Periyar E. V. Ramasamy

Periyar E. V. Ramasamy
India Post, Government of India · GODL-India · source
Name	E. V. Ramasamy
Birth date	17 September 1879
Birth place	Erode, Madras Presidency
Death date	24 December 1973
Death place	Tiruchengode, Tamil Nadu
Nationality	Indian
Other names	EVR
Occupation	Social activist, politician, writer
Known for	Self-Respect Movement, anti-caste activism, rationalism

Periyar E. V. Ramasamy

Periyar E. V. Ramasamy was an Indian social activist, politician, and writer who led anti-caste, rationalist, and social reform movements in Madras Presidency and later Tamil Nadu, influencing regional and national debates on social justice, language policy, and secularism. He founded the Self-Respect Movement and the Dravidar Kazhagam and engaged with figures and institutions such as B. R. Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, Indian National Congress, Justice Party (India), and Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. His campaigns intersected with contemporaries and events including C. N. Annadurai, K. Kamaraj, E. M. S. Namboodiripad, and debates over the Indian Constitution, Social reform in India, and Dravidian movement politics.

Early life and education

Ramasamy was born in Erode in the Madras Presidency to a Brahmin-opposing family background and received early schooling in Erode and Salem before entering service with the British Raj as a clerk in the Telegraph Department, where he interacted with figures from Coimbatore and Madras and encountered ideas from the Indian independence movement and Pan-South Indian conversations. His formative years overlapped with public figures such as Lord Curzon and events like the Partition of Bengal (1905), and his exposure to colonial administration, regional elites, and reformist discourses shaped later engagements with organizations including the Justice Party (India) and the Indian National Congress.

Political activism and Self-Respect Movement

Ramasamy launched the Self-Respect Movement in the 1920s, aligning with campaigns against caste discrimination and practices promoted by orthodox institutions like Hindu Mahasabha and religious leaders connected to Madurai and Tiruchirappalli, and he organized rallies and conferences that drew attention from leaders such as C. Rajagopalachari, Mahatma Gandhi, and B. R. Ambedkar. He contested and negotiated power with parties and persons including the Justice Party (India), Dravidar Kazhagam, and emerging Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), influencing electoral politics involving Madras State administrations and policy debates over Hindi imposition and the Three-language formula. His interventions engaged institutions like the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, civic bodies in Chennai, and social movements connected to Periyarist networks across Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Social reform and anti-caste campaigns

Ramasamy campaigned against untouchability, hereditary priesthood, and ritual practices endorsed by orthodox orders in temples such as those in Madurai Meenakshi Temple and communities connected to Pudukkottai and Tirunelveli, and he supported inter-caste marriages, campaigns akin to those of Jyotirao Phule and B. R. Ambedkar, and measures addressing land tenure issues alongside figures like Periyar's colleagues in local congresses. His activism intersected with legal and legislative arenas presided over by officials such as C. Rajagopalachari and K. Kamaraj, and with reformist organizations including the Ramaswamy Naicker-inspired societies and networks linked to Erode and Coimbatore that promoted social welfare reforms, communal dining, and anti-superstition campaigns.

Rationalism, atheism, and publications

A proponent of rationalism and atheism, he critiqued scriptures and traditions associated with Sanskrit elites and promoted vernacular literature in Tamil via journals and pamphlets that engaged intellectuals like Subramania Bharati, Bharathiar, C. N. Annadurai, and activists from Kerala and Karnataka. He edited and published periodicals that debated topics related to Tamil literature, Dravidian identity, and critiques of institutions such as Brahminism and priestly authority, addressing audiences in Madras, Coimbatore, Salem, and diasporic communities in Sri Lanka and Malaysia. His writings influenced and were contested by scholars and politicians including M. Karunanidhi, Tamil scholars, and critics from Hindu nationalist circles and prompted legal and public controversies involving presses and municipal authorities.

Legacy, influence, and criticisms

Ramasamy's legacy shaped the trajectory of the Dravidian movement, contributing to the rise of parties such as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and influencing policy on Tamil language rights, reservation policies, and secular state debates involving the Indian Constitution and institutions like the Madras High Court. His ideas influenced leaders and intellectuals including C. N. Annadurai, M. Karunanidhi, B. R. Ambedkar, and activists in Ambedkarite and socialist circles, while drawing criticism from Hindu nationalist organizations, conservative clergy, and some scholars who contested his methods and rhetoric. Commemorations, statues, and debates in institutions like the Tamil Nadu State Assembly, universities in Chennai and publications in Tamil Nadu continue to reflect contested assessments of his role in campaigns that intersect with movements in India and the wider South Asia region.

Category:Indian social reformers Category:People from Erode district Category:Dravidian movement