News: Oxford conference commemorates the centenary of the Self-Respect Movement, highlighting Periyar’s worldwide impact.
About the Self-Respect Movement
- It was a social reform movement launched in 1925 by E.V. Ramasamy (Periyar) in Tamil Nadu.
- Objective: The main objectives of the movement were:
- Annihilation of Caste System: Challenged the caste hierarchy and Brahmanical supremacy.
- Promotion of Rationalism: Encouraged logical reasoning over blind faith and superstitions.
- Gender Equality: Advocated for women’s rights, including education and public participation.
- Inter-caste Marriages: Encouraged marriages across castes to break societal barriers.
- Dravidian Identity: Promoted a distinct Dravidian identity against Aryan cultural domination
- It advocated rationalism and the rejection of superstitions supporting social hierarchies.
- The Self-Respect Movement mainly operated in the Tamil districts of India and primarily mobilized low-status groups such as Vanniya Kula Kshatriyas and untouchables.
- The movement actively involved women and youth, including both illiterate and semi-educated individuals.
- The Tamil weekly Kudi Arasu, founded in 1924, became the official publication of the Self-Respect Movement and served as its primary propaganda tool.
- Periyar was inspired by anti-caste movements led by Jyotirao Phule and B.R. Ambedkar in other parts of India.
- In 1925, Periyar left the Indian National Congress to establish the Self-Respect Movement, focusing specifically on social equality and human dignity.
- The movement actively opposed the Devdasi system, caste-based discrimination, and the prohibition on widow remarriage.
- In February 1929, Periyar organized the first provincial Self-Respect Movement conference in Chengalpattu, which focused significantly on women’s issues and was presided over by W.P.A. Soundara Pandian.
- Female leaders like Veeramal and Annai Meenanmbal actively contributed to the movement by seeking justice for Dalit women and promoting gender equality
- The Self-Respect Movement laid the foundation for the Dravidian Movement, which later led to the formation of political parties such as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
