Periyar - Definition and Overview

E.V. Ramasami (Periyar)
"Thanthai Periyar"
Born	September 17, 1879 Erode, Tamil Nadu, India
Died	December 24, 1973 India

Periyar (September 17, 1879–December 24, 1973), also known as E.V. Ramasami, EVR, Thanthai Periyar, or Periyar Ramasami, is a well-known rationalist, atheist, freedom fighter, activist, founder of Dravidar Kazhagam and founder of the Self-respect Movement in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Though he was born in an affluent Naicker (an upper caste) family, he fought against the untouchability practiced by Brahmins and the rituals of Hinduism and the caste system.

By the natives, he is sometimes referred to as the enemy of Brahmins. He is very well known for his quotation against religion: He who created the god was a fool; he who spreads his name is a scoundrel and he who worships him is a barbarian.

Notable followers

• K.Veeramani - Dravidar Kazhagam leader after Periyar
• Kavignar Inkulab - Rational Tamil poet
• Kamal Haasan - Famous Tamil actor

Further reading

• E. V. Ramaswami Naicker-Periyar: A study of the influence of a personality in contemporary South India by Anita Diehl ISBN 9124276456

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Periyar

• Periyar's Movement (http://www.countercurrents.org/dalit-periyar280603.htm) - Timeline of Periyar's work
• Dravidar Kazhagam (http://www.dravidarkazhagam.com) - Official homepage of Dravidar Kazhagam with Objective (http://www.dravidarkazhagam.com/general.htm), Public life of Periyar (http://www.dravidarkazhagam.com/publiclife.htm), Attitude (http://www.dravidarkazhagam.com/move.htm), Resolutions (http://www.dravidarkazhagam.com/reso.htm), etc
• PERIYAR-Rationalist/Social Reformer (http://www.uni-giessen.de/~gk1415/periyar.htm)
• The Revolutionary Sayings of Periyar (http://www.uni-giessen.de/~gk1415/revolutionary.htm)
• What if Periyar had not been born? (http://sify.com/news/politics/fullstory.php?id=13569138)