Global InformationPeriyar information
Periyar | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Periyar on a postage stamp | |
| President of Dravidar Kazhagam | |
| In office 27 August 1944 – 24 December 1973 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Annai E. V. R. Maniammai |
| Head of the Justice Party | |
| In office 1939 – 27 August 1944 | |
| 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 |
| Died | 24 December 1973 (aged 94) Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Resting place | Periyar Ninaividam |
| Political party | Dravidar Kazhagam (from 1944) |
| Other political affiliations |
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Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy (17 September 1879 – 24 December 1973), revered by his followers as Periyar[a] or Thanthai[b] Periyar, was an Indian social activist and politician who started the Self-Respect Movement and Dravidar Kazhagam. He is known as the 'Father of the Dravidian movement'.[1] He rebelled against Brahmin dominance and gender and caste inequality in Tamil Nadu.[2][3][4] Since 2021, the Indian state of Tamil Nadu celebrates his birth anniversary as 'Social Justice Day'.[5]
Ramasamy joined the Indian National Congress in 1919. In 1924, Ramasamy participated in non-violent agitation (satyagraha) involving Mahatma Gandhi in Vaikom, Travancore.[6] He resigned from the Congress in 1925 when he felt that the party was only serving the interests of Brahmins. He questioned what he felt was the subjugation of non-Brahmin Dravidians as Brahmins enjoyed gifts and donations from non-Brahmins but opposed and discriminated against non-Brahmins in cultural and religious matters.[7] He declared his stance to be "no god, no religion, no Gandhi, no Congress, and no Brahmins".[8]
He founded Self-Respect Movement in 1926.[8] From 1929 to 1932 Ramasamy made a tour of British Malaya, Europe, and Soviet Union which influenced him.[9] In 1939, Ramasamy became the head of the Justice Party,[c] and in 1944, he changed its name to Dravidar Kazhagam. The party later split with one group led by C. N. Annadurai forming the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in 1949.[10] While continuing the Self-Respect Movement, he advocated for an independent Dravida Nadu (land of the Dravidians).[11]
Ramasamy promoted the principles of rationalism, self-respect, women's rights and eradication of caste. He opposed the exploitation and marginalisation of the non-Brahmin Dravidian people of South India and the imposition of what he considered Indo-Aryan India.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ "Statue wars: Who was Periyar and why does he trigger sentiment in Tamil Nadu?". The Economic Times. 7 March 2018. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
- ^ Mehta, Vrajendra Raj; Thomas Pantham (2006). Political Ideas in Modern India: thematic explorations. Sage Publications: Thousand Oaks. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-7619-3420-2. Archived from the original on 18 September 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
- ^ Arora, N.D.; S.S. Awasthy (2007). Political Theory and Political Thought. Har-Anand Publications: New Delhi. p. 425. ISBN 978-81-241-1164-2. Archived from the original on 18 September 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
- ^ Thakurta, Paranjoy Guha; Shankar Raghuraman (2004). A Time of Coalitions: Divided We Stand. Sage Publications. New Delhi. p. 230. ISBN 0-7619-3237-2.
- ^ "TN govt will celebrate Periyar's birth anniversary as social justice day, says CM Stalin". The Indian Express. 6 September 2021. Archived from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ Athiyaman, Pazha (24 December 2019). "Periyar, the hero of Vaikom". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ Kandasamy, W.B. Vansantha; Florentin Smarandache; K. Kandasamy (2005). Fuzzy and Neutrosophic Analysis of E.V. Ramasamy's Views on Untouchability. HEXIS: Phoenix. p. 106. ISBN 978-1-931233-00-2.
- ^ a b Deshpande, A. (2011). The Grammar of Caste: Economic Discrimination in Contemporary India. OUP India. p. 44. ISBN 978-0-19-908846-1. Archived from the original on 18 September 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ "As Tamil Nadu celebrated Periyar's birthday on September 17, we recall the impact of his foreign trips". G Olivannan. The Times of India. 20 September 2016. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ^ Pandian, J., (1987). Caste, Nationalism, and Ethnicity. Popular Prakashan Private Ltd.: Bombay. pp. 62, 64. ISBN 0861321367.
- ^ Chatterjee, Debi [1981] (2004) Up Against Caste: Comparative study of Ambedkar and Periyar. Rawat Publications: Chennai. pp. 40-42. ISBN 978-81-7033-860-4