Dr. S.S. Sundaram, Professor and Head of the Department of Indian History, Madras University: Periyar named his new movement as “Self-Respect Movement”. The name ‘Self- Respect’ is self explanatory as well as indicative of the core programme of the proposed movement. The traditions, cultures, religions, scriptures, mythologies–everything insist on respecting the traditional orders, and subjecting the ‘self’ to a subordinate position, and the individual is denied the right to question anything that was derived or inherited from the past.
Dr. Peter Schalk, Professor, History of Religions, Uppsala University, Sweden: While Vēluppillai Pirapākaran was chatting with us like a brother, he told us about his view on Dravidam, Periyar, Periyarism and some of the leaders who promoted Pēriyār’s ideology. “He also told us about his relationship with some of the Tamil Nadu leaders who accept Pēriyār. He also told us many times that his resistance comes from self-respect and we should re-establish Tamil self-respect and dignity. He strongly agreed with Pēriyār’s rational argument, but never mentioned him.
Dr. Christine Unrau, Co-Head of Research, Unit-2, ‘Global Cultural Conflicts and Transcultural Co-operation’, Duisburg, Germany : People must undertake the process of unmasking the illusion prevailing in the society. Unmasking the religion on rational path will eliminate the belief in God. Unmasking is nothing but detecting the truth. The commitment that one is involved in detecting the truth will give confidence in life and courage to know their own capacity. Process of unmasking will lead to the state of liberation distinguishing truth from illusion.
Sven Wortmann, Research Scholar, Institute for Indology and Tamil Studies, University of Cologne, Germany : The culture of India is deeply religious and spiritual during the past and at the present. But the idea of non religions treats people equally. In Indian context, atheism does not mean denial of god. It is against the prescriptions of rituals in Vedas which prop up the privilege for the brahminism. Atheism is against the Brahminical hegemony.
Dr. Wolfgang Leidhold, Chair of Political Theory & History of Ideas, University of Cologne, Germany: In a society, dogmas and ideology are paramount. It is a closed society. The secondary consensus in the society is liberty, secularism, tolerance and mutual respect. It is an open society. If these societies are transferred to modernity it becomes totalitarian society. This is the body politic fundamentals of the society.
Rev. Fr. Dr. S.J. Emmanuel, Sri Lankan Tamil Catholic priest, activist and President of the Global Tamil Forum : I started to admire Periyar some 7 years back for his sincerity and honesty to fight against inhumanity and irrationalism. Even among the bishops and priests, the caste is practised today. This caste discrimination has to be fought as a matter of common sense and consciousness. Having served in exile for 20 years for the diaspora Tamils, I have come to a conclusion that Periyar has to be resurrected in our midst.
Dr. D. Jeyakumar, Assistant Professor, Centre for Excellence of Periyar Thought, Periyar Maniammai University : Periyar had the benefit of visiting foreign countries both in East and in the West. During 1929-30, he toured Singapore and Malaya; in 1931 he spent eleven months in Europe visiting among other countries, the U.S.S.R, France and England. In 1954 he went to Burma to attend the 2500th anniversary celebration of Buddha. Periyar visited the federal Malayan states in 1929 and widely propagated the principles of Self-Respect movement there. He visited Ceylon also. Between Dec 1931 and Nov. 1932 Periyar visited Egypt, Greece, Turkey, Germany, Russia, France, Portugal and England and studied the systems of their Governments and also the mode of living of the peoples of those countries.
Dr. Saroja Ilangovan, Former Director of Neuropathology, Cook County Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, USA: When the question of women rights was posed to Periyar, he replied in simple term and eloquently, “Nothing special for women! It is sufficient that whatever rights available to men must be made available to women also”. There is no better and effective demand for woman rights than this which no others have expressed except Periyar.
Dr. S. Devadoss, Professor, Department of Management Studies and Humanities, Periyar Maniammai University, Thanjavur : Though caste system was not abolished by law for which Periyar made a mammoth agitation by burning parts of the Constitution.
V.Kumaresan, Ph.D. Research Scholar, Department of Management Studies, Periyar Maniammai University, Thanjavur : This is a comparative analysis of the atheist philosophers Thanthai Periyar E.V.Ramasamy (1879-1973) and Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900). Periyar in a straight manner advocated denial of god and struck the nail on the head saying ‘No God; No God and Nowhere is God…… But Nietzsche told ‘God is Dead’.
Periyar founded the organization to propagate his ideology with the involvement of committed black shirt cadres and others. The leadership of Periyar is signified by the cadres in the followership whereas that of Nietzsche in the form of readership.
Advocate A.Arulmozhi, Propaganda Secretary of Dravidar Kazhagam : Self respect and rationalism are the constituents of Periyar’s ideology. Periyar advocated unbridled evaluation of thinking process, and the right to question anything which claims to be or considered to be supreme. Periyar strongly believed that nothing is unquestionable and nobody can be shunned from the right to life with dignity.
M.Vijayanand, Ph.D. Research Scholar, Centre for Excellence of Periyar Thought, Periyar Maniammai University: One of the major sociological changes introduced by the self-respect movement was the self-respect marriage system, whereby marriages were conducted without being officiated by a Brahmin priest. Periyar regarded the then conventional marriages as mere financial arrangements and often caused great debt through dowry system. The Self-Respect movement encouraged inter-caste marriages, paving the way for the couple as equal life partners.
G. Olivannan, Vice-President, The Rationalists’ Forum, Tamil Nadu : Every social reform activity was protested with vigour by the fundamentalists. But Periyar, a revolutionist, never gave up. He was imprisoned several times and fined heavily. Yet, he continued his crusade.
Latharani Poongavanam, Ph.D. Research Scholar of Madras University: During the Second Self Respect Women’s Conference at Virudunagar 1931, resolutions in support of birth control were passed. The conference resolved that women should not only be recruited for professions like teaching and medicine, but also be inducted into army and police; the conference called for powers to be delegated to the local magistrates to identify and catalogue those temples which encouraged Deva-dasi system.
A.Kalaiselvan, Rationalist Writer, retired Head Master of Government Higher Secondary Schools, Tamil Nadu : Periyar urged the students community to raise questions such as What? Why? How? So that the answers to their questions would show them the way to move forward. He strongly objected to the practice of memorising the lessons or absorbing everything the teachers told in the classroom.
