Thanthai Periyar
(1879 – 1973)
Martyr Bhagat Singh
(1907 – 1931)
Related articles
‘Mahatma’ Gandhi
(1869 – 1948)
This article is about PERIYAR’s works on Independence and his views towards real Independence of India. Before delving into the works and views of Periyar, I would like to mention Bhagat Singh’s (A staunch Anarchist and Marxist Revolutionary) views on revolution:
“By revolution we mean that the present order of things, which is based on manifest injustice, must change. By revolution we mean the ultimate establishment of an order of society, which may not be threatened by such breakdowns and in which the sovereignty of the proletariat should be recognized and as a result of which a world federation should redeem humanity from the bondage of capitalism, misery, and peril of wars.”
If anyone re-reads Bhagat Singh’s views and compares them with Periyar’s views , they will see a 100% match. However, RSS based social media is tarnishing Periyar’s image showing him as an ANTI-NATIONAL. But I am sure this article will demonstrate that Periyar’s work, and thoughts surpassed those of both the past Khadi nationalists and the present saffron nationalists.
Periyar’s days during Indian National Congress:
Periyar, then known as Ramasamy Naicker, was a prominent figure in Erode, known for helping the masses, serving as a temple trustee, and implementing great reforms as Municipal Chairman of Erode. His efforts caught the attention of Congress leaders C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) and Vardharajulu Naidu, who invited him to join the Congress. Impressed by leadership under Mahatma Gandhi, Periyar resigned from his British government posts, and embraced Khadi in his house.
He attended the 1919 Amritsar Congress Session with V.O.C. Pillai at his own expense, requested the admission of 10 Tamilians into the Drafting Committee, and participated in the 1920 Calcutta Session for the Non-Cooperation Movement declaration. Periyar also withdrew a case involving a 50,000-rupee loan (over 50 lakh rupees today). He felt that continuing the case would support lawyers and others, which would be against the principles of the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Khadi Movement: Khadi Movement was taken over by Periyar and where he promoted Khadi clothing to masses and emphasized the importance of Khadi and how it brings importance to Small Scale Industries in India and not encouraging the capitalist forces who monopolized clothing industry. Khadi Movement was successful in Erode and many people came to know the importance of Khadi. Khadi Movement made him popular in Congress Leadership.
Anti-Toddy Protests: Following Gandhi’s vision, Periyar led the anti-toddy movement, targeting the widespread issue of alcohol intoxication which is still relevant today. He involved his wife and sister as symbols of empowerment and personally cut down over 500 Coconut trees in his orchards. His aggressive protests in front of toddy shops led to his arrest and a curfew in Erode. Gandhi praised his efforts in Young India, bringing Periyar widespread recognition. Although he later left the Congress, he consistently opposed intoxication.
Vaikom Struggle: In Vaikom, Travancore(now Kerala) only Namboothiris (Kerala Brahmins) could walk on the temple streets, while others had to keep a distance, with Nairs and similar others had to stay 4 feet away and lower castes like Ezhavas had to stay 40 feet away. Once upon a time, Kerala was known for its rigid caste system and untouchability. Periyar was invited by local leaders to join and conduct struggle the Vaikom for his organizational skills and powerful speeches. He declared that if God became polluted by lower castes; He (the deity) should be used as a stone for washing clothes. Periyar’s activism led to his arrest and conditional bail to leave Travancore immediately , but he continued protesting and was severely imprisoned. The Namboothiris’ performed a ritual (Shatru Samhara Yagam) to eliminate him but it failed, and eventually, Regent Lakshmi Sethu Bai allowed all castes to walk on the temple streets. This movement made Periyar, Vaikom Veerar (Hero of Vaikom) and a man of masses. Sadly no Upper caste leader in the Congress praised Periyar and recognized his efforts. This movement inspired B.R. Ambedkar, who studied it extensively.
After quitting Congress and his movements for Indepedence:
Though there were nationalists and revolutionaries in the Congress, many were casteists. V.V.S. Aiyar, a revolutionary close to Bharatiyar and V.D. Savarkar, ran a school with segregation, discriminating Brahmins and non-Brahmins. Non-Brahmin kids were punished if they touched Brahmin plates, pitchers, or even the Brahmins themselves. No investigation was conducted by the Congress Committee, which angered Periyar.
The final straw came at the Kanchipuram Conference in 1925, when the Congress, under the influence of Rajaji, refused to accept communal representation for non-Brahmins in education and jobs. Periyar walked out alongwith supporter in protest after this incident. though he initially respected Gandhi. However, he later realized that Gandhi was perpetuating casteism.In his magazine Kudi Arasu, Periyar consistently advocated for social justice as well as India’s independence. After starting the Self-Respect Movement for social justice, promoted rationalism and also attacked British imperialist and oppressive policies against farmers and laborers, which led to his imprisonment. Later, Periyar participated in several protests, resulting in multiple jail sentences.
Periyar and Bhagat Singh: Periyar appreciated Bhagat Singh and his ideals for a totally independent India – to be free from Capitalists, Zamindars and Upper Caste Dominance and not just transfer of power from British to Elite Indians.. Periyar was very angry with Mahatma Gandhi when Gandhi did not make any efforts towards the release of Bhagat Singh. He translated Bhagat Singh’s Why am I an Atheist? into Tamil, which then led to translations into many other Indian languages.
Periyar and Gandhi: As Bhagat Singh and Ambedkar did, Periyar criticized Gandhi and other Congressmen’s worship of Gandhi as an avatar of Vishnu. In Kudi Arasu (1931 and 1933), Periyar noted that Gandhi considered himself guided by God, and his followers saw him as a rishi and an avatar, making him a political dictator. In 1927, the magazine criticized Gandhi’s followers for turning Congress into a religious institution where they prayed to him. In a 1933 article, Periyar pointed out that Gandhi’s confidants were upper-caste and wealthy individuals, and he viewed their problems as universal. Gandhi advocated for ending untouchability while keeping caste divisions and insisted that Shudras continue their traditional professions. Periyar argued that Gandhi sugarcoated orthodoxy and called for boycotting his philosophy.
Periyar on Real Independence: “A country is not made of land; a country is made of its people,” said – Gurjada Apparao, Telugu writer. Periyar echoed this sentiment at the Congress Conference held in Kancheepuram in 1925, emphasizing that independence is useless unless the lives of the downtrodden are improved. For instance, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who proclaimed that Swaraj is his birthright, opposed women’s education and discouraged reservations for Shudras. Periyar questioned this in Kudi Arasu (1926): “Why do they need Swaraj if they deny other fellow men their rights?”. Even at the 1931 Congress Conference at Karachi, the rights for untouchables were neither progressive nor concrete. Their rights were still controlled by the upper castes, and there were no signs of reservations. This was subject to criticism by Periyar.
Periyar criticized the Congress’s concept of Poorna Swaraj in two articles in Kudi Arasu dating back to 1930. He stated, “If India is to obtain Poorna Swaraj, it must first eliminate the domination of religion, superstitions, untouchability, misogyny, upper castes, and capitalism. If Poorna Swaraj is only a political reform, it will benefit only the upper castes, the rich, and the educated, while offering no relief to the proletariat.” In his other magazine Revolt (1929), Periyar criticized the double standards of Congress leaders. He mentioned that these leaders keep the masses under their boots and claim to be anti-British, yet they and their relatives work for the British and accept pensions. These leaders ask people not to study English because it is a colonial language, but their own children attend English schools. Congress felt that anti-Congress and anti-Brahmins were unpatriotic.
Periyar in his 15th Confederation Justice Party Speech, 1938 declared – “Our policy is Complete Independence and Complete Independence means that people of a country or race or religion must be completely free from domination or exploitation and so on and so forth.”
Conclusion: Dr. Ambedkar claimed that Swaraj means giving the Depressed Classes opportunities to pursue careers of their choice and lead dignified lives. In the Second Round Table Conference, he mentioned that “Real patriots or nationalists who stand for democracy, destroy monopoly in any form.” Ambedkar also criticized the patriots and nationalists, saying they are very hungry for power and do not care about humans. He said, “I am glad I do not belong to the class of patriots.”
If you read Periyar’s views towards the real Independence of country and its people in a conscious way, then, Periyar is a real nationalist. He cared for all the people in whole and the 90 per cent of the population running the country and being deprived rather than 10 per cent elite class who get everything to their feet.
The RSS media needs Bhagat Singh for his appeal among youth, despite purposely ignoring his Marxist-Anarchist ideology and portraying him as merely a murderer. They also use Ambedkar, who consistently criticized Hindu fundamentalism, to garner votes, although a section of them has started to criticize him as well. As the BJP-RSS attempts to make inroads in Tamil Nadu, they are spreading negative propaganda against Periyar.
I conclude by asking for concrete proof of the RSS’s contribution to the Indian independence movement.
