THANTHAI PERIYAR
INTRODUCTION
PERIYAR IN CONGRESS
* Chairman of Erode Municipal Council (1918–1919).
* Joined congress in 1919.
* To support the noncooperation Movement (1920–1922) he cut down 500 coconut trees in his farm to support the campaign for prohibition.
* He promoted khadi and sold it on the streets of Tamil Nadu.
* He held the positions of Secretary(1921) and President(1923) of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee.
* Quit the Congress in 1925.
REASON FOR QUIT
1.Cheranmadevi Gurukulam incident
* Periyar was disturbed by the caste based discrimination in the dining hall at the Cheranmadevi Gurukulam (school)
* It was run by V.V.Subramaniam (a Congress leader) with the financial support of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee.
* Periyar was disappointed when, despite his objections and protests against this discrimination, the Congress continued to support the iniquitous practice in the Gurukulam.
2.Reservation for non-Brahmins
* Periyar was keen on the introduction of reservation in representative bodies such as the legislative council for non Brahmins.
* He wanted to pass the resolution in the annual conference of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee in 1925 at its Kanchipuram session.
* But congress refused to pass the resolution. The Congress’s inability in addressing these concerns made him quit the Congress in 1925.
* Following his disillusionment, Periyar started the Self-Respect movement in 1925.
SELF RESPECT MOVEMENT
* The self-respect movement carried on a vigorous campaign against age old superstitious beliefs and practices.
* The Self Respect Movement campaigned for rationalism, and against denial of dignity and equal status of individuals (including women) under the garb of tradition and religion.
* It fought against not only untouchability but even against the caste - system and the caste based disabilities and indignities imposed on individuals
* The Self Respect Movement propagated not merely letter treatment of women, but for equal rights, equal status an equal opportunities for women.
* Self Respect Movement’s role in “Women Liberation” was unparalleled and for that E.V.Ramaswamy was given the title “Periyar” (By Neelambigai ammaiyar) in a women’s conference held in chennai.
* In 1929 the first Self-Respect Conference was held in Chengalpattu the Communist Party (formally launched in 1925) became active in campaigning for socialist programme and organized labour movements. M.Singaravelu, and their associates were impressed by the social reform programmes of the Self Respect Movement.
ANTI HINDHI AGITATION (1937-39)
* Periyar E.V. Ramasamy considered the decision of Rajaji’s government to impose Hindi as a compulsory subject (1937) as a move to establish ‘North Indian imperialism’ and destroying the Tamil language and culture.
* Madras Presidency has witnessed massive anti-Hindi agitations and Periyar was imprisoned by the provincial government.
* It is significant to note that in fifteen years he went to jail twenty- three times and got the nickname as ‘jailbird’ (Siraiparavai).
* In 1938, Periyar was imprisoned for his Anti-Hindi agitation
PERIYAR A SOCIALIST
* His experience of travelling in the Soviet Union and Europe carried Periyar towards socialist ideals.
* He propagated 14 points socialists manifesto.
* Periyar had a close relationship with Singaravelar who is considered the first communist of south India and a pioneer of Buddhism
PERIYAR ON CASTE
* In 1936, Periyar got Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s "Annihilation of Caste" translated into Tamil immediately after it was written.
* He also supported Ambedkar’s demand for separate electorates for scheduled castes
PERIYAR A FEMINIST
* He condemned child-marriage and the devadasi system (institution of temple girls).
* Periyar had been emphasising women’s right to divorce and property.
* Periyar objected to terms like “giving in marriage”. This, he said, treats woman as a thing. He wants it substituted by “valkaithunai,”(companion) a word for marriage taken from the Tirukkural.
* Peiyar’s most important work on this subject is "Why the Woman is Enslaved?"
* Periyar believed that property rights for women would provide them a social status and protection.
* He welcomed equal rights for males and females in property, guardianship and adoption.
* He was a strong champion of birth control and contraception, and said that motherhood was a burden to women.
* In 1989, Government of Tamil Nadu fulfilled the dream of radical reformers by the introduction of the Hindu Succession Tamil Nadu Amendment Act of 1989, which ensured the equal rights to ancestral property for women in inheritance.
PERIYAR ON RELIGION
* Periyar advocated atheism.
* Periyar wanted religion to be replaced by rationalism.‘Religion means you accept superstitious beliefs’, he asserted.
* Periyar objected to the hereditary priesthood in temples.
* He argued that eligible individuals, who have a proper religious knowledge, should become priests rather than being based on caste.
* He encouraged the people to boycott the Brahmin priests and their Vedic rituals.
* He advocated inter-caste and Self-Respect Marriages devoid of any such rituals.
VAIKOM SATYAGRAHA(1924)
* In the name of “caste dharma” the “lower caste” people were denied access to the temples and the streets surrounding the temple.
* In Vaikom (a town in the then Princely State of Travancore and in present day Kerala), people protested against this practice.
* In the initial stages George Joseph of Madurai played big role. After the local leaders were arrested Periyar led the movement and was imprisoned.
* People hailed him as Vaikom Virar (Hero of Vaikom).
NEWSPAPERS AND JOURNALS
* He started a number of newspapers and journals such as
- Kudi Arasu (Democracy) (1925)
- Revolt (1928)
- Puratchi (Revolution) (1933)
- Paguththarivu (Rationalism) (1934)
- Viduthalai (Liberation) (1935)
* Kudi Arasu was the official newspaper of the Self Respect Movement.
* Periyar wrote a column and expressed his opinion on social issues in each of its issues. He frequently wrote columns under the pseudonym of Chitraputtiran.
AGAINST KULA KALVI
* Rajaji, the Chief Minister of Madras State (1952–54), introduced a vocational education programme (Modified Scheme of Elementary Education)
* It encouraged imparting school children with training in tune with their father’s occupation.
* Periyar criticised it as Kula Kalvi Thittam (caste-based education scheme) and opposed it tooth and nail.
* His campaigns against it led to the resignation of Rajaji. K. Kamaraj became Chief Minister of the Madras state.
* Kamaraj abolished the Modified Scheme of Elementary Education.
PERIYAR IN JUSTICE PARTY
* In 1938 he was elected as the president of justice party.
* In 1944, at Salem conference under the leadership of Periyar, a historic resolution was moved to change the name of Justice Party to Dravidar Kazhagam (DK).
* Periyar organised ‘Dravida Nadu’ conference and demanded an independent homeland for ‘Dravidians’. Further, he pronounced his very famous slogan ‘Dravida Nadu for Dravidians’ at the conference.
END DAYS
* Periyar died at the age of ninety four (1973).
* His mortal remains were buried at Periyar Thidal, Madras.
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