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On Hinduism, Ramasamy believed that it was a religion with no distinctive sacred book (Bhagawad Gita) or origins, but an imaginary faith preaching the "superiority" of the Brahmins, the inferiority of the Shudras, and the untouchability of the Dalits (Panchamas). [55]
- Introduction
- Biography
- Principles and Legacy
- Followers and Influence
- In Popular Culture
Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy (17 September 1879 – 24 December 1973), commonly known as Periyar or Thanthai 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'. He rebelled against Brahminical dominance and gender and caste inequality in...
2.1. Early Years
Erode Venkata Ramasamy was born on 17 September 1879 to a Kannada Balija merchant family in Erode, then a part of the Coimbatore district of the Madras Presidency. E. V. Ramasamy's father was Venkatappa Nayakar (or Venkata), and his mother was Chinnathyee, Muthammal. He had one elder brother named Krishnaswamy and two sisters named Kannamma and Ponnuthoy. He later came to be known as "Periyar" meaning 'respected one' or 'elder' in the Tamil. E. V....
2.2. Kashi Pilgrimage Incident
In 1904, E.V. Ramasamy went on a pilgrimage to Kashi to visit the revered Shiva temple of Kashi Vishwanath. Though regarded as one of the holiest sites of Hinduism, he witnessed immoral activities such as begging, and floating dead bodies. His frustrations extended to functional Hinduism in general when he experienced what he called Brahmanic exploitation. However, one particular incident in Kasi had a profound impact on E.V. Ramasamy's ideology and future work. At the worship site...
2.3. Member of Congress Party
E.V. Ramasamy joined the Indian National Congress in 1919 after quitting his business and resigning from public posts. He held the chairmanship of Erode Municipality and wholeheartedly undertook constructive programs spreading the use of Khadi, picketing toddy shops, boycotting shops selling foreign cloth, and eradicating untouchability. In 1921, Periyar courted imprisonment for picketing toddy shops in Erode. When his wife as well as his sister joined the agitation, it gained momentum, and t...
Periyar spent over fifty years giving speeches, propagating the realisation that everyone is an equal citizen and the differences on the basis of caste and creed were man-made to keep the innocent and ignorant as underdogs in the society. Although Periyar's speeches were targeted towards the illiterate and more mundane masses, scores of educated pe...
After the death of Periyar in 1973, conferences were held throughout Tamil Nadu for a week in January 1974. The same year Periyar's wife, Maniyammai, the new head of the Dravidar Kazhagam, set fire to the effigies of 'Rama', 'Sita' and 'Lakshmana' at Periyar Thidal, Madras. This was in retaliation to the Ramaleela celebrations where effigies of 'Ra...
Sathyaraj and Khushboo Sundar starred in a government-sponsored film Periyar released in 2007. Directed by Gnana Rajasekaran, the film was screened in Malaysia on 1 May 2007 and was screened at the Goa International Film Festival in November that year.[128][129] Sathyaraj reprised his role as Periyar in the film Kalavadiya Pozhudugal directed by Th...
Mar 9, 2018 · Why Periyar was critical of the Ramayana (and Rama) The social activist and politician believed the text was a key part of the ideology which keeps South Indians in an inferior position. Paula ...
- Paula Richman
The religious views of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy involved opposition to religion virulently because, in his views, the so-called men of religion invented myths and superstitions to keep the innocent and ignorant people in darkness and to go on exploiting them.
Erode Venkata Ramasamy (17 September 1879 – 24 December 1973), also called Periyar, Thanthai Periyar or E. V. R. by his followers, was an Indian philosopher, politician, independence and social activist.
Mar 12, 2018 · Ramasamy argued: “If there is no varnashrama dharma, there is no ground to talk about Hindu religion.” As early as 1922, when still a nationalist, he advocated burning the Manusmriti.
Ramasamy believed that self-respect was as valuable as life itself and its protection is a birthright and not swaraj ('political freedom'). He described the movement as Arivu Vidutalai Iyakkam , that is, a movement to liberate the intellect.
