Periyar E. V. Ramasamy Quotes

Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy , commonly known as Periyar or Thanthai Periyar, was an Indian social activist and politician who started the Self-Respect Movement and Dravidar Kazhagam. He is known as the 'Father of the Dravidian movement'. He rebelled against Brahminical dominance and gender and caste inequality in Tamil Nadu.E.V. Ramasamy joined the Indian National Congress in 1919, but resigned in 1925 when he felt that the party was only serving the interests of Brahmins. He questioned the subjugation of non-Brahmin Dravidians as Brahmins enjoyed gifts and donations from non-Brahmins but opposed and discriminated against non-Brahmins in cultural and religious matters. In 1924, E.V. Ramasamy participated in non-violent agitation in Vaikom, Travancore. From 1929 to 1932 Ramasamy made a tour of British Malaya, Europe, and Soviet Union which influenced him. In 1939, E.V. Ramasamy became the head of the Justice Party, and in 1944, he changed its name to Dravidar Kazhagam. The party later split with one group led by C. N. Annadurai forming the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in 1949. While continuing the Self-Respect Movement, he advocated for an independent Dravida Nadu .E.V. Ramasamy promoted the principles of rationalism, self-respect, women’s rights and eradication of caste. He opposed the exploitation and marginalisation of the non-Brahmin Dravidian people of South India and the imposition of what he considered Indo-Aryan India. Wikipedia  

✵ 17. September 1879 – 24. December 1973
Periyar E. V. Ramasamy photo
Periyar E. V. Ramasamy: 47   quotes 23   likes

Famous Periyar E. V. Ramasamy Quotes

“It is absurd to quote religion or God or religious doctrines to render the people as lowest castes.”

Veeramani, Collected Works of Periyar, p. 511.
Untouchability

Periyar E. V. Ramasamy Quotes about people

Periyar E. V. Ramasamy Quotes about life

“Those who still believe the Brahmins should take a serious not of the changing times and start leading an awakened life.”

Veeramani, Collected Works of Periyar, pp. 518 & 519.
Brahminism

Periyar E. V. Ramasamy Quotes

“You cannot expect any rational thought from a religious man. He is like a rocking log in water.”

Quoted in “Collected works of Periyar E.V.R.” p. 50.
Rationalism

“I have not talked of anything to despise the Brahmins, just because they are born as Brahmins.”

Veeramani, Collected Works of Periyar, p. 517.
Brahminism

“Wisdom lies in thinking. The spear-head of thinking is rationalism”

Quoted in Collected works of Thanthai Periyar E.V. Ramasami [sic http://books.google.co.in/books?id=edx4AAAAIAAJ, Volumes 1-11], p. 49.
Rationalism

“As there was no open opposition to Aryanism from the beginning, it grew in stages and made us degraded”

Quoted in Collected Works of Thanthai Periyar E.V. Ramasami, Volume 1 http://books.google.co.in/books?id=I2xDAAAAYAAJ, p. 56.
Aryanism

“By helping the poor, we must be able to remove their poverty. By extending help to one here and one there in the form of providing food will not remove poverty”

In Collected works of Periyar E.V.R. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=7iFuAAAAMAAJ, p. 489.
Society

“If you ask a Christian or a Moslem about their God, they say their God is good and benevolent. They say their God has no physical form. Why don’t you people have such a God?”

Source: Viduthalai – 25-12-1958)(also https://myvoice.opindia.com/2021/09/why-ev-ramasamy-doesnt-deserve-to-be-celebrated/

“What is not there in English which can be found in Tamil Language?””

Source: quoted in Book written by M. Venkatesan entitled “EV Ramasamy Naickarin Marupakkam” also https://myvoice.opindia.com/2019/02/rise-of-ev-ramasamy-naicker-and-the-fall-of-tamil-nadu/

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