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Periyar

Born

in Erode, India

September 17, 1879

Died

December 24, 1973

Website

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periyar_E._V._Ram...

Genre

Social Justice Philosophy, Dravidianism, Nonfiction

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Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy (E.V. Ramasamy), commonly known as Periyar (பெரியார்), also referred to as Thandhai Periyar, was an Indian social activist and politician who started the Self-Respect Movement and Dravidar Kazhagam.

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 people were also swayed. Periyar viewed reasoning as a special tool. According to him, all were blessed with this tool, but very few used it. Thus Periyar used reasoning with res Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy (E.V. Ramasamy), commonly known as Periyar (பெரியார்), also referred to as Thandhai Periyar, was an Indian social activist and politician who started the Self-Respect Movement and Dravidar Kazhagam.

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 people were also swayed. Periyar viewed reasoning as a special tool. According to him, all were blessed with this tool, but very few used it. Thus Periyar used reasoning with respect to subjects of social interest in his presentations to his audiences. Communal differences in Tamil society were considered by many to be deep-rooted features until Periyar came to the scene.

The bedrock of E.V. Ramasamy’s principles and the movements that he started was rationalism. He thought that an insignificant minority in society was exploiting the majority and trying to keep it in a subordinate position forever. He wanted the exploited to sit up and think about their position, and use their reason to realise that they were being exploited by a handful of people. In a message to the Brahmin community, Periyar stated, "in the name of god, religion, and sastras you have duped us. We were the ruling people. Stop this life of cheating us from this year. Give room for rationalism and humanism". He added that "any opposition not based on rationalism, science, or experience will one day or another, reveal the fraud, selfishness, lies and conspiracies".

Periyar's philosophy of self-respect was based on his image of an ideal world and a universally accepted one. His philosophy preaches that human actions should be based on rational thinking. Further, the outcome of the natural instinct of human beings is to examine every object and every action and even nature with a spirit of inquiry, and to refuse to submit to anything irrational as equivalent to slavery. Thus, the philosophy of self-respect taught that human actions should be guided by reason, right and wrong should follow from rational thinking and conclusions drawn from reason should be respected under all circumstances. Freedom means respect to thoughts and actions considered right by human beings on the basis of reason. There is not much difference between freedom and self-respect. ...more

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Periyar’s books

Average rating: 4.29 · 2,515 ratings · 287 reviews · 176 distinct works • Similar authors

	பெண் ஏன் அடிமையானாள்? 4.35 avg rating — 1,338 ratings — published 1933 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sacchi Ramayan / सच्ची रामायण by Periyar, रामअधार (Translator) 3.43 avg rating — 165 ratings — published 2011 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	மனித வாழ்வின் பெருமை எது? 4.41 avg rating — 87 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	சுயமரியாதை இயக்கத்தைத் தோற்றுவித்ததேன்? 4.73 avg rating — 64 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	COLLECTED WORKS OF PERIYAR E.V.R. 4.48 avg rating — 61 ratings — published 2014	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	தந்தை பெரியாரின் இறுதிப் பேருரை: மரண சாசனம் 4.23 avg rating — 53 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	தமிழ் காட்டுமிராண்டி மொழி ஏன்? எப்படி? 3.98 avg rating — 51 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	பெரியார் இன்றும் என்றும் 4.49 avg rating — 43 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	உயர் எண்ணங்கள்: Uyar Ennangal 4.38 avg rating — 42 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Words of Freedom: Ideas of a Nation: Periyar E.V.Ramasami 4.26 avg rating — 31 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by Periyar (?)

“If god is the root cause for our degradation destroy that god. If it is religion destroy it. If it is Manu Darma, Gita, or any other Mythology (Purana), burn them to ashes. If it is temple, tank, or festival, boycott them. Finally if it is our politics, come forward to declare it openly.”
― Periyār

tags: atheism, hinduism, politics, religion, society, tamil

21 likes

“Foreigners are sending messages to the planets. We are sending rice and cereals to our dead fore-father through the Brahmins. It is a wise deed?”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

tags: aryan, culture-critique, hinduism, tamil

17 likes

“Every one has the right to refute any opinion. But no one has the right to prevent its expression.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

tags: freedom-of-expression

13 likes

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Periyar’s Followers (167)

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Periyar

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