Periyar used to strongly stress, time and again the dire need of self-respect and social reforms. Most of his speeches revolving around them used to be the editorials in ‘Kudi Arasu’. Let us take five editorials of different dates and delve deeply into his thought.
From ‘Kudi Arasu’ – 20.02.1928:
Social Reformation and political reformation are different from each other. Self-respect, unity and universal brotherhood leads to social reformation, whereas political reformation is actually a divisive ploy that belittles the country and causes disparity among people. The British Government has constituted an exclusive commission to chalk out measures for social reformation. We should bring to its notice our grievances for redressal.
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Political reformation:
Through this reformation most of us today are in good posts and positions. Some of us are able to earn a monthly salary that is quite attractive. People who studied under street lamps have advanced in life and become judges and responsible administrators. We find advancement in life all around us. We have derived benefits from posts and positions. The standard of our life has improved to a great extent. The Government has placed Indians in coveted posts in most of the sectors. Most people are able to draw attractive salaries and allowances.
Our question is, have we achieved social reformation? We still find people on pavements begging others for food. The downtrodden people still struggle for survival. Farmers and manual labourers are in miserable condition. Traders dealing in small business are slowly sinking. Landlords grab cultivable lands from farmers. Poor farmers sweat and starve while feudal lords continue exploiting them and filling their coffers.
Labourers are migrating to other cities with their wife and children seeking work and wages for survivals. At the harbours of Tuticorin, Mandapam, Nagapattinam, Kakinada and Chennai, one can find regularly thousands of poor labourers sailing through ships in search of jobs in other cities. Where is social reformation in this pitiable condition of people?
Social Reformation:
Manual labourers are being replaced with machines in numerous factories. Workers who demand a rise in wages are being thrown out of jobs. Most of such jobless workers have become bullock cart drivers. Some are found even milking cows for daily wages. There is dire need of social reformation to relieve our people from their struggles for existence.
Crime rate is on the rise. Caste based atrocities are increasing. Prison cells are crowded. Religious disputes and communal riots are found everywhere. Denial of rights has become a burning problem. Untouchability remains uncurbed. Social injustice is caused by many of the Indian Officers in higher posts and positions. Conferences of communal fanatics and promoters of Varnashrama are being organized in many districts. Political reformations are enough. What we need now is absolute social reformation.
From ‘Kudi Arasu’ – 25.08.1929:
The ability to reason is sometimes bound by shackles of ignorance. The device to break those shackles is self-respect. Man’s knowledge and wisdom sometimes remain unused in dark confinement. Releasing it can be called the noble task of self-respect movement. Self-respect is the path for social reformation. Unless we realise the worth of self-respect, we can never reform this society.
Our self-respect movement has accomplished the following reformatory tasks in society: women’s education; eradication of untouchability; abolishing superstitious; communal rights retrieval; avoiding expenses on festivals and temple constructions; priest less, ritual less marriages; defying authoritarian rulers and dictatorial administrators and curbing dehumanisation. All these achievements of self-respect movement have caused social reformation to a great extent.
Invaluable Self-respect:
Self-respect demands equality and humanism. It is a voice against the evil of graded inequality, and birth based discriminations. It insists on free movement rights on streets for all; widow remarriages; Property rights for women; divorce rights; intercaste marriages etc; Self-respect lies in common dining in all eateries. It also resists hereditary occupations. You may feel that these are all concerned with social reformations. What I imply is that self-respect and social reformations are inter connected and synonymous in a sense. They depend on each other. A society which does not realise the worth of self-respect can never be reformed.
From ‘Kudi Arasu’ – 19.08.1931:
Reformation is not an easy cake-walk. There are miscreants who oppose social reformation for their selfish purposes. Orthodox and conservative fanatics are hurdles for social reformation. Hence, an unflinching resolve on our part is necessary. We have to fight against the opponents and reform our society – not violently, but silently. We need unswerving patience for this. Many countries abroad have advanced in science, technology and inventions but we are lagging behind. We need an absolute scientific outlook to develop. We must give up every irrational thought and belief. Outdated scriptures and mind-boggling mythologies should be discarded by us. Delinking ourselves from blind beliefs is inevitable. Unless all these are done, social reformation would only be like building castles in the air.
Impossible overnight:
Social reformations are not possible overnight. Fanatics would not easily give up their ploys because generally habits die hard. People who are accustomed to take gullible people for a ride would stop at nothing. We have to keep trying in slow measures with collective efforts. Success would certainly be the fruit of our hard labour. Until we achieve all our objectives, never stoop to arrogant conservatives. Do not take pride in stooping before the powerful. Strive to seize that power which is misused. Social reformations depend on our self-respect.
From ‘Kudi Arasu’ – 20.09.1931:
In the task of social reformation, the most important part is eradicating the enslavement of women and empowering them with literacy and more rights in society. Women are in no way inferior to men. If this is unanimously acknowledged in society, a large part of social reformation would be over.
Women – empowerment:
In skill and competence, women are equal to men in my opinion. Hence, segregating jobs as man’s career and women’s career is ridiculous. Women could be employed in Police, army and naval services too. Employed women help driving away poverty to a great extent. Women are not merely flesh and blood; they are much more. They make our home. Social reformers should never ignore women. They deserve equal rights and a dignified treatment in society. Women should never give up their self-respect. The hand that rocks the cradle can also become the hand that rules the nation, can’t it dear friends?
From ‘Kudi Arasu’ – 07.08.1932:
Most of our downtrodden people are struggling in other countries striving for livelihood. Every week we find hundreds of them returning jobless because they are retrenched by foreign employers. We should wipe the tears of these helpless people in society. Labourers who work hard for the luxuries of big people struggle for their own food, clothing and shelter. This pathetic condition should vanish.
Corrupt politicians:
Our people should avoid hero-worship of corrupt leaders. Not all parties in the country are interested in public services. Identify noble leaders and follow them. Don’t be deceived by leaders who think of the next election. Look for ideal leaders who think of the next generation. Never be sycophants to corrupt politicians. Eliminating wicked leaders is a wise step towards social reformation. Never stoop to such merciless leaders sacrificing your invaluable self-respect.
Source: Five ‘Kudi Arasu’
editorials as specified
Translated by: M.R.Manohar
