Periyar E.V. Ramasamy and the Self-Respect Movement

2025 marks the centenary of the Self-Respect Movement (1925–2025).

About Self Respect Movement

• Periyar E.V. Ramasamy, a social reformer and later founder of Dravidar Kazhagam, launched the Tamil weekly Kudi Arasu (Republic) which paved the way for the formal beginning of the movement.
• It was a radical social reform initiative that redefined political and social discourse in Tamil Nadu, focusing on caste, gender, and rationalist critique of Hindu orthodoxy.
  

Origin of the Movement

• Emerged after Periyar’s resignation from Congress (1925), disillusioned with caste bias and Gandhi’s religion-tinted politics.
• His address at the Justice Party special conference in Coimbatore (1925) highlighted:
  • Justice Party’s failure to mobilise masses.
  • Risk of creating a non-Brahmin elite that might become as oppressive as Brahmin oligarchy.
• Kudi Arasu (1925) became a powerful medium to articulate radical non-Brahmin politics and reach wider society.

Ideological Foundations

• Core Idea: Establishment of a society based on equality, rationalism, and self-respect, free from caste hierarchy and Brahminical dominance.
• Strong opposition to:
  • Hindu religion & rituals as perpetuators of caste.
  • Gandhi-led Congress, seen as a bastion of Hindu orthodoxy.
• Advocated for social reform before political independence, unlike Congress which prioritised Swaraj.

Key Features of the Self-Respect Movement

1. Radical Social Reform:
   • Self-respect marriages (without priests or religious rituals).
   • Promotion of widow remarriage, inter-caste marriages, right to divorce.
   • Advocacy of women’s rights: inheritance, property rights, reproductive choices (including abortion).
2. Rationalism and Anti-Brahminism:
   • Questioning religious dogmas and authority of scriptures.
   • Campaign against caste-based rituals and superstitions.
3. Mass Mobilisation:
   • Unlike the Justice Party (elitist), Periyar reached peasants, workers, and marginalised communities.
   • Created a new social identity for non-Brahmins.
4. Journalism as Tool:
   • Kudi Arasu served as both propaganda and a platform for alternative discourse against Brahmin-dominated press.

Contributions & Legacy

• Periyar’s Role:
  • Gave consciousness of rights and dignity to non-Brahmin masses.
  • Popularised a rationalist outlook that shaped later Dravidian politics.
• Impact on Tamil Nadu:
  • Shifted focus from colonial nationalism to social justice politics.
  • Foundation for Dravidian movements (DMK, AIADMK).
• Legal & Social Recognition:
  • Self-respect marriages recognised legally by Tamil Nadu state laws, later upheld by courts.
• Contemporary Relevance:
  • In the backdrop of Hindutva and cultural homogenisation, the movement’s emphasis on diversity, rationalism, and social equality remains significant.

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