Periyar E.V.Ramasamy

Periyar E.V.Ramasamy entered into public life by rendering social services selflessly. He was born at Erode town in Tamil Nadu State.

He used to hear Tamil Vaishnav religious Gurus talks on mythologies at his house, enjoying hospitability of his parents. As a boy, he started questioning the contradictions and absurdities in the fables of Hindu deities spread by the Arya Race ie., Brahmins for subjugating Dravidian Race.

Blossoming of rationalism and atheism slowly in the mind of this youth - Ramasamy. Besides being a well-known wealthy businessman in Erode Mr. E.V.R. entered into public life by rendering social services selflessly.

Despite his intense hatred towards the Hindu religion and its caste - system - particularly the cruel 'Untouchability' imposed by the Brahmins to supress the Dravidian race - the executive efficiency and the unshakable honesty of E.V.R. fetched the awards of many posts in various public institutions.

Periyar associated himself with the Madras Presidency Association (MPA) in 1917. He was one of its vice-presidents. Periyar moved a resolution in the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee when it met at Tiruppur. The resolution required people of all castes to be allowed to enter and worship in all the temples, as a measure to end birth-based discrimination.

Periyar revived the agitation against Hindi when it was again introduced in the schools in June 1948.

Web : http://www.periyar.org/