CHAPTER I

LIFE HISTORY OF E.V. RAMASAMY

Family Background

Periyar E.V. Ramasamy’s father, Venkata Naicker at his

initial stage worked as an assistant to a stone mason. In due course by dint

of his ability he became a fairly rich merchant. His wife Chinnathayamma

contributed her share of industry for the income of the family. When her

husband worked as an assistant to a stone-mason, she carried head loads of

bricks from the yards to building spots. Later when Venkata Naicker

started a shop, she was selling hand-pound rice at home. She stopped her

rice business only when her husband became a wholesale merchant and

commission agent. While E.V.R was born, his father was a reputed

merchant in Erode locality.1

Early Life

E.V. Ramasamy was the fourth son of his parents. The first

1
Gopalakrishnan, M.D., Periyar Father of The Tamil Race, Madras, 1991, p.1.
 36

two children of the couple died soon after their birth. After an interval of

ten years on 28th September, 1877, E.V. Krishnasamy was born. Two

years after him, on 17th September, 1879, E.V. Ramasamy was born. After

E.V.R’s birth they got two female children, they were Kannamal and

Ponnuthay.

Before the birth of these two sons, Venkata Naicker and his

wife had fasted and prayed and had arranged for frequent religious

discourses in their house in order to please the gods. The discourses were

continued for many years in their house.2 As a result they got four

children.

Vankata’s maternal aunt, who was a childless widow wished

to have the pleasure of bringing up young Ramasamy. Ramasamy’s

parents accepted Ramasamy lived in affluence when her poor aunt took

care of him, he lived without any control. So he grew up very rough. The

young E.V.R was sent to school at the age of six but he was soon

withdrawn from school at the age of ten as he was mischievous.3 This

mischievous behaviour was due to the lack of effective supervision and

control over the young E.V.R both at home and school. This absence of

control both at school and home encouraged the young E.V.R. to do things

2
Veeramani, K., UlagathalaivarPeriyarVazhkaiVaralaru (Part II, Tamil),
Madras, 2008, p.10.
3
Sami Chidambaranar, ThamizharThalaivar (Tamil), Erode, 1960, p.10.
 37

according to his wishes. It was a cause for the development of his

independent nature.4

In School he was freely mingling with the low caste boys.

As his parents worried about the way the boy was growing up, Venkata

Naicker brought him back to his home and sent him to school. The boy

attended school for six years, but learnt very little. When he was twelve,

his father took him to his shop. There, to the astonishment of everybody,

he showed keen interest in business and learnt its techniques within a few

years. Very soon, he acquired efficiency in conducting auctions and

managing the whole sale trade.5

Venkata Naicker was now a happy man. His first son

Krishnasami looked after him in religious fervour and in conducting

religious discourses; the second son, Ramasamy seemed to excel him in

business tactics6.

This second son, who appeared to be dull in studies proved to

be extra cute in reasoning and in ridiculing the pundits, who gave religious

discourses, by pointing out the contradictions in their statements and also

their incredible exaggerations. This agnostic tendency in the young man

4
Subramaniyam, M.K., Periyar Self-Respect Philosophy, Erode, 1980, p.79.
5
Gopalakrishnan, M.D., op.cit., pp.1-2.
6
Veeramani, K., Collected Works of Periyar, Chennai, 2005, p.3.
 38

annoyed the father, though he felt secretly flattered at the sharpness of his

intellect.7

E.V. Ramasamy’s family was steeped in religious

orthodoxies. His parents had deep belief in the Vaishnavite-order of the

Hindu religion. Vedic Pandits and Shastries paid frequent visits to his

house and used to receive sumptuous gifts for the poojas and yagas.8

E.V. Ramasamy’s Married Life

Probably Venkata Naicker thought that marriage would take

the wildness of the sturdy and well-grown young man, Ramasamy and

arranged for his wedding when he was nineteen, with Nagammai who was

only thirteen, then. It was not altogether an arranged marriage because

Ramasamy and Nagammai had known each other for some years and were

actually in love with each other. Nagammai proved to be an ideal wife and

cooperated, whole heartedly with her husband in all his later public

activities and agitations. Two years after marriage, this couple got a girl

child which lived only for five months, and thereafter they had no

children.9

Periyar shared the profit of his business with his workers at

the age of twenty one. When Periyar was twenty five years old, he left for

7
Veeramani, K., op.cit., p.3.
8
Muthu, R.S., VeerasudandramVendinindraThamizhagaThiyagigal, (Tamil),
Chennai, p.29.
9
Gopalakrishnan, M.D., op.cit., p.3.
 39

Benaras and Calcutta and became an ascetic. Then he returned to his

home town 1904. 10

His Political Entry

In 1907, Periyar was in sympathy with the political views of

Indian National Congress. He started attending the Congress conferences

from 1908 onwards. Little Ramasamy had a spontaneous sense of logical

reasoning. He was capable of making rational enquiries about whatever he

heard from others like religious preachers and learned visitors even from

the early childhood. Moreover, as he was engaged in business from the

very early age he had learnt the art of conversing with others (which is

quite characteristic of a typical businessman). This helped him to acquire a

vast fund of knowledge about the worldly affairs. These qualities, later on,

moulded him into a powerful speaker and great leader.11

Between 1914 and 1918 E.V. Ramasamy held several

powerful and honorary posts. During this period he convened many

conferences of the Indian National Congress in Tamil Nadu. E.V.R served

as the president of the Erode Registered Merchants Association. He was

the member of the Administrative Council of the South Indian Merchants’

Association. The Government of India constituted the five districts Income

Tax Tribunal and appointed E.V.R as one of the three commissioners

10
Gopalakrishnan, M.D., op.cit., p.3.
11
Anai Muthu, V., Periyar E.Ve. Ra Chinthanaigal, Vol.III (Tamil), Trichy,
1974, p.8.
 40

thereof. E.V.R. acted as the Secretary of the Erode Town Reading Room,

the Erode Alumnnae Association and the High School Board. Later on he

rose to the position of President of the same High School Board. He

served as the Secretary of the Coimbatore District Congress Conference.

E.V.R had been functioning as Honourary Magistrate for 10 years.12

He was the president of Erode Taluk Board and Chairman of

the Erode Municipality for many years. During his tenure in Erode

Municipality E.V.R worked effectively for drinking water supply and

provision of Health facilities to the people. He was a member of the

District Board and Secretary of the Water Works Committee and Plague

Committee. He was selected as secretary of the Second Circle Temple

Committee and served in the same capacity for ten years. Later on, he

became the Vice President and then President of the same committee up to

1929. 13

During the First World war period E.V.R was appointed as

the Honourary Recruiting Officer for military, Government also appointed

him as the Administrative and Distributing Officer of the Taluk and

District Rice Control Panel. E.V.R was the secretary of the Coronation

Committee. During this period friendship blossomed between himself and

12
Anai Muthu, V., opcit., p.8.
13
Veeramani, K., op.cit., p.16.
 41

Mr. C. Rajagopalachariyar (Rajaji) a leading congressman who later

became Governor - General of India.14

Member of Congress Party (1919 - 1925)

In the Year 1919, Periyar resigned his Municipal

Chairmanship and joined the Congress Movement. In 1920, Periyar

resigned all the 29 honorary posts held by him to participate in the Non -

co -operation movement started by Mahatma Gandhi. C. Rajagopalachari.

And E.V. Ramaswamy were fast friends. C. Rajagopalachari was quick to

realise that E.V. Ramaswamy would admirably suit the purpose of

defeating the Non-Brahmin Movement. So he encouraged

E.V. Ramaswamy to take a leading role in Congress activities.

E.V. Ramaswamy was actually given the promise when he enrolled himself

in Congress in 1919, that the Congress was in agreement with the

principle of communal representation advocated by the Non Brahmin

Movement. Further, he was led to believe that 50% of the Government

jobs would be set apart for Non-Brahmins and that the Congress had

no intention of contesting the general election.15

E.V. Ramaswamy fully believed in these assurances and

went on pressing for acceptance of his resolutions on communal

representation at various committee meetings and conference of the

14
Veeramani, K., opcit, pp.11-13.
15
Anaimuthu, V., op.cit., p.XXII.
 42

Congress held every year, at Tiruchirapally in 1922, Madras in 1923,

Thiruvannamalai in 1924 without avail.16 Finally E.V. Ramaswamy

attended the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee Conference at

Kancheepuram in 1925, ready for a show down with the Brahmins. At this

conference he submitted two resolutions recognizing the principle of

communal representation for Non-Brahmins in the public services and

representative bodies. These resolutions were disallowed on the ground

that they had already been rejected by the subjects committee. At this point

E.V. Ramaswamy and several other Non - Brahmins in the conference

walked out.17 E.V. Ramaswamy lingered on in the Congress- for a month

or more, acting as a member of the Khadi Board. In 1925 he left the

congress and found himself free to start an organisation of his own.18

Early Movements Led By E.V.R

In 1921, E.V.R led a mass movement against the Toddy

Shops in Tamil Nadu. It was called the famous “Kallukadai Mariyal”, in

support of prohibition. During this period E.V. Ramasamy launched

Khadhar propaganda programme throughout the state.

16
Viswanathan, E. Sa., The Political Career of E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker, A
Study of the Politics of Tamil Nadu, 1920-1949, Ravi & Vasant Publisers,
Madras, p.61.
17
Ibid., p.62.
18
Eugene Irschick. F., op.cit., pp.272 & 273.
 43

In the year 1922 E.V. Ramasamy engaged in Toddy Shop

agitation, was imprisoned. In 1923 he was elected president of the Tamil

Nadu Congress Committee.19

A conflict arose over the question of untouchables using

certain roads outside a temple in Vaikom in Travancore State.

E.V. Ramaswamy who arrived in Vaikom on April 13 was imprisoned

for a month in Travancore. After his release he began the agitation, again

he was arrested and this got him a sentence of six months. Finally the

prohibitory order was removed by the Travancore Durbar.

E.V. Ramaswamy got at lot of acclaim and was given the title, “The Hero

of Vaikom”.20

Another incident in which E.V. Ramaswamy was involved

was the agitation against the separate dining enforced for Brahmin students

at the Gurukulam in Shermadevi, Thirunelveli District, established in

December 1922, by V.V.S.Iyer. As a result of Non-Brahmin pressure,

V.V.S. Iyer resigned the post as the Head of the Gurukulam in May

1925.21

E.V.R founded the Self-Respect Movement in 1925 after his

exit from the Congress Party. In 1926 E.V.R condemned the Hindi

19
Rajadurai, S.V., and Geetha, V., Periyar Suyamariyathai Samatharmam,
Kovai, 1999, p.2.
20
Eugene Irschick, F., op.cit., p.269.
21
New India, 7 April, 1925.
 44

imposition policy of the Government. He convened the First Non-Brahmin

state conference in Madurai. Periyar opposed the introduction of

compulsory Hindi in schools by C. Rajagopala Achariyar. While

launching that agitation Periyar announced that C.N. Annadurai (Former

Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu) would be the First General in leading the

picketing against Hindi.22

Self Respect Movement

The Self- Respect Movement and Justice Party ran on

parallel lines, for both worked for the upliftment of Non-Brahmins. The

first Self-Respect Conference was held at Chengleput in 1929. The Justice

Party leaders participated actively in it. The conference heralded the

formal inauguration of the Self Respect Movement, although it originated

as soon as E.V. Ramaswamy came out of the Congress in 1925. The

Resolution passed guaranteed social equality and freedom from economic

exploitation to all castes and creeds. From 1927 onwards,

E.V. Ramaswamy interested himself in propagating the tenets of Buddhism

and in expounding the teachings of Thirukkural. He was also a forerunner

in the advocacy of women's education and championing the cause of

women for equal rights.23

22
Veeramani, K., GurukulaPorattamvaralatrusuvadugal (Tamil), Chennai, 2002,
p.134.
23
Kudiarasu, 16 April, 1930.
 45

E.V. Ramaswamy was attracted by the Bolshevik, revolution

of Russia and its beneficial effects on the Proletariat. From 1931 he

frequently wrote in Kudiarasu about this social revolution. In 1931 he

visited Greece, Turkey, Africa, Germany, France, Portugal, England and

Ceylon. In Russia he attended the May Day Celebration of 1932 and was

introduced as the leader of atheistic thought from India.24

On his return from Russia he busied himself with meetings

with workers of the Self-Respect Movement, and explained to them the

novel features of the Socialist State. In this M. Singaravelu, the first

communist in South India was of great help to him. E.V. Ramaswamy had

also supported the Railway workers' strike in 1927 - 1928. Singaravelu

helped in opening the eyes of several Self - Respect workers to a wide

horizon and to a New Order in which the toiling people's- liberation would

guarantee the abolishing of all social injustices and establish a society

without the horrors of caste in social administration.25 Singaravelu gave

the opening address in the conference of Self Respecters in Madras in

December 1931. He told the Self-Respecters that only a Socialist society

can be free from caste, religious distinction, and economic disparity.

Further, Singaravelu wrote a series of articles in Kudiarasu on Socialism,

Science and on Moral belief. These articles gave him a high standing

24
Anaimuthu, V., op.cit., p.XXXIV.
25
Murugesan, K., and Subramanian, C.S., Singaravelu, The Communist of India,
People's Publishing House, New Delhi, p.122.
 46

among the Self - Respect workers. They were enthusiastic about changing

the Self-Respect Movement from one of Social reform to a movement with

political objectives as well. A new programme was drawn up and placed

before the meeting of the Self Respect workers in Erode in December

1932. It suggested the foundation of a political party of Self Respectors

called Sama Dharma Party (Self-Respect Socialistic Party) of South

India.26 To intensify the propagation of Self-Respect Principles, E.V.

Ramaswamy started an English weekly Revolt in 1928, Puratchi a weekly

in Tamil in 1933 and Pagutharivu a weekly in Tamil in 1934, Pagutharivu

daily in 1934 and Pagutharivu Tamil monthly in 1935.

E.V. Ramaswamy keenly watched the working of the

Congress Ministry of 1937 and criticized that Brahmins who were just 3%

of the total population had occupied six places of high position out of ten in

the Ministry. He campaigned vigorously against the closing of 2000

Schools in rural areas for want of funds. He pointed out that when a Veda

Padasalai had been opened at a cost of 12 lakhs of rupees, then the

comparatively inexpensive schools could still be run.27

The compulsory introduction of Hindi in selected schools

gave rise to the Anti-Hidi Agitation. Many were imprisoned. At a meeting

on the Marina beach at Madras on September 11, 1938, Ramaswamy raised

26
Murugesan, K., op.cit., p.123.
27
Anaimuthu, V., op.cit., pp.XXXVII & XXXVIII.
 47

the call of "Tamil Nadu for Tamilians". On July 1, 1939 the first Dravida

Nadu Separation Day was celebrated. E.V. Ramaswamy was imprisoned

for 2 years. While serving the sentence, he was elected the leader of the

Justice Party. At the conference of the South Indian Liberal Federation,

held on December 29 & 30, 1938 at Thiruvarur, E.V. Ramaswamy's

Presidential address was read by A.T. Panneerselvam.28 Even here he

insisted on a homeland for Tamilians. After the Conference at Salem in

1945, the South Indian Liberal Federation was renamed Dravida

Kazhagam.

Journey to Foreign Countries

On 15th December 1929 Periyar went to Malaya (Now

Malaysia) with his wife Nagammal and some other followers. In Malaysia,

Periyar inaugurated the Tamils Conference convened by the Tamils

Reformatory Sangam. Next he went to Singapore where a warm welcome

was given to him. He addressed the conference organized by Malaya

Indian Congress. In 1930, January 16 Periyar and his group returned from

Malaya to Tamilnadu.29

In 1931, December 13 Periyar started his journey to Europe

from Chennai harbour by ship. He visited many European Countries like

28
Viswanathan, E. Sa., op.cit., p.236.
29
Sami Chidambaranar, op.cit, pp.118-120.
 48

Egypt, Greek, Turkey, Soviet Russia, Germany, England(Britain), Italy,

Spain, France and Portugal.

In Russia (formerly Soviet Union) his stay was extended for

a lengthy period of three months because he was invited to address many

workers’ meetings. Being the First Nation of Karl Marx’s communism,

established by the great leader Lenin, the former Soviet Union captivated

very much the heart of Periyar. In 1932, November 11 he returned to

Erode after completing the European journey via Colombo, the Capital of

Ceylon.30

Death of Nagammaiyar

In 1933, May 11 his beloved wife E.V.R. Nagammal passed

away and the burial took place the very next day. On 12.05.1933, he

immediately left for Tiruchirappalli where he conducted an Inter-religious

(Christian) Self-Respect Marriage defying the section 144 promulgated in

this connection and got arrested.31

Support to Justice Party

Periyar made a trip to the Soviet Union in 1931. When he

returned he was fully convinced that materialism was the answer to

Indian’s problems and openly advocated mass revolution and the

overthrow of the Government. Tempered somewhat by imprisonment for

30
Saraswathi, S., Towards Self Respect, Chennai, 2004, p.54.
31
Kavignar Karunanntham, op.cit., p.24.
 49

sedition in 1933-34, he indicated his willingness to join one of the major

parties on a conditional basis. He formulated a fourteen-point programme

and presented it to both the Congress and the Justice Party for their

acceptance. It was wholly unacceptable to the Congress, but the Justice

Party, then rapidly going downhill gave the nod.

Under the Congress ministry of C. Rajagopalachari in 1937,

Hindi was introduced to the South as a compulsory subject in schools.

Taking it as an affront to Tamil culture, Periyar waved black flags of

rebellion in his first anti-Hindi campaign. The agitation against the

imposition of Hindi brought Periyar to the forefront of attention. The

following year 1938, while in jail, Periyar was elected President of the

Justice Party.32

Dravidar Kazhagam

Periyar saw the imposition of Hindi as a subjugation of Tamil

peoples, which could only be avoided through the creation of a Dravidian

state. In 1939, he organized the “Dravida Nadu Conference” for the

advocacy of a separate and independent “Dravidasthan.” In 1944, the

Justice Party was recognized under the guidance of Periyar as the “Dravida

Kazhagam” or “Dravidian Federation” and at its Salem conference, took on

the character of a highly militant mass organization. On 27th August 1944

32
Robert L. Hardgrave, The Dravidian Movement (Bombay: Popular Prakashan,
1965), p. 27.
 50

the name of the Justice Party was changed as ‘Dravidar Kazhagam’ to

signify purely as a social revolutionary movement for the emancipation of

Dravidian race oppressed by Brahmins at the Provincial Justice Party

conference held at Salem and also not to contest elections and accept the

titles given by British Government. He conducted Dravidar Kazhagam

state conference at Trichy on 29th and 30th September of 1945. He

established the “Black-shirt Volunteers cadre” in the conference33and

adopted a constitution and took as its symbol a black flag with a red circle

in the centre. Black represented the deprivations and the indignities to

which the Dravidians were subjected to under the Hindu religion milieu.

Red stood for the determined efforts to dispel the ignorance and blind faith

among the people and to liberate them materially and mentally from all

kinds of exploitation, especially of social and cultural.34

The object of the Dravida Kazhagam was proclaimed to be

the achievement of a Sovereign Independent Dravidian republic, which

would be federal in nature with four units corresponding to the linguistic

divisions each having residuary power and autonomy of integral

administration. It would be a “casteless society” an egalitarian “Dravida

Nadu” to which the depressed and downtrodden could get allegiance.35

33
Kavignar Karunanntham, op.cit., p.24.
34
Saraswati, op.cit., p.87.
35
Hardgrave, op.cit., p.28.
 51

E.V.R’s Marriage with Maniammai

E.V.R married Maniammai on 09.07.1949 in order to protect

and preserve the interest of the party. It led to the clash between Anna and

E.V.R. So Annathurai and his followers started Dravida Munnetra

Kazhagam.36

Support to DMK Party

In 1967 C.N. Annadurai became the Chief Minister of

Tamilnadu, his party (DMK) having secured the majority of seats in the

Tamilnadu Assembly. He went to Tiruchirappalli and sought Periya’s

greetings, goodwill and advice. Periyar decided to extend his support to

the D.M.K. Ministry. C.N. Annadurai declared in the State Assembly that

he dedicated his Ministry to Periyar.37

Complete Freedom for Tamilnadu

Periyar demanded complete freedom for Tamil Nadu and

asked the people to observe ‘Delhi - Condemnation Day’ throughout the

state on 14.04.1968. 38

Magazines Started By E.V. Ramasamy

In 1925, the famous Tamil weekly magazine KUDIARASU

was started by E.V.R. Periyar published an English magazine under the

36
Anita Deihl, Periyar E.V. Ramasami, Madras, 1978, p.24.
37
Ibid., p.36.
38
Kavignar Karunanntham, op.cit., p.67.
 52

title “Revolt” on 07.11. 1928. In the year 1933 Periyar started Puratchi a

Tamil weekly magazine to propagate socialism. He was convicted and

imprisoned for the same. Periyar started “Pagutharivu” a weekly magazine

in Tamil. He introduced new reforms to the Tamil alphabets. On

22.01.1950 Periyar published a book “Ponmozhigal’ and was to undergo

imprisonment for the publication of this book.39

Honorary Titles of Periyar

The title “Periyar” was conferred on him by Tamil Nadu

Women Conference held in Madras on 13.11.1938 under the president ship

of Neelambigai Ammaiyaar daughter of Mariamalai Adigal a veteran pure

Tamil Scholar.

The UNESCO, an international branch organization of the

United Nations, conferred on Periyar a glorious title, the citation of which

read as “Periyar the Prophet of New Age, Socrates of South East Asia,

Father of the Social Reform Movement, and Arch enemy of ignorance,

superstitions, meaningless customs, and baseless manners” - UNESCO,

27.06.1970. The award was presented by the Union Education Minister

Trigunasen under the president ship of Chief Minister Kalaingar M.

Karunanidi.40

39
Anita Deihl, op.cit., p.12.
40
Ibid., p.48.
 53

In his last meeting at Thiagaraya Nagar, Chennai on 19th

December 1973, Periyar gave an inspiring clarion call for action to gain

social equality and dignified way of life. He fell ill on the next day and

breathed his last on 24th December 1973.41

In the following chapter an attempt has been made to bring to

light the causes for the emergence of E.V.R as a social reformer before the

study of Periyar E.V. Ramasamy ‘s various struggle against caste system.

41
Velusamy, Periyar - The Social Scientist, Salem, 1999, p.79.