"Remembering a Dravidian social reformer and atheist"
Self-Respect Movement
Mass movement for caste annihilation, women's liberation and rationalism.
Dravidar Kazhagam
Social reform organisation formed by Periyar after reconstituting the Justice Party.
E. V. Ramasamy, widely known as Periyar, emerged from the social and political ferment of southern India during the late colonial era. He began in municipal politics and the Indian National Congress but split over caste representation and social reform demands. Periyar rejected elite-led incremental reform. He preferred mass mobilisation by ordinary people and sought structural social change through public agitation, rationalist critique, and organisational politics. His public style combined plain Tamil, satire, and direct language aimed at popular audiences rather than elite circles.
Periyar's political life moved through distinct institutional phases. He led campaigns such as the Vaikom Satyagraha that confronted caste-based access to public roads. He launched the Self-Respect Movement (SRM) after leaving the Congress. Later he assumed leadership of the Justice Party and oversaw its reconstitution as the Dravidar Kazhagam (DK). He also articulated the political demand of Dravida Nadu in some formulations, although the DK did not pursue mass separatist violence; its focus remained social reform and anti-Brahmin domination.
The Self-Respect Movement combined three core principles: self-respect, socialism, and rationalism. Its programme targeted caste hierarchies, patriarchal family practices, and ritual authority. Periyar criticised both Sanskritic texts and canonical Tamil texts where he saw patriarchal or casteist norms. His approach to religion was uncompromising. He argued religion sustained social hierarchy and campaigned for atheism and rationalist education. He sometimes noted Buddhism as a philosophic alternative because he regarded it as non-theistic and socially egalitarian.
Organisationally, Periyar mixed social agitation with political entry points. …
Who among the following was the founder of the 'Self-Respect Movement'?
Which of the following statements about the Self-Respect Movement is/are correct?
1.It was founded by Periyar E.
V.Ramasamy.
2.Its core principles included self-respect, socialism, and rationalism.
3.It was originally an elite intellectual project rather than a mass movement.
Select the correct answer using the code below:
A.1 and 2 only
B.2 and 3 only
C.1 and 3 only
D.1, 2 and 3
Match the organisation with the fact.
A.Justice Party
B.Dravidar Kazhagam
C.Self-Respect Movement
1.Reconstituted from the Justice Party under Periyar
2.Early non-Brahmin constitutional party founded in 1917
3.Movement combining self-respect, socialism and rationalism
Codes:
A-? B-? C-?
Consider the following statements about Periyar's stance during the Poona Pact negotiations:
1.He supported B. R. Ambedkar's demand for separate electorates for Depressed Classes.
2.He agreed with Gandhi's opposition to separate electorates.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A.1 only
B.2 only
C.Both 1 and 2
D.Neither 1 nor 2
Which of the following best describes Periyar's view of religion?
A.Religion is reformable and should be used for social uplift.
B.Religion is a private matter and irrelevant to social reform.
C.Religion is a primary cause of social hierarchy and should be rejected.
D.Religion must be preserved to maintain cultural identity.
Which of the following is an accurate statement about the Dravidar Kazhagam?
A.It continued the Justice Party's focus on constitutional collaboration with British authorities.
B.It prioritised social reform and rationalist propaganda under Periyar's leadership.
C.It became a mainstream national political party contesting all-India elections.
D.It abandoned issues of language and regional identity.
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