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Indian Streams Research Journal

Volume 3, Issue. 2, March. 2013

Available online at www.isrj.net

ISSN:-2230-7850
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

PERIYAR E. V. RAMASAMY - THE REVOLUTIONARY

SOCIAL REFORMER
D.PADMAVATHY
Assistant Professor,
Department of History, Government Arts College, Trichirappalli Tamil Nadu, India.

Abstract:
Periyar Ramasamy was known as the Voltaire of South India. He was atheist,
social reformer, rationalist, prolific writer, effective speaker and an original thinker. He
worked for downtrodden people. He started self-respect movement, Anti-Hindi
agitation. He opposed the caste system of India. Thandai Periyar was a crusader for
social justice. He was born in an affluent family on 17th September 1879 at Erode in
Tamil Nadu State. His father was Venkatappa (Naicker) a rich popular merchant and his
mother was Chinathayammal. His school career ended within five years. He entered his
father's trade. His parents were deeply religions and they frequently arranged religion
discourses with great devotion, even in his early teens Ramasamy displayed a keen
rationalistic tendency and ridiculed the pundits who gave the talks by pointing out the
contradiction in their statements and also their incredible exaggerating. He married
Nagammai, aged 13 he reformed his orthodox wife and sowed rationalistic views in her
mind. He became the father of a female child, who expired within five months and
thereafter had no children. He undertook renunciation of family because of the harsh
reprimand of his father. He went first to Vijayawada in Andhra State. Then he proceeded
to Hyderabad and Kolkatta.
INTRODUCTION
Erode Venkata Ramasamy (17 September 1879 24 December 1973), affectionately called by his
followers as Periyar, Thanthai Periyar or E. V. R., was a businessman, politician, Indian independence and
social activist, who started the Self-Respect Movement or the Dravidian Movement and proposed the
creation of an independent state called Dravidasthan comprising South India. He is also the founder of the
socio-cultural organisation, Dravidar Kazhagam
Periyar was born in Erode, Madras Presidency to a wealthy family of
Kannada speaking Balijas. At a young age, he witnessed numerous incidents of
racial, caste and gender discrimination. Periyar married when he was 19, and
had a daughter who lived for only 5 months. His first wife, Nagammai, died in
1933. Periyar married for a second time in July 1948. His second wife,
Maniammai, continued Periyar's social work after his death in 1973, but still his
thoughts and ideas were being spread by Dravidar Kazhagam. Periyar joined
the Indian National Congress in 1919, but resigned in 1925 when he felt that the
party was only serving the interests of the Brahmins. In 1924, Periyar led a nonviolent agitation (satyagraha) in Vaikom, Kerala. From 1929 to 1932 toured
Malaysia, Europe, and Russia, which had an influence on him. In 1939, Periyar
became the head of the Justice Party, and in 1944, he changed its name to
Dravidar Kazhagam. The party later split and one group led by C. N. Annadurai
Title : PERIYAR E. V. RAMASAMY - THE REVOLUTIONARY SOCIAL REFORMER
Source:Indian Streams Research Journal [2230-7850] D.PADMAVATHY yr:2013 vol:3 iss:2

PERIYAR E. V. RAMASAMY - THE REVOLUTIONARY SOCIAL REFORMER

formed the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in 1949. While continuing the Self-Respect Movement,
he advocated for an independent Dravida Nadu (Dravidistan).
Periyar propagated the principles of rationalism, self-respect, women's rights and eradication of
caste. He opposed the exploitation and marginalization of the non-Brahmin indigenous Dravidian peoples
of South India and the imposition of, what he considered, Indo-Aryan India. His work has greatly
revolutionized Tamil society and has significantly removed caste-based discrimination. He is also
responsible for bringing new changes to the Tamil alphabet. However, at the same time, Periyar is also held
responsible for making controversial statements on the Tamil language, Dalits and Brahmins and for
endorsing violence against Brahmins. The citation awarded by the UNESCO described Periyar as "the
prophet of the new age, the Socrates of South East Asia, father of social reform movement and arch enemy
of ignorance, superstitions, meaningless customs and base manners.
POLITICAL CARRIER OF PERIYAR EVR
As a Chairman of the Erode Municipality for the period 1917 1919. He took efforts to provide protected
drinking water to the suffering people from the river Cauvery. He endeavoned to widen the roads in Erode.
E.V.Ramasamy associated himself with the Madras Presidency Association (MPA) in 1917. He was one of
its vice-presidents. The association advocated communal representation and demanded reservation for the
non-brahmins and minoritycommunities as a sine qua non of removing the injustices. While he was in the

Madras Presidency Association, the British Government passed, the Rowlett act in March, 1919 to crub the
press and ban the public meetings all over the country. It was an act aimed to put an end to the congress
activities reacting to it sharply. Mahatma Gandhi asked the people to take up the pledge of civil
disobedience against the British imperialism. E.V.R. inspired by his self-less services and by his call joined
the cause of Gandhi and ultimately the cause of national independence.
E.V.Ramasamy could work more vigorously and more effectively for removing the Social evils
like untouchabliity and toddy drinking, than in the capacity of a municipal chairman C.Rajagopalachary
also agreed with him. So the two friends, Periyar and C.Rajagopalachary resigned the Chairmanship of
their respective municipalities and joined the congress in 1920. He was the president of the TamilNadu
Congress Conference held at Thiruvannamalai in 1924.
Periyar insisted the people to wear only hand-spun khadhi clothes and to avoid the foreign clothes.
His vigorous propaganda for khadi leads, that the separate khadi shops were opened in different places and
the sale of khadi in Tamil Nadu increased considerably. Periyar insisted among the people the prohibition of
alcoholic drinks for this the picketing movement took place more vigorously in Erode market and other
places, particularly Periyar and his wife Nagammai and sister Kannammal were ardent participants in this
programme. So they were arrested and sentenced to few months' imprisonment.

Indian Streams Research Journal Volume 3 Issue 2 March 2013

PERIYAR E. V. RAMASAMY - THE REVOLUTIONARY SOCIAL REFORMER

VAIKAM SATYAGRHA AND PERIYAR EVR

In Vikhom at Kerala, depressed class people were prohibited from walking along the streets
surrounding the temple in 1924, Periyar led the agitation and was sentenced to a month's imprisonment
along with his wife Nagamai and his sister Kannammal. Finally the government yielded and the depressed
classes were given the right to use the roads around the temple. The impact of Thanthai Periyar's fight for
the human right, be it in temples or elsewhere ultimately took concrets shape in making the Tamil Nadu
Assembly to pass a resolution on Dec. 2nd 1970 that members at all caste and communities may became
Archakas of temples. The success of satyagraha at Vaikom due to Periyar dynamism won him the title
Vikom Veeror the Hero of Vaikom.

Periyar founded the self-respect movement in 1925 after his exit from the congress party. The
Self-Respect Movement is a movement with the aim of achieving a society where backward castes have
equal human rights and encouraging backward castes to have self respect in the context of a caste based
society that considered them to be a lower end of the hierarchy. The movement was extremely influential
not just in Tamil Nadu but also overseas in countries with large Tamil populations, such as Malaysia and
Singapore. One of his most known quotes on self-respect was that we are fit to think of 'self-respect only
when the notion of superior and inferior caste is banished from our land. Periyar did not expect personal or
material gain out of this movement, he used to recall in a very casual manner that as a human being, he also
was obligated to this duty, as it was the right and freedom to choose this work. Thus Periyar opted to engage
himself in starting and promoting the movement.
Periyar declared that the Self-Respect movement also could be the genuine freedom movement
and political freedom would not be fruitful without individual self-respect. He remarked that the so called
'Indian freedom fighters' were showing disrespect of self-respect, and this was really an irrational
philosophy. Periyar observed that political freedom as conceived by nationlist not excluding

Indian Streams Research Journal Volume 3 Issue 2 March 2013

PERIYAR E. V. RAMASAMY - THE REVOLUTIONARY SOCIAL REFORMER

even Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru did not cover individual self-respect. Periyar believed that self-respect
was valuable as life itself and its protection is a birth right and not Swaraj (Political freedom). He described
that movement as Arivu Vidutalai Iyakkam that is a movement to liberate that intellect.
The terms tan-maanam or suya mariyadai meaning self-respect are traceable in ancient tamil
literature considered a virtue of high valor in Tamil Society. Periyar once claimed that to describe the
ideology of his movement, no dictionary in the entire world, implying that no other languages, could
provide a word better than or equal to suya mariyadai.
Started as a movement (Iyakkam) Tamil to promote rational behavior wider connotation within a
short period of time. The first-self respect conference held in 1929, explained the significance of self
respect and its principles. The main tenants of the self-respect movement in society were to be kind of
inequality among people; no difference as rich and poor in the economic life men and women to be treated
as equals in every respect without differences attachments to caste, religion, varna and country to be
eradicated from society with a prevalent friendship and unity around the world and every human being
seeing to act according to reason, understanding desire and perspective and shall not be subject to slavery of
any kind of manner.
One of the major sociological changes introduced through the self-respect marriage system
whereby marriages were conducted without being officiated by a brahmin priest. Periyar he regarded SelfRespect movement encouraged inter-caste marriages, replacing arranged marriages by love marriages that
are not constrained by caste.
Anti Hindi Agitation
Periyar opposed the introduction of compulsory Hindi in schools by Rajaji in the year 1938.
Hence he was imprisoned for 2 years. The title Periyar was conferred on him by Tamil Nadu Women
Conference held in Madras on 13.11.1938 under the presidentship of Neelambiga Ammaiyar, daughter of
Maraimalai Adigal, a Vetran Tamil Scholar. The name of Justice Party which was started by him changed as
'Dravidar Kazhagam'.
Role of Periyar EVR on Women Rights
As a rationalist and ardent social reformer, Periyar advocated forcefully, throughout his life, that
women should be given their legitimate position in society as the equals of men and that they should be
given good education and have the right to property. He was keen that women should realise their rights and
be worthy citizens of their country.
Periyar fought against the orthodox traditions of marriage as suppression of women in Tamil Nadu and
throughout the Indian sub-continent. Though arranged marriages were meant to enable a couple to live
together throughout life, it was manipulated to enslave women. Much worse was the practice of child
marriages practised throughout India at the time. It was believed that it would be a sin to marry after
puberty. Another practice, which is prevalent today, is the dowry system where the bride's family is
supposed to give the husband a huge payment for the bride. The purpose of this was to assist the newly
wedded couple financially, but in many instances dowries were misused by bridegrooms. The outcome of
this abuse turned to the exploitation of the bride's parents wealth, and in certain circumstances, lead to
dowry deaths. There have been hundreds of thousands of cases where wives have been murdered,
mutilated, and burned alive because the father of the bride was unable to make the dowry payment to the
husband. Periyar fiercely stood up against this abuse meted out against women. Women in India also did not
have rights to their families' or husbands' property. Periyar fought fiercely for this and also advocated for the
women to have the right to separate or divorce their husbands under reasonable circumstances. While birth
control remained taboo in society of Periyar's time, he advocated for it not only for the health of women and
population control, but for the liberation of women.
He criticised the hypocrisy of chastity for women and argued that it should also either belong to men, or not
at all for both individuals. While fighting against this, Periyar advocated to get rid of the Devadasi system.
In his view it was an example of a list of degradations of women attaching them to temples for the
entertainment of others, and as temple prostitutes. As a further liberation of women, Periyar pushed for the
right of women to have an education and to join the armed services and the police force. Periyar and his
movement have achieved a better status for women in Tamil society. It was his conviction that in matters of
education and employment there should be no difference between men and women. There was a time when
no girl opted for engineering studies, or parents thought of sending their daughter to an engineering college.
Today, lots of young women can be found studying at engineering and medical colleges in Tamil Nadu.
His influence in the State departments and even the Centre have made it possible for women to join police
departments and having posts in the army. Periyar was engaged in strenuous propaganda against child
marriage and now the government has fixed the minimum age for the marriage of girls to be eighteen. He
Indian Streams Research Journal Volume 3 Issue 2 March 2013

PERIYAR E. V. RAMASAMY - THE REVOLUTIONARY SOCIAL REFORMER

advised the rationalists to go with the acceptable customs followed by the society. He referred to
the custom where a boy could accept the daughter of his father's sister as wife and not the daughter of his
father's brother as his wife. Rationality does not mean swimming against the tide always. He was not
against the marriage within acceptable relatives but he was against the marriage with unnecessary rituals.
Change must suit our convenience and common welfare, was according to Periyar.
WOMEN EDUCATION AND PERIYAR EVR
Thanthai Periyar strongly advocates that all women should be educated. Women who are not
educated will eventually be sent to religious sanctuaries of mutts for unmarried women, as man will not
marry them. Even for those women who are married and feel they are no longer young, should continue to
study so that their husbands will not seek educated women in their place. Thanthai Periyar condemns the
belief by parents that educated girls will correspond with their secret lovers. Thanthai Periyar further
advocates that girls should be taught self-defense. Women should acquire the ability to protect themselves
from men who tries to molest them. Women should develop physical strength like men and they also should
be trained in the use of weapons. Their leisure time should not be wasted in learning traditional dances.
Thanthai Periyar advises women to acquire education, rationalization, worldly experience, self-confidence
and courage. Women should have the desire to work like men.
On education, Periyar stated that some foolish parents believe that if girls get educated, they will
correspond with their secret lovers. That it is a very foolish and mischievous notion. No parent need be
anxious about it. If a girl writes a letter, it will only be to a male. We can even now caution men not to read
any love letter addressed to them by a woman and, even if they read it, not to reply to it. If men do not listen
to this advice, they, as well as the girls who write them must be punished. It will be a hopelessly bad thing, if
parents keep their girl children uneducated for this reason.
At a speeched delivered by Periyar at the Prize Distribution function in the Municipal School for
Girls at Karungal Palayam, Erode, he stated that girl children should be taught active and energetic
exercises like running, high jump, long jump,and wrestling so that they may acquire the strength and
courage of men. Their time and energy should not be wasted in light pastimes like Kummi (groups going in
a circle, clapping their hands rhythmically) and in Kolatam (striking with sticks rhythmically).
In ancient Tamil literature, poets have stressed the value of education for women. In a famous
verse, a poet by the name of Naladiar stated that, "What gives beauty to a woman is not the hair style or the
patter of her dress or the saffron on her face but only education". In a verse of Eladhi it states, "Beauty does
not lie in the style of wailing or in the charm of a blush but only in the combination of numbers and letters
(education).
In a 1960 issue if Viduthalai Periyar stated that "There should be a drastic revolution in the desires
and ideals of Indian women. They should equip themselves to do all types of work that men are doing. They
should have good domestic life without allowing nature's obstacles in their own lives. Therefore, there
should be a welcome change in the minds of our women. The administrators also most pay special attention
to the advancement of women".
CONCLUSION
All men and women should live with dignity and have equal opportunities to develop their
physical, mental and moral faculties. This was the basic philosophy of Periyar EVR. To achieve this, he
wanted to put an end to all kinds of unjust discriminations and to promote social justice and a rational
outlook. Periyar's philosophy is that different sections of a society should have equal rights to enjoy the
fruits of the resources and the development of the country.
REFERENCES
Diehl, Anita (1977), E.V. Ramasamy Naiker-Periyar, Sweden: Scandinavian University Books, pp. 67.
Diehl, Anita, (1977) E. V. Ramaswami - Periyar: A study of the influence of a personality in contemporary
South India, Scandinavian University Books: Sweden
Gopalakrishnan, G.P., (1991), Periyar: Father of the Tamil race, Emerald Publishers, Chennai.
Gopalakrishnan, M.D. (1991), Periyar: Father of the Tamil race, Emerald Publishers, Chennai, p. 32.
http://tedxsalem.com/blog/2011/01/speaker-profile-mr-gnani
http://www.picbadges.com/periyar-vaalga/1858552
http://www.thanthaiperiyar.org/about-periyar/life-history
Thakurta, Paranjoy Guha and Shankar Raghuraman (2004), A Time of Coalitions: Divided We Stand,
Indian Streams Research Journal Volume 3 Issue 2 March 2013

PERIYAR E. V. RAMASAMY - THE REVOLUTIONARY SOCIAL REFORMER

Sage Publications, New Delhi, p. 230.

Thomas Pantham, Vrajendra Raj Mehta, Vrajendra Raj Mehta, (2006). Political Ideas in Modern India:
thematic explorations. Sage Publications.
Veeramani (2005), Collected Works of Periyar E.V.R, Third Edition, The Periyar Self-Respect
Propaganda Institution, Chennai, p. 570.
Veeramani, Dr. K (1992). Periyar on Women's Rights. Emerald Publishers, Chennai, pp. 35-61
Veeramani, K. (1992) Periyar on Women's Rights. Emerald Publishers: Madras, p. 27.

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