(MENAFN- Asia Times) “You cannot expect any rational thought from a religious man. He is like a rocking log in water.” – E V Ramasamy
Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy , revered by his followers as Periyar, was an Indian social activist and politician who started the Self-Respect Movement. He is known as the“Father of the
Dravidian movement .”
Dravidianism
or Dravidian nationalism is based on the idea that people living in the southern part of India are racially and culturally different from the North Indian (Indo-Aryan). Periyar claimed that
Brahmins
of the south were originally
Aryan migrants from Northern India,
who spoke Sanskrit and brought caste system to South India.
Periyar promoted Dravidian nationalism, which was based on the principle of rationalism, dismantling Brahmin hegemony by abolition of the caste system and revitalization of
Dravidian languages .
He rebelled against Brahminical dominance by preaching to people that the Brahmins had monopolized and cheated other communities for decades and deprived them of self-respect. Periyar also led a strong rebellion against the imposition of Hindi as a compulsory subject in Tamil Nadu schools, viewing it as an attempt to establish“North Indian imperialism.”
Periyar's legacy of self-respect, women's rights, and caste eradication continues to influence South Indian politics, particularly in the state of Tamil Nadu.
On September 2,
Udhayanidhi Stalin , minister of youth welfare and sports development and son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister
M K Stalin ,
while speaking at a writers' conference in Chennai, sparked a massive controversy with his remarks on Sanatana Dharma (Hindu religion).
He
said
Sanatana Dharma is against the idea of social justice and must be“eradicated.” He argued that the idea is inherently regressive, dividing people based on caste and gender, and is fundamentally opposed to equality and social justice. The controversial remarks drew widespread condemnation from the Bharatiya Janata Party, with the BJP terming it a“genocidal call .”
In defense, Udhayanidhi Stalin wrote on
Twitter
that he never called for genocide, but opposed the principle of Santan Dharma, which divides the people in the name of caste.
He has accused BJP leaders of twisting his statements and vowed legal action.
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