Born: September 17, 1879
Died: December 24, 1973
Place of Birth: Erode, Tamil Nadu
Caste/Community: Balija Naidu (Backward Caste)

In the deep south of India, where caste and superstition clung tightly to every corner of life, Periyar E. V. Ramasamy rose like a storm — bold, unyielding, and unapologetically rational. Born into a prosperous trading family in Erode, Periyar could have lived a quiet, privileged life. But what he saw around him — the inequality, the caste cruelty, the exploitation of women — pushed him toward revolution, not comfort.

Periyar’s turning point came during a visit to Kashi (Varanasi), where he was denied food and lodging simply because of his caste. That experience etched a deep scar, and from that moment, he vowed to fight the very foundations of the caste system.

He initially joined the Indian National Congress but soon grew disillusioned. He realized that the upper-caste elites were not interested in erasing caste — they were interested in preserving their dominance. So Periyar broke away and launched a movement that would forever change Tamil Nadu’s social fabric.

In 1925, he founded the Self-Respect Movement, a daring campaign that encouraged people from all castes to reject Brahmanical authority, question religious rituals, and treat women and men as equals. He openly promoted inter-caste marriages, widow remarriage, and birth control — radical ideas at the time.

Periyar didn’t hold back. He burned Manusmriti publicly, called out Hindu gods for being casteist, and challenged the monopoly of Brahmins in temples and education. To him, religion was not a path to salvation but a tool of oppression. His speeches thundered with logic, rebellion, and fearlessness. He declared, “There is no god, there is no god, there is no god at all. He who invented god is a fool.”

He also led the anti-Hindi agitation in Tamil Nadu, standing against the imposition of Hindi in a region with its own proud language and culture. For Periyar, language, caste, and gender were all tools of control — and he sought to dismantle them all.

Legacy
Periyar’s ideas sparked a social revolution in South India. His influence gave rise to the Dravidian political movement, which reshaped Tamil Nadu’s politics, education system, and social structure. Today, affirmative action policies, women’s empowerment, and caste equality in Tamil Nadu owe much to his legacy.

To his followers, he is “Thanthai Periyar” — the Father of the Dravidian Movement. Though controversial, his impact is undeniable. He didn’t want followers — he wanted thinkers. And that’s what makes Periyar not just a reformer, but a fire that still burns in the minds of those who question injustice.