Why Periyar is perennial in Tamil Nadu politics

Udhayanidhi Stalin, Tamil Nadu minister and son of DMK chief MK Stalin, sparked a massive controversy with his remarks on Sanatana Dharma. During that speech and a day later, while countering the backlash, he name-dropped Periyar.

"We, the followers of Periyar, Anna, and Kalaignar, would fight forever to uphold social justice and establish an egalitarian society," Udhayanidhi said.

Periyar has been a constant on the lips of Udhayanidhi Stalin or, for that matter, most Tamil Nadu politicians. No party can hope to succeed in Tamil politics unless it swears by Periyar.

In April, Udhayanidhi said that even 50 years after Periyar’s death, his name and speeches still determine Tamil Nadu’s politics.

Who is Periyar and why is he a political imperative to Tamil politics?

PERIYAR QUIT CONGRESS OVER ‘BRAHMINISM’

Periyar EV Ramasamy is revered as the 'Father of the Dravidian movement'.

Born on September 17, 1879, in Erode, a part of the then Madras Presidency, Periyar was a radical advocate against Brahminical dominance and caste and gender inequality. His birth anniversary is celebrated as 'Social Justice Day' in Tamil Nadu since 2021.

He joined the Indian National Congress in 1919 but resigned in 1925, feeling that the party was primarily serving the interests of Brahmins.

In 1926, Periyar founded the Self-Respect Movement, aimed at creating a rational society devoid of caste, religion, and god. The movement's objectives included the abolition of Brahminical authority, employment equity for women and underrepresented groups, and the revival of Dravidian languages such as Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Tamil.

In contrast to the Indian identity supported by the Congress, Periyar recreated the Tamil identity as an egalitarian ideal that was initially untarnished by the caste system.

He said that Aryan Brahmins, who spoke Sanskrit and originated from Northern India, brought caste to the Tamil region. Periyar also led a strong rebellion against the imposition of Hindi as a compulsory subject, viewing it as an attempt to establish “North Indian imperialism”.

In 1939, Periyar became the head of the Justice Party, which he renamed as Dravidar Kazhagam in 1944. The party was later split by CN Annadurai, leading to the formation of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in 1949.

Udhayanidhi is a third-generation leader of the DMK. His grandfather, M Karunanidhi, was a five-time chief minister of Tamil Nadu. MK Stalin, Udhayanidhi’s father, is the current chief minister of the state and head of DMK.

PERIYAR’S RELEVANCE IN TAMIL POLITICS

The other giant of Tamil Nadu politics, the AIADMK, too has its political principles based on Periyar’s movement. The AIADMK was formed after MG Ramachandran, or MGR as he is popularly known, was expelled from the DMK by Karunanidhi.

Periyar's legacy continues to influence Tamil Nadu politics, with his principles of rationalism, self-respect, women’s rights, and eradication of caste still resonating today. So does his anti-Hindi stance.

Periyar and his supporters burnt posters and portraits of Hindu gods and goddesses since the 1950s. He also invited his supporters to desecrate the idols of Ganesha. The act of protest continued till the 1970s, according to some accounts.

It is said that Periyar found conversion to other religions a way by which lower caste Hindus could escape Brahmin oppression.

The Periyar movement ended whatever hold Brahmins had on power in Tamil Nadu. It is unlikely that the state will see a Brahmin chief minister anytime soon. A big chunk of the Brahmin population has moved out of Tamil Nadu in the last two-three decades, also helped by the boom in IT and financial services.

The portrait-burning protest was one of the most controversial chapters of Periyar’s movement. Of late, he is also being criticised for what some see as his extreme forms of protest.

In 2020, superstar Rajinikanth criticised Periyar and said, “In 1971, at Salem, Periyar took out a rally in which undressed images of Lord Sri Ramachandramoorthy and Sita -- with a garland of sandals -- featured, and no news outlet published it.”

Dravidian parties joined ranks, as they generally do in the case of Periyar, and pressured Rajinikanth to apologise. But the superstar, who has been seen dallying with the BJP, refused to relent.

Of everything else, Periyar’s anti-Hindi stance is what has been utilised the most by Tamil Nadu parties.

Every year, Tamil Nadu marks Language Martyrs Day, held in memory of those who gave their lives during the anti-Hindi agitation in the state.

In January, Chief Minister MK Stalin alleged that, like with "One nation, one election, one religion, the BJP was trying to destroy the country's diverse culture with one language".

Stalin said the BJP government at the Centre was "trying to impose Hindi -- from administration to education" and that Tamil Nadu would always oppose it.

Last year, the Tamil Nadu assembly adopted a resolution against Hindi “imposition” and asked the central government not to implement the recommendations of the report of the Parliamentary committee on Official Language.

Ironically, even as Periyar is remembered, his anti-caste social message might be getting lost. His movement's offshoots, the DMK and the AIADMK, are using caste politics to fight elections, and more caste-based parties have emerged in Tamil Nadu. But Periyar still gets you votes.

The importance of being Periyar can be understood from the fact that his ideology continues to drive politics in Tamil Nadu even half a century after his death.