the Communist leader
and the first Indian ever to be elected to the British several
times and accompanied him to several public meetings of workers
and communists and shared the platform with him in a few
meetings.
On his way back home he spent three weeks in Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
to propagate Self Respect and Socialist ideas. His audience
comprised mostly of depressed caste migrant workers. He returned
to his hometown Erode on 11.11.1932
In December, along with M.Singaravelu, P.Jeevanandam and other
leading socialist inclined Self respecters, drafted and
published the ‘Samadharma (Socialist) Programme’, popularly
known as ‘Erode Plan’.
During Periyar’s absence, in tune with
his principles and commitments leading Self-Respecters like
S.Gurusamy, Ponnamblanar, M.Singaravelu ,G.Appaduraiyar
organized several meetings independently and also jointly with
many Adi Dravida Associations to support Ambedkar’s struggle for
separate electorate for untouchables and condemned Gandhi’s
‘fast unto death’ that resulted in the infamous Poona pact. In
March, 1932 Self-respect , Buddhist and Adi Dravida Conferences
were organized at Kolar Gold Fields. Justice Party was the only
political party in South India that supported the separate
electorate demand. 1933
Periyar carried out intensive propaganda of socialist thoughts
across the Tamil Country. Wrote and spoke against the activities
of Harijan Sewak Sangh of Gandhi and Congress.
With the help of S.Ramanathan, translated from English and
published Frederic Engels’s ‘Principles of Communism’ and
Lenin’s article ‘Tolstoy the mirror of Russian Revolution’ and a
few of his letters to Maxim Gorky on religion. Periyar kept
drawing an analogy between Tolstoyism and Gandhism and argued
how the latter functioned as an ideological mystification
blurring one’s view of social reality. Periyar organized
anti-Zamindar Conference and spoke against the reactionary
princely states.
Nagammal, Periyar’s wife and comrade-in-arms passed away on
11.5.1933. The obituary Periyar wrote remains till date one of
the moving account of their dedication to each other, the
sharing of ideals and a self-introspection on the part of
Periyar about the extent to which he lived up to his own
advocacy of gender justice.
Very next day Periyar left for Tiruchirapalli to conduct
self-respect, inter-caste and inter-religious marriage defying
the prohibitory order under Section 144 of IPC imposed to
prevent Periyar from attending the function.
For the editorial ‘Why the present form of Government should
go?’ published in 29.10.1933 issue of’ Kudi Arasu’ weekly he and
his sister and the publisher of the journal S.R.Kannammal were
arrested under Section 124 –A (sedition charges), his house was
searched and 46 ‘seditious’ letters were confiscated. Both of
them were incarcerated in Coimbatore Central Prison. The carping
criticism made by Periyar and his followers of the practice of
untouchability and casteism amongst the Catholics and their
publication of anti-clerical articles of Bertrand Russell,
Ingersol, Jean Meslier and Voltaire invited the wrath of the
Catholic clergy who appealed to the Pope to urge the British
Government to ban the Self-Respect Movement.
1934
As Periyar had already planned to bring out another Self-Respect
journal in the event of ‘Kudi Arasu’ being banned or prosecuted,
he had another weekly ‘Puratchi’ (Revolution) launched in 1933.
It , together with another self respect journal ‘Samadhramam’
edited and published by Parthasarathi in Jalarpet, North
Arcot district kept publishing articles on socialism, Soviet
Union, women’s rights, fascism, critiques of Gandhism and also
articles supporting the Justice Party candidates for the Central
Assembly bye-elections. The editor and Periyar’s elder brother
E.V.Krishnasamy,himself a leading self-respecter had to face
charges of sedition.
Schism that began to develop between
Periyar and like minded persons on one hand and M.Singaravelu
and his ‘communist’ colleagues on the other over the question of
supporting the Justice Party and implementing the ‘Erode
Socialist Programme’ began to surface. The weekly ‘Puratchi’
had to be fold up because of Government repression and also in
view of the virulent opposition from religious fundamentalists
and Periyar,using his tactical genius, had another weekly
launched this time. ‘Pakutharivu’ (Rationalism) weekly was
launched with E.V.Krishnasamy as the editor. A daily and a
monthly with the same name were also brought out. The daily had
to fold up shortly due to financial constraints. P.Jeevanandam
who translated into Tamil , Bhagat Singh’s ‘ Why I am an
Atheist?’ and E.V.Krishnasamy, Periyar’s elder brother who
published it on behalf of the self-respect press were arrested
under Section 124 A of IPC (sedition). Periyar asked them to
give an undertaking to the Government that they would not
indulge in such seditious and anti-government activities and
secure their release. In response to the criticism from the
young and more militant self –respecters that Periyar’s act was
a regretful compromise and a sign of cowardice, he owned up the
responsibility for asking his colleagues to give such an
undertaking but argued that he was not interested in ‘martyrdom’
either for himself or for other self-respecters but was only
exploring avenues to carry forward the self-respect works in a
charged political climate where, according to his reading, the
Congress-British alliance was being forged after 1932
Gandhi-Irvin Pact and Gandhi’s influence was increasing in civil
society while the Government were contemplating a ban on
Self-Respect movement following the ban imposed on the Communist
party. Periyar argued for a pragmatic way forward steering clear
of the obstacles being erected from various directions. There
was a meeting of Periyar and C.Rajagopalachari in Coimbatore
Central Prison where the latter was held on account of his
participation in individual satyagraha movement and it was
widely believed that Periyar was contemplating reaccommodation
within the Congress Party. A modified and much watered down
version of Erode programme was sent by Periyar to both the
Congress and Justice Party on the condition that whichever party
accepted it would get his support in the elections. While the
Congress Party ridiculed it as a pale imitation of Karachi
resolutions, Periyar pointed out that the Karachi resolutions
did not contain anything relating to the upliftment of women and
the untouchable castes. On the other hand, the ‘leftist’
elements led by M.Singaravelu parted company with Periyar and
joined the Congress Socialist Party to strengthen the Congress
Party which in their view was a ‘mighty anti-imperialist force’
and criticised the Justice party as the party of British
toadies, job-seekers and landlords . It is noteworthy that
Periyar allowed democratic dissent within his movement allowing
those like M.Singaravelu who opposed his positions to air their
views through editorials and articles in his journals. Periyar
and his supporters campaigned for the victory of the Justice
Party candidates in 1934 bye-elections. But with the Congress
Party’s growing influence in realms of both the political and
civil societies and in view of the failure of the Justice
leadership to develop mass organizations, the Justice Party
candidates were defeated. Lent his support to ‘Tamizh Isai
Movement’ , a movement for securing a place for Tamil songs in
the repertoire of the Carnatic Musicians performing in the
Concert Halls.
1935
Periyar enthusiastically welcomed Ambedkar’s decision to leave
the Hindu fold and convert to another religion of his choice. He
continued with publishing articles on communism and Soviet
experiments. Some publications of Self respect movement such as
the Tamil version of Bhagat Singh’s ‘Why I am an Atheist’ were
confiscated by the police and he was asked to pay security
deposits to the government. He called upon the
Self-Respecters to celebrate the May Day through out the Tamil
Country. Till then the May Day celebration was observed only in
the city of Madras. Consequent to the efforts made by the
Justice Party backed by Periyar’s Self –Respect movement, the
Viceroy’s Government passed the G.O.No.14634 dated 15.3.1935 for
reservation of jobs for non Brahmins and scheduled castes in the
Central Government Services in Madras Presidency. The G.O.
implemented in 1936 was withdrawn one and a half months after
the Independence (ie from 30.9.1947) by the Congress Government.
1936
While the Congress Party was registering bigger and bigger
victories in civic polls of 1936, the fortunes of the faction
ridden Justice Party started sliding down. Periyar’s programme
was accepted by the Party only by the end of 1936 and in
response to the Congress critics who claimed that it was only a
pale imitation of their Karachi resolutions, Periyar challenged
them to show whether there was anything in the Congress
programme similar to the ones he had included in his own for the
removal of discrimination based on castes, upliftment of women
and for proportional representation. Unruffled by the series of
defeats faced by the Justice Party he and his self- respect
colleagues went ahead with concentrating their energies on
social issues. Periyar serialised the Tamil translation of
B.R.Ambedkar ‘ Annihilation of Castes’ in ‘Kudi Arasu’ from its
issue dated 24.7.1936 and each installment was accompanied by a
photograph of Ambedkar. It was published in a book form in 1937.
The ‘communist’ self-respecters who made a final break with
Periyar launched a short-lived ‘Suyamariyadhai Samadharma Party’
only to merge it with the Congress Socialist Party with the
intention of serving the ‘mighty anti-imperialist force’ that
was Congress! 1937-1938
Took over the responsibility of bringing out the Justice Party’s
Tamil daily ‘Viduthalai’ ( Liberation). He infused the columns
of the daily with anti-caste, self-respect ideas. In the first
general elections held for the Madras Legislative Council under
the Government of India Act, the Congress won an impressive
majority trouncing the Justice Party. When the Congress wavered
for some time on the question of forming a ministry in 1937, a
non-Brahmin ministry was formed with the help of the Justice
Party members and the Adi Dravida leader M.C.Raja. But Periyar
was keen to see the formation of a Congress ministry as he was
convinced that all its weaknesses, its will to power at any cost
and its class-caste character would unfold themselves through
its acts of commissions and omissions. Successfully
pressurized the Railway authorities to abolish the arrangements
to serve food for Brahmins and non Brahmins in separate
partitions in Railway station restaurants.
The Congress ministry headed by C.Rajagopalachari, in the name
of slashing the government expenditure in view of the fall in
the government revenue resulting from the partial prohibition
implemented in the state closed down hundreds of primary school
depriving the children of backward and untouchable castes of
basic education. The ministry also tried to implement Gandhi’s
Wardha Scheme in the educational institutions, thus
clandestinely introducing the varna system. It put down with
iron hand the struggles of the workers and arrested the leading
members of the Congress Socialist Party. To cap its reactionary
measures, the ministry introduced the scheme of compulsory
learning of Hindi in selected schools to be extended to all
other schools in future. C.Rajagoplachari argued that by
learning Hindi one can read Thulasidas’s Ramayana in original.
Sensing that the scheme of compulsory learning of Hindi was a
clever ploy to build Sanskritic-Brahminical ideological
hegemony, Periyar and the self-respecters and Justice Party
members decided to wage a relentless battle against the scheme.
Almost every segment of the Tamil populace including a section
of the Congressmen joined the anti-Hindi agitation launched by
Periyar. Several hundreds of agitators were arrested under
various sections of the IPC including 124A. Two of them, one a
Dalit and another from a most backward community died on account
of ill treatment in the prisons. In the Tamil Nadu Women’s
Conference held at Chennai on 12,13.11.1938, it was unanimously
resolved that E.V.Ramasamy would hereafter be addressed only
with the honorific ‘Periyar’(Great Man) and not by his name. For
the anti-Hindi speeches he made in this women’s conference and
in Pethunaickenpet, Chennai on 13th and 14th November 1938
respectively, Periyar was arrested under section 117 of IPC and
Criminal Law Amendment Act Section I and sentenced to two year
rigorous imprisonment. It was later commuted to one year simple
imprisonment. First lodged in the Central Prison in Chennai, he
was later shifted to the jail in Bellary (now part of Karnataka)
The active members of the rudderless, leaderless Justice Party,
seeing the immense popularity of Periyar, elected him their
Party President on 29.12.1938 in its Provincial Conference held
at Madras. As Periyar was in prison, his presidential address
was read out by A.T.Panneerselvam, a leading Justicite and a
former Minister.
The anti-Hindi agitation joined and supported by various streams
and strands of Tamil enthusiasts and anti-Brahmin militants
crystallized into a veritable Tamil Nationalist movement with a
demand , first for separation of Tamil speaking areas from the
erstwhile composite Presidency of Madras and subsequently for a
separate country. Periyar endorsed the demand for a separate
Tamil Nadu which he later made it a demand for Dravida Nadu
roughly approximating the geographical boundaries of the
composite Madras Presidency of his time. He wanted it to enjoy
the status of a separate dominion state under the British Crown
with a view to protect it from the exploitative machinations of
what he called the Brahmin- North Indian (Bania) alliance.
1939
When the Second world War broke out, Periyar had to hand over
‘Viduthalai’ for propaganda for mobilizing support and funds for
war efforts. He argued that though it was the Brahmins who
reaped unprecedented benefits under the British Raj, it was
necessary that the allied nations in which the Britain was a
part win the war, lest the axis powers would reverse the course
of history and the non Brahmins and untouchables would have to
start their struggle from the very beginning. He was
systematically exposing the ‘doublespeak’ of the Congress
vis-à-vis the war and argued that all its ‘anti-war’ talks were
only camouflages for its underhand dealings with the Britishers.
1940
Met Ambedkar and Mohamed Ali Jinnah at Bombay on 8.1.1940 and
signed a joint statement calling upon all the secular
anti-Congress forces to unite to defeat the claims of the
Congress as the sole representative of the entire population of
India. Periyar also sought the support of Ambedkar and Jinnah
for his Dravida Nadu demand. Periyar denounced the demand of
the Congress to form a National Government and its claim to be
the sole representative of the Indian people. ‘Kudi Arasu’
criticized Gandhi’s letters to Hitler and his appeals to the
people of Czechoslovakia and England threatened by the Nazi
forces not to offer any resistance and allow the invaders to
take over their land and other material belongings excepting
their minds and spirits.
Periyar suspected that the individual satyagraha offered by the
Congressmen to express their ‘disapproval’ of involving India in
war efforts was actually a drama pre-arranged with the consent
of the British rulers to hoodwink the people. Periyar also
pointed out that the ‘war committees’ set up by the government
were dominated by Brahmins.
1941
Periyar and the self-respecters were keenly watching the
developments within the Congress and placed on records the
manouvres of Gandhi, Nehru and other leaders to marginalize
Subhas Chandra Bose. They also exposed the betrayal of the
people of princely states by Gandhi and other Congress leaders
like Nehru and Patel.Periyar intensified his campaign for
separate Dravida Nadu by organizing meetings and publishing
articles. Number of articles supporting Soviet Union’s war
against Fascism was published. 1942
When the members of British Cabinet mission led by Sir Stafford
Cripps appointed by the British Government visited India to find
solutions for political demands, Periyar led the Justice Party
delegation and argued for a separate electorate for the non
Brahmins on a scale that would automatically make their
representatives majority in the Province since under the
prevailing conditions they would not get the majority in the
legislature either through the vote or through a plebiscite as
they would be outmanoeuvred by the powerful elements comprised
of more wealthy and powerful Brahmin population. This demand was
turned down by Cripps. Responding to C.Rajagoplachari’s
satirical remarks that those who claim to represent a majority
seeking protection from the manipulations of a minority was
something unheard of, Periyar remarked that out of 10000 people
who gather in a market place, 9990 people had to protect their
wallets from 10 pickpockets.
Periyar was keenly watching the political developments in the
country and kept commenting on the material support the Congress
and its wealthy patrons were rendering to the British war effort
and the rich dividends they were receiving in return. Periyar
criticized ‘Quit India Movement’ announced by Gandhi in
September 1942 as an invitation to the Japanese Fascists to land
in Indian soil.
1943
Periyar resumed publication of ‘Kudi Arasu’ which was not
allowed to be published during the first three years of war.
Welcomed the rout of the Nazi army by the heroic resistance of
the Soviet people and the Red army and wrote that the “Quit
India Movement’ was a gamble played by Gandhi and Congress
anticipating the defeat of the allied nations and the victory of
axis forces.
He announced the scientific possibility of having ‘test tube’
babies and argued that this would reduce the reproductive burden
on women.
1944
At the provincial Conference of Justice Party held at Salem , he
had the name of the Justice Party (South Indian Liberal
Federation) changed as ‘Dravidar Kazhagam’. One of the
resolutions passed in the Conference called upon all the non
Brahmins to throw away the titles and honours conferred on them
by the British. Periyar also revived the demand for separate
electorate for scheduled castes.
Another resolution demanding
a separate, sovereign Dravida Nadu completely independent of the
British Rule was also passed. Dr B.R.Ambedkar called on
Periyar at Chennai and discussed with him the political
developments in India. According to the report on the meeting
published in ‘Kudi Arasu’ Ambedkar was understood to have agreed
with the contents of the resolutions of the Salem Conference of
the Justice Party and supported the Dravida Nadu demand.’Kudi
Arasu’ also reported that Ambedkar wanted even the Maharashtra
part of the country be included in Dravida Nadu. On the same
evening Ambedkar met the leaders of a section of the old
Justicites who disagreed with Periyar’s idea of clubbing social
issues with political ones and functioned under the old name.
Ambedkar frankly expressed his unhappiness about the elitist
nature of the (old) Justice Party which failed to develop any
grass root social base and was interested only in hunting for
government jobs and positions. Dr.B.S.Moonje , the leader
of Hindu Maha Sabha during his visit to Chennai called on
Periyar and discussed with him the political changes that were
taking place. According to the reports published in ‘Kudi
Arasu’, Periyar insisted on removing the hegemony of the
Brahmins in the social and political life of the country and
that Separate Dravida Nadu was the only solution for the non
Brahmins.
Periyar visited Calcutta and addressed M.N.Roy’s Radical
Democratic Party’ Conference on December 27, 1944. He also
visited Kanpur and addressed Non-Brahmin backward classes
Conference. Self-Respect journals like ‘Kudi Arasu’ and
‘Dravida Nadu’ expressed their support to the Indian National
Army men taken prisoners by the British and also those
participated in the RIN ‘mutiny’. Periyar and his journals
launched trenchant criticisms of Communists who instead of
targeting the ‘Brahmin-Bania’ Congress were attacking the
Justicites and self-respecters. ‘Kudi Arasu’ described the Hindu
Maha Sabha and the Communists as the right and left wing
respectively of the Congress.
Periyar launched the short lived English weekly ‘ Justicite’
1945
Periyar felt that that Brahmin-Bania-British Pact was taking
concrete shape. The Congress registered massive victory in the
elections to the Central and State legislatures conducted in
1945-46 and Periyar was helplessly watching the situation. Tamil
Nadu Communists who campaigned for the most reactionary Brahmin
candidates came up for severe condemnation. He organized the
Dravidar Kazhagam conference in Trichy on September 29 and
30,1945 and floated a volunteer corps under the name of ‘Black
Shirt Volunteer Force’. For him the ‘black’ denoted the
unfreedom and degradation of Dravidians.
1946
Periyar launched campaigns against the Congress Ministry in
Madras Presidency headed by Prakasam for its pro-Brahmin and
anti-labour policies. Despite serious difference of opinions
with the Communists, the Dravidar Kazhagam of Periyar supported
the struggles of the labour unions under their control. They
played an important role in mobilizing the support for the
struggle of the Railway workers in Ponmalai near Tiruchirapalli
which was ruthlessly suppressed by the Congress ministry. On
11.5.1946, the State level Conference of the Dravidar Kazhagam
was held in Madurai. The venue of the Conference was attacked by
the hooligans reported to have been instigated by the Congress
Brahmins. They also set fire to it and disrobed a woman
activist. The orgy of violence and mayhem was such that Periyar
and some of the important leaders could not reach the venue for
several hours. The official flag of the Dravidar Kazhagam –
black background with red circle in the middle – symbolizing the
degradation to which the Dravidians were subjected and the
liberation that would dawn on them respectively was created.
Periyar condemned the undemocratic and unrepresentative manner
in which the Constituent Assembly was created. When the
Cabinet Mission deputed by the British Government recommended
the grouping of British Indian provinces in A,B.C categories and
permitting the princely states to decide on their own future,
Periyar, despite his unhappiness about the proposal, made last
ditch efforts to mobilize the non-Brahmin opinion and support
cutting across the party lines to see that Madras Presidency was
not tied to A Group (which included Bombay Presidency) but
remained autonomous within a broad Confederation. Periyar
expressed his anger against the way a Constituent Assembly to
draft the future constitution of India was constituted. 1947
In a mass meeting of Adi Dravidas Periyar expressed his
unhappiness about Ambedkar joining the Constituent Assembly. He
opined that in view of the absence of a strong political and
social base for Ambedkar , the ‘Aryans’ were able to
‘appropriate’ him making him no longer able to thunder against
the reactionary Brahmins and call such ‘sacred’ texts as
Bhagavat Gita as a blabber of a fool as he did in the Viceroy’s
Executive Council. When the British Government announced its
decision to partition India and grant dominion status to India
and Pakistan, Periyar was shocked by the blatant arbitrariness
displayed by the Brahmin-Bania-British alliance in deciding on
the future of the Indian people. He sent a telegraphic message
to the British Primier Atlee requesting him to reconsider the
decision and do justice to all sections of the Indian people.
Periyar called upon his followers and the general public to
observe August 15, 1947 as a day of mourning. The General
Secretary of Dravidar Kazhagam, C.N.Annadurai , however wrote
that it was a day of rejoicing, thus paving the way for the
irreversible split in Periyar’s movement. Periyar and the
leading Dravidar Kazhagam intellectual S.Gurusamy engaged the
Communists in polemics on the nature of Indian Independence.
Periyar called upon the people of Tamil Nadu to observe July 1
as the ‘Dravida Nadu separation day’. On 14.9.1947 he organized
a mammoth Dravida Nadu separation conference at Cuddalore. It
was addressed amongst others Thiru Vi.Kalyanasundara Mudaliyar,
a celebrated Congress nationalist, trade unionist and a Tamil
man of letters. 1948
To protest against the imposition of Hindi Periyar convened the
meeting of all- party leaders in Chennai. He violated the ban
order imposed under Section 144 IPC at Kumbakonam to assert the
right of freedom expression against the imposition of Hindi.
Arrested again along with several hundreds of Dravidar Kazhagam
volunteers when they staged a protest against the visit of
C.Rajagoplachari, the Governor General of India. Organised a
massive Dravidar Kazhagam Conference at on May 8 and 9. He also
organized a conference on ‘Thirukural’, the classical Tamil work
on Ethics in order to popularize it amongst Tamil masses.
From 1948 to 1952 he and his leading cadres supported the demand
for the civil and political rights of the Communists whose party
was banned in 1949. The campaigns led by him and his party men
resulted in the commutation of death sentences given to 11
communist workers who participated in Telengana struggle.
Leading Communists of the day S.A.Dange, A.K.Goplan and
M.Kalyanasundaram placed on records their appreciation of the
support rendered by Periyar.
When Gandhi was assassinated by a
Brahmin Hindu fanatic, Periyar was deeply distressed and
disturbed. He gave a moving talk in the All India Radio helping
to restore peace and order and wrote that since the Independent
India owed its being to Gandhi it should be named ‘Gandhi Nadu’
(Gandhi desh) 1949
Married Maniammai, a long standing Dravidar Kazhagam worker.
This marriage was used as pretext for C.N.Annadurai and his
followers to break away from Periyar to form Dravida Munnetra
Kazhagam.
Periyar condemned the manner in which the Constitution of India
was passed at the end of 1949. He violated the ban order imposed
under Section 144 of IPC at Udumalpet and courted arrest. 1950
He called upon the Dravidar Kazahgam workers and the public to
observe the Republic Day (January 26) as the ‘day of mourning’ .
He and his cadres picketed the commercial venues of north
Indians to oppose the north Indian domination and also to
protect the interests of the Tamil handloom weavers. He raged
against the judgments of the Madras High Court and the Supreme
Court of India against the reservation for backward castes in
educational institutions in Madras Province. The Courts said
that this was violative of Artilce 29(2) of the Constitution of
India. Periyar convened the leaders of the non Brahmin community
and organized a conference at Trichy in December on Communal
Representation. Also organized several hundreds of meetings all
over Tamil Nadu criticizing the Constitution. Organised black
flag demonstrations against the Central ministers visiting Tamil
Nadu. His brother and a leading self-respecter E.V.Krishnasamy
passed away. 1951
The agitations launched by him to restore Communal
Representation bore fruit. On 2nd June 1951, the first amendment
to the Constitution was made. A new sub-clause 4 was included in
Article 15 of the Constitution of India for guaranteeing
constitutional validity for reservation in educational
institutions for the backward classes>this amendment facilitated
for reservation for scheduled castes and tribes in educational
insittutuions. Dr B.R.Ambedkar played a crucial role in
persuading Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Premier of Independent
India to bring in this amendment. Periyar and Dravidar
Kazhagam differed with Ambedkar on certain aspects of India’s
foreign policy and also on Kashmir question. As against
Ambedkar’s proposal that Jammu and Kashmir be divided into three
parts on religious lines and that Hindu and Buddhist majority
parts be merged with India, Dravidar Kazhagam maintained that
the question of self-determination of Kashmir must be decided by
the Kashmir people themselves and that the armies of both India
and Pakistan be pulled out. Dravidar Kazhagam disapproved of
Ambedkar’s opposition to bring into UN, the People’s Republic of
China and also his proposal that India should have a military
alliance with US in order to reduce military expenses.In
Dravidar Kazhagam’s view such a thought itself would be
detrimental to the interests of the very working people for
whose leader Ambedkar was. It however welcomed Ambedkar’s
decision to quit Nehru’s cabinet. 1952
Periyar played a crucial role in seeing that the Congress did
not get a majority in the erstwhile presidency of Madras in the
first general elections conducted on the basis of universal
suffrage. He offered support to the Communist candidates in
selected constituencies while working for the victory of others
whom he believed would fight for the implementation of Social
Justice creed of his movement. His colleague and editor of
‘Viduthalai’. S.Gurusuamy entered into polemics with the
Communists on the question of the exploitative role played by
Brahmins, temples and the question of self-determination of
Dravida Nadu. Once C.Rajagoplachari captured the power through
‘back entry’ ( by getting nominated a member of the upper house
of the Legislature by the then Governor of Madras) Periyar
launched a series of agitations. His papers and publications
were confiscated several times and was asked to remit security
deposits to run his daily ‘Viduthalai’. He launched the struggle
to erase the Hindi words in the name boards in Railway Stations.
In the local body elections, he used his energy to defeat the
Communist candidates. Convinced of the need to have separate
workers and peasant organizations for Dravidians, he floated
Southern Railwaymen Associan and Dravida Vivasay Thozhilalar
Sangham (Dravidian Agricultural Labourers’s Association)
1953
Paid rich tributes to Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet
Union. Periyar called him the last of the Great Men of the
century. Celebrated Buddha Jeyanthi all over Tamil Nadu and
organised state wide breaking of the idols of Vinayaka with a
view to oppose idolatry. In Chennai city alone hundreds of
Vinayaka idols were broken in a stretch of Mount Road where the
offices of the dailies ‘The Hindu’ and ‘Swadesamitran’
considered by Periyar as the leading mouthpieces of Brahminical
orthodoxy were located. Buddha Jeyanti was celebrated in a
number of towns by the Dravidar Kazhagam members. 1954
He toured the entire Tamil country to mobiles public opinion
against the varnadharmic education system C.Rajagopalachari
ministry tried to introduce in the primary schools. According to
this ‘hereditary vocation scheme’ the students were expected to
attend the classes for a half a day and then in the afternoon ,
practice the traditional vocations of their families. He
organized a Conference at Erode against C.Rajagopalachari’s
education policy under the chairmanship of S.B.Adityan, Editor
of the Tamil Daily ‘Thina Thanthi’. Following day a Buddhist
Conference was conducted with Rajbhoj, M.P. and the General
Secretary of All India Depressed Classes Association and
Dr.Mallalasekara, leading Buddhist scholar from Ceylon (Sri
Lanka) as Chief Guests. With a view to unseat C.Rajagoplachari
from power and bring in K.Kamaraj, a non Brahmin leader Periyar
relaxed the intensity of the anti-Congress crusade he began in
1925. By getting K.Kamaraj elected in a bye-election, Periyar
put an end to the C.Rajagopalachari’s reactionary education
scheme. On August 1, he and his followers erased the Hindi words
from the sign boards in Railway stations. Went to Burma
accompanied by Maniammai and participated in the World Buddhist
Conference held on December 3 along with Dr.B.R.Ambedkar and Dr
Mallalasekara. When persuaded by Dr Ambedkar to embrace
Buddhism, Periyar told him that tactically and strategically he
preferred to remain in ‘Hindu’ fold to challenge it from within
since converting to other religions would deprive him of the
right to speak against Hindu religion.
1955
Protesting against the imposition of Hindi he announced that
that the National Flag would be burnt across the Tamil Country.
On getting the assurance from the State and Central governments
that Hindi would not be a compulsory lesson for examinations, he
temporarily withdrew the agitation. 1956
Had the pictures of Rama set to fire in hundreds of places
across the Tamil country. He resolutely opposed the scheme of
creating a ‘Dakshin Pradesh’ comprised of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and
Karnataka in place of forming separate states on linguistic
basis. He considered this scheme as a conspiracy to make the
Tamils a minority in the new formation and establish the
hegemony of Brahmins and other upper castes. He declared that
the Tamil speaking areas alone would be the geographical
boundaries of his Dravida Nadu. Wrote a moving and tearful
portrait of Dr.B.R.Ambedkar on the eve of his death. Periyar
described him as a scholar par excellence and suspected a foul
play in his death. 1957
To Vinoba Bhave, the Sarvodya leader who met Periyar in Trichy,
the latter frankly explained to him his views on Ramayana and
why he wanted it to be burnt. When strictures were passed by the
Brahmin judges against a very upright non Brahmin Collector of
Tiruchirapalli district, Periyar toured the entire Tamil country
vehementy criticising the judgment thus inviting Defamation of
Court proceedings. Periyar filed a historic affidavit in the
High Court of Madras justifying his criticism of the Brahmin
judges. He organized agitations to erase the words ‘Brahmin’ in
the sign boards of hotels and restaurants as it signified the
casteist superiority of the Brahmins. The struggle continued for
nearly an year against an unrelenting Hotel owner in Madras who
finally agreed to remove the word from his hotel sign boards.
Periyar always used such peaceful agitations as pedagogic
exercises to teach and disseminate his self-respect ideas.
When unprecedented caste clashes took place in Ramanathapuram
district of Tamil Nadu between upper castes led by the former
Congressman and Forward Block Member of parliament
Muthuramalinga Thevar, Periyar resolutely stood by the side of
the Adi Dravidas and touring the country, urged the state
government to unwaveringly suppress the upper caste elements who
unleashed an orgy of violence and murder against the helpless
Adi Dravidas. It is noteworthy that all the parliamentary
parties including the Communists were agitated over the arrest
of Muthuramalinga Thevar but not about the Adi Dravida victims.
At a special function at Thanjavur on 3.11.1957, he called upon
the members and supporters of Dravidar Kazhagam to burn copies
of the Indian Constitution which in his view, through Article
372 and connected Sections, protect the caste system. In
response to his call nearly 10000 persons all over Tamil Nadu
burnt the copies of the relevant parts of the Constitution on
26.11.1957 (the Constitution day). The State repression was so
severe that they were convicted and sentenced to imprisonment
ranging from a period of six months to three years. Two of them
died in prisons. Periyar was charged with acts of criminal
instigation of his followers to assault the Brahmins with deadly
weapons. He was sentenced to one and a half year imprisonment.
The Tamil population rose in revolt against this harsh
punishment.
1958
Released from the prison and was accorded an enthusiastic
reception at Chennai on May 13. 1959
Undertook a tour of north India and addressed the meetings
organized by the Republican Party of India in Kanpur, Lucknow,
Delhi and Bombay. He also addressed a several meetings of
College students there. With the funds collected from the people
of Tamil Nadu, he bought the dilapidated and abandoned Tram Shed
at Egmore , Chennai where he established his headquarters.
1960
To gain support for his separate Tamil Nadu demand, he asked his
followers to burn the map of India excluding the part that
showed Tamil Nadu. He was arrested under Section 151 of
Preventive Detention Act. 1961
Toured all over Tamil Nadu to mobilize support for the state
government led by K.Kamraj as this ministry was implementing a
number of schemes beneficial to backward classes and scheduled
castes. 1962
Campaigned vigorously for the victory of Kamaraj led Congress in
the general elections. He gave tentative support to Nehru as
well on the ground that the latter was implementing socialist
programmes. When the border war between India and China broke
out, he went around and mobilized support for the Indian
Government calling the Chinese ‘aggressors’ 1963
When Kamaraj mooted a plan by which all the leading Congress
leaders would give up offices and concentrate their energies to
strengthen the party organization and set a precedence, Periyar
unsuccessfully dissuaded him. 1964
The Judgment of the Supreme Court invalidating the Tamil Nadu
Land Ceiling Act passed by Kamaraj Government, was condemned by
Periyar who began mobilizing public opinion against the
judgment. 1965
He condemned the deliberate attempt on the part of a section of
the pro-Brahminical and anti-Kamraj press, which published
inflammatory reports on the anti-Hindi agitations initiated by
the students first and then joined by the DMK and argued that in
view of the promise made by Nehru at the instance of Kamraj that
English would continue to be used along with Hindi even after
1965, there was no need for a violent agitation in which
innocent lives were lost and public and private property worth
several crores damaged. Periyar stood his ground, despite the
unpopularity his stance generated. On 6.4.1965 he had the
copies of Ramayana burnt in several parts of Tamil Nadu. 1966
Periyar continued with the Ramayana burning activity.
1967
The anti-Hindi agitations of 1965, the rise of prices of
essential commodities and certain anti-popular measures taken by
M.Bhaktavatsalam who succeeded K.Kamaraj as the Chief Minister
resulted in its rout in 1967 general elections despite Periyar’s
all out efforts to make it win. He owned it up as a personal
defeat. But when the DMK that win the election turned around and
sought his support and blessings, he unhesitatingly offered to
stand by the DMK ministry led by C.N.Annadurai which in the best
tradition of the non Brahmin movement tried to implement a
number of social reforms. One of the first Government Orders
issued by this Ministry asked all the government departments to
remove the pictures of all gods and goddesses from the office
venues.
At Periyar’s instance, Hindu Marriage Act (Central) 1955 was so
amended in such a way as to make the Self-Respect marriages
legally valid.
1968
14.4.1968 was observed by him and his followers across Tamil
Nadu as a day of condemnation of the rule of Delhi with a view
to mobilize public opinion in support of his demand for an
independent Tamil Nadu
He addressed a number of meetings in Lucknow in the month of
October. Periyar condemned the violence in Kizhavenmani
village in which 44 Adi Dravida agricultural workers were burnt
to death by the landlord’s henchmen. This was the result of the
wage dispute and Periyar vehemently criticized the Communist led
Kisan Sabhas for creating an atmosphere which resulted in such
an atrocity. 1969
After the demise of C.N.Annadurai, Periyar revived his agitation
for the right of members of all castes to enter the sanctum
sanctorum of the Hindu Temples. He announced that the agitation
would be launched on 26.1.1970.
1970
Persuaded by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi ,
Periyar postponed the ‘sanctum sanctorum’ entry agitation.
Launched Thinker’s Forum in Tiruchirapalli and Madras
rationalist Association in March and September respectively and
saw that branches of these fora were opened in hundreds of
places in Tamil Nadu. In October he successfully launched the
campaign to remove the word ‘Brahmin’ in the sign boards of the
restaurants. In November he visited Mumbai and addressed
meetings organized by his followers. Periyar launched the
Tamil monthly ‘Unmai’ (Truth) to propagate rationalist thoughts
and scientific ideas. 1971
Periyar was happy that his demand to allow members of all castes
to enter sanctum sanctorum was fulfilled to a great extent when
the Tamil Nadu legislature on 2.12.1970 unanimously passed the
amendments to the Hindu Religious Endowment Act which provided
for the appointment of archakas (priests) from any caste. With
assent of the Governor of Tamil Nadu This Act came into force in
January 1971. In January Periyar organized a Conference for
the Abolition of Superstition at Salem Town. Included in the
anti-God pageantry that formed a part of the conference was an
image of Rama and placards inscribed with word denigrating him
and other gods and the obscenities in the Puranas. Volunteers of
‘Hindu Mission’ , a far right organisation, threw chapels aimed
at Periyar and other leaders. In retaliation, some of the
enraged volunteers of the Dravidar Kazhagam beat the effigy of
Rama with with chapels before setting it to fire. The Salem
incident was twisted and misrepresented by the pro Brahminical
press to suit the interests of the orthodoxy to whip up communal
frenzy. Despite the hysterical reaction of the conservative
forces that demanded a ban on Periyar’s movement, the general
public remained unperturbed. On the other hand, Periyar had
similar acts of denigrating Rama replicated in several parts of
Tamil Nadu. The English monthly ‘The Modern Rationalist’ was
launched by Periyar in September. He entrusted the editorship of
this journal to K.Veeramani, the General Secretary of Dravidar
Kazhagam. 1972
Periyar was enraged when the Supreme Court of India nullified
the amendments to the Hindu Religious Endowment Act passed by
the Tamil Nadu Government as violative of Articles 25 and 26 of
Constitution of India. The Court quoted certain scriptures in
support of its judgment and observed that the idols would become
‘polluted’ by the touch of outcastes. Periyar was convinced that
the Supreme Court judgment has reasserted the Varna system and
condemned the 97 percent of the population to shudrahood or the
status of the sons and daughters of the concubines of the
Brahmins. 1973
In is 95th year, despite his failing health , he undertook
intensive tour of Tamil Nadu and called upon the people to rise
against the degradation imposed on them by the Brahminical caste
order, which in his view, was now propped up by the Supreme
Court Judgment. On 8th and 9th December 1973 he organized a
Conference to remove the social degradation of Tamils . This
happened to be the last Conference he addressed. The last public
appearance was however on 19th December when he addressed a
mammoth public meeting in T.Nagar,Chennai. He made one of the
most spirited and carping criticism of brahminical caste order,
the Shastras and laws of the country that support them and the
need for the shudras and panchamas to rebel and secure their
self-respect and self-worth either by getting the Constitutional
provisions that safeguard the caste order or by seceding from
India to create and independent secular casteless Tamil Nadu.
On 20th December he was admitted in the Government General
Hospital, Chennai. In a state of coma he was shifted a private
hospital at Vellore near Chennai. As the treatment failed to
revive him, be breathed his last at 7.40 AM on 24.12.1973. His
body was brought to Chennai on 24.12.1973 for the public to pay
homage. On 25.12.1973 he was laid to eternal rest at ‘Periyar
Thidal’, the venue of the headquarters of Dravidar Kazhagam with
State honours.
Thus came the end of an era. |
