THANTHAI PERIYAR
THE DESTROYER OF BRAHMANISM IN THE DRAVIDIAN LAND – IV
Prof. Dr Suresh Mane
Both Thanthai Periyar and Babasaheb Dr.B.R.Ambedkar
were idol breakers. Both of them were strong votaries
of communal representation to ensure political representation for the backward classes. In sequel to the struggles of Mahatma Jotiba Phuley and Rajarshi Shahuji Maharaj of Kolhapur, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar successfully struggled for safeguarding the educational, social, economic and political rights of the deprived sections. Periyar too was the crusader of the communal representation to non-Brahmins.
First Amendment
Soon after the commencement of the Constitution of India in 1950 when the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court of India struck down the reservation policy based on the communal order, Periyar like a roaring lion attacked judiciary, Pandit Nehru and his government. Against the governmental policy and court verdict, he organised mass agitation. While warning the ruling class, on 13th August, 1950 he thundered, “the communal representation is not a talk of very recent origin. It has been the raging issue even in 1900. Even in those days our leaders, our elders and wise people demanded communal representation . . . Is it just, reasonable and fair to allow the 3% of the population monopolise and dominate? Is it wrong to fight for our rights? We demand justice. We demand respect. We demand our share.”
On another occasion for criticising the decision of Madras High Court, Periyar was charged for the offence of contempt of court. During the hearing of this contempt case, on April 23, 1957 Periyar made a statement in the High Court explaining how Brahmins conducted themselves with racial motive in several cases and stressed that it was their inborn natural ‘Dharma’ to stop the progress of Shudras and Panchamas. His agitation in 1950 had the strong power of resistance which resulted the first constitutional amendment in 1951, making the provision of Article 15(4) in the Constitution of India. Similarly in 1960 on the issue of the Tamil Nadu’s rights he burnt the map of India excluding Tamil Nadu stating that the Central government rule was a Brahmin rule.
Stagnant village
Mahatma Gandhi and Congress party loved the Indian village system and economy. But Periyar and Ambedkar, both opposed it immensely on the ground of the rule of brute majority of upper castes people resulting the exploitation of lower castes. Periyar considered a village as the centre of social inequality and superstitions. While addressing the conference of village officers at Erode, on 31 October, 1944 he said, “All villages should be eradicated. Not only that even the word ‘village’ has to be deleted from the dictionary. I would say that the word ‘village’ should not find a place in politics too.” Dr.Ambedkr’s approach is also the same. While moving the Draft Constitution in the Constituent Assembly of India, on November 4, 1948 he stated, “The love of the intellectual Indian for the village community is of course infinite if not pathetic. It is largely due to the fulsome praise bestowed upon it by Metcalfe who described them as little republics having nearly everything that they want within themselves, and almost independent of any foreign relations . . . No doubt the village communities have lasted where nothing else lasts. But those who take pride in the village communities do not care to consider what little part they have played in the affairs and the destiny of the country; and why? . . . I hold that these village republics have been the ruination of India. What is the village but a sink of localism, a den of ignorance, narrow mindedness and communalism.” from all this brief account it would be fair to infer that Periyar, Phuley and Ambedkar had a lot of common things although their movement were in operation in different times and contexts because the basic quest of all of them was to reconstruct the Indian society.
Thanthai Periyar, the patriarch of Dravidian movement, founder of Self Respect Movement and Black Shirt brigade, uncompromising foe of the irrational and supernatural way of life, great lover of Buddha, strong fighter against the untouchability, unparalleled critic of Brahmanism, god and Brahmanical religious scriptures, epics, etc., and destroyer of Congress Party in Dravidian land waged a war for the self respect and dignity of the condemned social outcastes till he breathed his last on 24th December, 1973.
Along with social battles Periyar played a historic role in several political battlefields. But the social revolutionary image of Periyar has been much more than his political image and hence he has been considered by many merely as a social reformer. But it is not so. His social revolutionary image has overshadowed political image. The truth is that it is because of his superb strategy the Congress party was almost fully wiped out from Tamil Nadu politics and even today it is in search of its roots.
(Concluded)
