Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy, commonly known as Periyar, was an Indian social reformer, politician, and iconoclast who played a crucial role in shaping modern Tamil politics. He died on December 24, 1973, in Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu. He restructured the Justice Party into the Dravidar Kazhagam in 1944, laying the groundwork for the Dravidian Movement.
Periyar stated that the aim of education was not to provide employment for livelihood, but to impart knowledge essential to leading a life of ‘freedom’ and ‘self-respect’, without harming fellow human beings, while developing love and mutual generosity in society. He criticised the spending of crores of rupees on primary schools where children were taught commonplace ideas such as “the dog has a tail” and “the cat has four legs”, arguing that these were learnt experientially by children even before entering school. What teachers truly needed to do, he believed, was to foster in students a sense of self-respect, manliness, equality, and love for the people and the country. He suggested replacing the thousands of schools and colleges in existence with institutions that inculcated rational thinking. This, he claimed, would save money, energy, intellectual effort, and time, and lead to the development of quality of life, conduct, integrity, goodwill, humanism, love, and a sense of equality for all. He favoured c
Periyar consistently argued for equal rights for women in marriage, inheritance of property, and civic life in general. He called for the abolition of practices such as early marriage and the dowry system, which he saw as consequences of women’s lack of education and financial independence. He also opposed traditional segregation in schools for boys and girls, insisting on coeducation as a means of fostering equality and mutual respect.
He insisted that each individual must think for herself, engage in dialogue with others, and rationally carry out the process of decision-making.
Periyar was a prolific writer and orator who could communicate effectively with all sections of society. The productive aspect of the lower castes, specifically the Ad-Dravidas, was a constant theme that he repeatedly evoked in his speeches and writings. He understood the significance of mass communication in spreading rationalist thought and started several newspapers and journals, including Kudi Arasu (Democracy) (1925), Revolt, Puratchi (Revolution) (1933), Paguththarivu (Rationalism) (1934), and Viduthalai (Liberation) (1935). Kudi Arasu was the official newspaper of the Self-Respect Movement, and Periyar generally wrote a column in each issue, expressing his views on social issues.
