PERIYAR’S PERSPECTIVE ON WOMEN’S RIGHTS
Prize winning essays in the “Periyar 145”
competition organised by Periyar International.
Yazhini Ravikumar
Periyar E.V. Ramasamy, also known as Periyar, had a progressive and forward-thinking perspective on women’s rights. He was a staunch advocate for gender equality and believed that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men. There are many key aspects of Periyar’s perspective on women’s rights. Education was something Periyar believed that women should have equal access to. He argued that education was essential for women to be economically independent and intellectually empowered. One of Periyar’s core beliefs was that women should be able to be independent of men in all ways including financially, socially and intellectually. To add to this point Periyar promoted self-respect marriages, which rejected the dowry system that would make the parents of the bride pay the groom a certain amount of money and jewels, This made the society discriminate against their babies being girls.
Periyar also discouraged extravagant wedding ceremonies that people would often spend most of their life savings on. He saw these practices as burdensome for women and advocated for simpler, more equitable unions. Periyar was also a vocal critic of patriarchy and the subjugation of women. He encouraged women to question and challenge traditional gender roles and norms that restricted their freedom. He also told women that freedom and power weren’t something that would be real if men were the ones who gave it to them. Periyar is often referred to as being ahead of his time and this is one of those. In the book My body by Emily Ratajkowski, she says “In my early twenties it had never occurred to me that the women who gained their power from beauty were indebted to the men whose desire granted them that power in the first place.
While the idea of “pretty privilege” is somewhat new, the idea that this “power” is being granted by men inevitably means that women will be indebted to them and seem inferior. This idea of women pulling up their own seat to the table is why Periyar encouraged women to actively participate in politics and public life. He believed that women should have a say in shaping the political landscape and should exercise their right to vote. Periyar was also a strong advocate for women’s entry into temples and places of worship. He argued that religious practices should not discriminate against women, and he campaigned for their right to worship freely. Even though Periyar himself wasn’t a religious person he still was able to advocate for the rights of women who were facing discrimination in this aspect. Overall, Periyar’s perspective on women’s rights was rooted in the principles of social justice, self-respect, and equality. His efforts played a significant role in challenging traditional norms and promoting gender equality in South India.
His legacy continues to inspire movements for women’s rights and empowerment in the region.
While Periyar made significant strides in promoting women’s rights and gender equality, it’s important to acknowledge that societal change takes time. His efforts laid the foundation for future generations to continue working towards a more equitable society for women in India.
Elakkiya Elamaran
Hello, my name is Elakkiya Elamaran and I’m a 7th grader in New Jersey. Today I will be writing about why Periyar Thatha has a massive fan following in today’s youth. He was a great activist for social justice and women’s rights and his work definitely had an influence on today’s society.
First, Periyar Thatha is a good example of standing up for what you believe. He not to be stood up for Women rights even though it put his own life into danger. This teaches the future generations not to be scared to stand up for what’s right. Since Periyar Thatha successfully changed the status for women in Tamil Nadu, this can inspire many other young children. This also teaches future generations that all genders should be treated with the same amount of respect. To sum it up, Periyar is a good example of standing up for what you believe.
Next, Periyar Thatha helped develop the idea of self-respect. He motivated people to gain self-respect and said that they shouldn’t let anyone make them feel less. What he said can help anyone learn a lot about self-respect. For example, his thoughts are that human actions should be based on rational thinking. Self-respect is still a huge aspect to today’s youth. That is why Periyar Thatha’s words can inspire future generations. Overall, he That is helped share the idea of self-respect.
Finally, Periyar Thatha teaches us the importance of Tamil culture. After he spoke about his thoughts on Thirukural and how everyone should read Kurals, many people were inspired to read them. Periyar Thatha has helped many people get closer and learn more about Tamil history/culture. As Periyar Thatha once stated, “Dravidian people unite under the banner of Tamil culture”. This proves that he wanted everyone to get closer through Tamil, which even happens in today’s world.
To sum it up, Periyar Thatha has a massive fan following in today’s youth. He was an inspiration for many people today all over the world. He was a great activist for social justice and women’s rights, and society wouldn’t be the same without him and his work.
Elangkathir Elamaran
Similar to the famous freedom fighter Martin Luther King Jr, Thanthai Periyar had a dream. He dreamed of an egalitarian society in which rationalism is the leading factor of making decisions, rather than pseudoscientific beliefs. He founded and led the Self Respect Movement, which aimed at eliminating the existence of caste in society. He developed his character to be the voice of the oppressed, who have been long ignored by India’s misogynistic and casteist social pyramid. We all know about Thanthai Periyar’s work in the past, but how exactly does it relate to our society today? In order to ask him a question, I believe it is key to take a journey around our society today and explore the atrocities happening right in front of our eyes.
As we all know, the leading principle of Thanthai Periyar’s Self Respect Movement is that caste discrimination must be eliminated. Unfortunately, despite his work, caste discrimination still exists right beneath our noses. In March 2023, Californian senators introduced a bill in the Senate that explicitly bans caste-based discrimination. This bill was called SB-403, and it added “caste” as a protected category in the state of California. After learning about this bill, hundreds of upper-caste Hindus in California protested this bill, as they claimed that it portrayed Hindus in a bad light. This is simply irrational, as the bill is attempting to protect millions of suppressed people and making sure that discrimination based on caste can regressive (HŸ«ð£‚°ˆ ñ) be convictable. The true agenda of these people and organizations is clear, and it is very sad that they have brought their regressive ideologies to a country that exists on the basis of freedom.
Thanthai Periyar didn’t solely fight against caste-based discrimination, but also fought for women’s rights and gender equality. Unfortunately, discrimination against women is still thriving in our society today. According to the BBC, crimes against women in India rose to 26% over the past 6 years. Women are still suffering heavily, despite multiple activist activist efforts. In 1942, Thanthai Periyar wrote a book titled “Pen Yen Adimaiyanal?”, which translates to “Why Women Got Enslaved?” in English. In this book, Thanthai Periyar provides us with a perspective into the unequal treatment of Indian women in our society, and how womens’ lives have been tailored to be dependent on males and the patriarchy. Thanthai Periyar’s vision and ideologies apply to us more than even 75 years after… he published his teaching, which shows that not much has changed for women in our society.
In brief, caste-based discrimination and oppression against women are still alive and Inbrief thriving in our society today. Thanthai Periyar’s teachings, ideologies, and movements still apply to us, which shows that our society has not progressed past the society Thanthai Periyar was protesting against. After taking a journey around our dystopian world and the atrocities happening right in front of our eyes, I am ready to ask Thanthai Periyar a very simple question that only consists of five words; “What would you do today?”. <
