Periyar E.V. Ramasamy attack on society is based on reason; intelligence and scientific observation, His theory of rights does not make him. A social reformer but remake of society. This helped as a hallmark of any dynamic theory of social change. He was a social scientist by his innovations that are to be introduced for social change. Periyar’s Service is multi-dimensional. He had absolute courage and clean plan of action. He had a lion’s heart that helped to exhibit his fearless courage. He was frank, forthright and straightforward which made him an unequaled leader. He cared for principles not for persons thus righting single handedly against the deep-rooted social maladies. When the success of Social. Reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swamy Vivekananda, Mahatma Phule, Narayana Guru etc., were practical that of Periyar’s was completely different as he was the greatest of the great, the mightiest of the mighty, proving that he was a man of deeds and establishing that he was a crusader against social injustice.
Marriage and Dowry
Periyar E.V.R. was vehement, while saying that I do not accept the words “wedding or marriage”. I term it only as a contract or companionship in life for such a contract, a priest of registration is enough. The other marriage ceremonies meant that waste of mental effort, time, money, enthusiasm and energy. According to him, a wedding should be contracted only on the principle of equality of the sex and equality of treatment.
Widow Remarriage
From 1920’s a Widow Remarriage Association was functioning at Madras under the secretary ship of M. Chinniah Chettiar, a social worker. It was a non political organization and was rendering its due service in that direction. Just posed, the self Respect Movement (S.R.M) being committee to the ideal of emancipation of women from exploitation and discrimination, took special efforts to conduct a number of widow remarriages between young widow who were widowed at a tender age and adults. Keeping in mind the welfare of children even widow who had children were encouraged to remarry. In contrast to the expectations of the SRM, it was reported that a few children were deprived of the parental care due to these marriage. On these grounds, these marriages were criticized and ridiculed by non Brahmin orthodox people time and against.1 The SRM took no need to those allegations, but contended that the continued attempts of the movement unmindful of such criticisms would certainly being about a change in the lives of the insecure widow2.
The SRM opposed these evils and advocated simple and inexpensive marriage and declared that there was no sex discrimination against female and both are equal. M. Chinniah Chetty, a Self – Respector wrote a book entitled ‘Women’s Marriage’ in which he had exposed as how the dowry claims of the bridegroom put the bride’s families in untold miseries.3 EVR took up this matter and started his struggle against this evil.
EVR, introduced reforms in the field of marriage by advocating Self-Respect Marriages. This included all Inter-caste and intra-caste marriages, widow re-marriages, adult and love marriages and arranged marriages. These marriages were held without the help of Brahmin priest or even with Non-Brahmin priest and the ‘thali’ tying ceremony was also done away with simultaneously. The mode and conduct of these marriages represented a breakthrough in the Civil Marriage System. For fear of social ostracism, the orthodox Hindus followed traditional practice. The SRM had a bold beginning in 1925 and it conducted its first Inter-caste marriage at Palghat in Kerala in the presence of EVR between Sarananthan, a sub-editor of the Kudiarasu, a Brahmin by birth and Lakshmi, the daughter of a Devadasi mother4 Following this, numerous Self-respect marriages were performed here and there in Tamil Nadu.
At Ambur in North Arcot District, a Self-Respect marriage was. conducted between Srinivasan and Thayarammal and the specialty of this marriage was the chanting of marriage slogans in Tamil, not in Sanskrit and it was chanted not by a Brahmin but by Chinnasamy Naidu, a priest of the community.5 Thus the practice of Brahmin rituals were avoided due to the efforts taken by SRM. Another Self Respect, marriage was conducted at Kumbakonam on 7th September 1930 in the presence of A.P. Ponnambalanar between Mangalambal, daughter of Ganapathy Nadar and Natesan, son of Muthukkamppa Nadar.6 In the Self Respect marriage held at Palayamkottai on 1st September 1935, in the presence of Somayajulu nearly 300 persons participated. The marriage was between P. Gandhinathan, son of Pandit M. Pramanayakam Kumaran and Nellai Vadivu, daughter of Pandit S. Ramasamy.7
The specialty of the Self Respect marriage was that there was no priest for conducting the marriage. In these marriages, both the bride and bridegroom while exchanging garlands, orally declared that they would remain husband and wife thereafter and willingly share each others thoughts and feelings essential for happy married life. The ‘thali-tying’ event was devoid of any sacred rituals usually observed on those occasions.8 In the later years EVR declared that the event of tying ‘thali’ performing rituals, superstitious practices and ceremonies should be completely eliminated for conducting of Self-Respect marriage in the true sense. Such type of marriage was conducted in the presence of EVR at Virudhunagar in Ramanathapuram District between Manickavasagam Nadar and Nagarathinammal.9
Kudiarasu, published a series of advertisements to seek bride and bridegrooms who were willing to perform Self-Respect Marriage. From the advertisements, it should be noted that the self-respectors preferred educated women as their partners in life. Female education began to get the attention of the Government. In due course these reforms paved the way for the empowerment of women.
Dr. S. TAMILPONNI, Associate Professor and Head, Department of History,
C. Kandaswami Naidu college for women, Cuddalore.
END NOTES
- Sivasevagan, Suyamariyadhai Iyakka Sooravali, Madras, 1970, pp.138-139.
- Rajendran, P. L., Magalir Manam Karanda Muttu, Poongothai Pathippagam, Madras, 1980, p.71.
- Kudiarasu, 29thOctober 1933.
- B.S. Chandrababu, Social Protest in Tamil Nadu with special reference to Self Respect Movement, Emerald Publishers Madras, 1993, pp.94-96.
- Kudiarasu, 19thJune 1927.
- Kudiarasu, 7thSeptember 1930.
- Kudiarasu, 8thSeptember 1935.
- Kudiarasu, 13thAugust 1930.
- Ibid.,