Born 140 years ago, one of India’s most radical social reformers – E.V. Ramasamy, or Periyar, as he is popularly known – left behind a formidable legacy. The founder of the Dravidian Self-Respect Movement that cultivated generations of revolutionaries, Periyar’s rationalism and anti-caste writings continue to inspire activists till today.
On his 140th birth anniversary, we have curated a list of his quotes that we hope will provide some modicum of insight into what Periyar stood for:
Even if I were to live in a place where I would have to experience much worse sufferings than those of a hellish life, I would consider it a pleasanter life than this mean, caste-ridden existence, if only I were respected as a man there.
While all men are born as equals, to say that Brahmins alone are the highest and all others are low as Pariah or Panchama is sheer nonsense. It is roguish to say so. It is a big hoax played on us.
You cannot expect any rational thought from a religious man. He is like a rocking log in water.
In other lands, knowledge alone is respected and trusted and held as the basis of everything, but in this country, men believe only in rituals and ceremonies, in God, in religion and such other rubbish.
Foreigners are sending messages to the planets. We are sending rice and cereals to our dead fore-father through the Brahmins. Is it a wise deed?
Man does not grow by merely accepting whatever others have said. However, do listen to others, but later think with the help of your reason. Accept and try to follow what appears right to you.
That which enslaves you to customs of the world to orthodoxy, to the rigours of religion, contrary to your rationality and awareness of truths of experience, is what I shall describe as antagonistic to self-respect.
I express, plainly and openly, thoughts which occur to me, and which strike me as right. This may embarrass a few; to some this may be distasteful; and a few others may even be irritated; however, all that I utter are proven truths and not lies.
Men’s ‘endeavour’ for the emancipation of women only perpetuates woman’s slavery and hampers their emancipation. The pretence of men that they respect women and that they strive for their freedom is only a ruse to deceive women. Have you ever seen anywhere a jackal freeing the hen and the lamp, or the cat freeing the rats, or the capitalists freeing the workers?
The way man treats women is much worse than the way landlords treat servants and the high-caste treat the low-caste. These treat them so demeaningly only in situations mutually affecting them; but men treat women cruelly and as slaves, from their birth till death.