Global Journal of Human-Social Science, A: Arts and Humanities, Volume 22 Issue 5

Periyar denounced caste observances, child marriage, and enforced widowhood, and attacked the Laws of Manu, which he called the basis of the entire social fabric of caste and described as "totally inhuman”. Naicker returned from a trip to the Soviet Union in I93I, more firmly convinced than ever that materialism was the answer to India's problems, and openly advocated mass revolution and overthrow of the Government. Tempered somewhat by imprisonment for sedition, Naicker joined the declining Justice Party. This, the South Indian Liberal Federation (popularly known as the Justice Party), had held office from I920 until I934, when Congress lifted its ban on Council entry and won every seat it contested. Hard Grave also says that under the Congress Ministry of C.Rajagopalachari in I937, the Hindi language was introduced to the South as a compulsory subject in schools. Taking this as an affront to Tamil culture and its rich literary tradition, Tamil patriots reacted with violent protest, and Naicker, ready to exploit the opportunity, waved the black flags of rebellion in his first anti-Hindi campaign. The agitation against the imposition of Hindi inflamed the non- Brahmins against the Ministry and brought Naicker to the forefront. The campaign, which brought the death of two agitators in police firings, forced the Government to change Hindi from a required to an optional subject in schools. The following year, I938, while in jail for his anti- Hindi campaign, Naicker was elected President of the Justice Party. Hard Grave further says, that under Naicker's leadership, the party resolved that Tamilnadu should be made a separate state, loyal to the British Raj and "directly under the Secretary of State for India." This demand for a Dravidian State soon became the fundamental issue of the Justice movement, giving a new lease of life to what had been a dying party. The Justice Party was reorganized under Naicker's guidance in 1944 as a highly militant mass organization and was renamed the Dravida Kazagham, or Dravidian Federation. Naicker, who in the I930's had visited the Axis countries as well as the Soviet Union, declared that "members of the Kazagham should wear black shirts whenever possible, as a symbol of the present down- trodden condition of the Dravidians." The organization of the party was to be based upon units in each village, taluk, and district. The objective of the DK was proclaimed to be the achievement of a sovereign independent Dravidian Republic, which would be federal in nature, with four units corresponding to the linguistic divisions (Madras, Kerala, Mysore, and Andhra), each having residuary powers and autonomy of internal administration. The party proclaimed its opposition to the British, and Naicker called upon DK members to renounce all titles conferred by the British and to resign all offices connected with the National War Front. This action greatly enhanced the prestige of the movement, on both state and national levels. Hard Grave also says that as in the Self- Respect Movement, one of Naicker's basic objectives was to remove all "superstitious belief" based upon religion and tradition. No member was allowed to wear the sectarian marks of faith across his forehead. Members were urged to boycott the use of Brahmin priests in ceremonies. He campaigned vigorously for widow remarriage and inter-caste marriage, and the "reform" marriage rites of the DK gained wide acceptance among the non-Brahmins of Tamilnad. The ceremonies and rites of passage at which Brahmins officiated came to be despised by the Dravida Kazagham, and the Hindu religion was denounced as an opiate by which the Brahmins had dulled the masses so that they might be exploited and controlled. Atheism became virtually a cult among the Kazagham members. They took pains to destroy and desecrate the images of sacred Hindu deities, such as Rama and Ganesa, and the Ramayana and other Sanskrit epics were distorted to the political ends of the party (28). Self-Respect is traceable in ancient Tamil literature The above are what was written by Hard Grave in his most scholarly publication. However, the concept of “Self-Respect” as enunciated by Periyar (i.e. tan- maanam or suya mariyadai in Tamil Language) is traceable in ancient Tamil literature. Indeed self-respect was acclaimed as the virtue of high valor in Tamil society. The ancient classical Tamil literatures speak volumes about the rule of the kings who upheld the concept of self-respect. These Kings had a leading principle (i.e. to protect every citizen of his country) and they regarded the people as their own-self. Indeed, they treated the sufferings or injustice caused to the people as their own, and maintained close relationship with the common people of their country. Though the nation was ruled by a dynasty, the rights of every citizenwere given utmost importance and thereby equity and social justice prevailed in the society. For example, Manuneedhi Cholan was a righteous King of this lineage, who ruled his country with justice and honesty. One day his son Veedhividangan, on his way from the temple ran over a calf by his chariot. The mother of the calf, “the cow” pulled the bell that was kept to alert any injustice meted out by the citizens. Hearing it, the King immediately ordered that his son be punished the way the calf was killed. Despite the advice of his counsels, the King was firm and punished his son. This depicts the fact how dispassionate, virtuous and unprejudiced king Manuneedhi Cholan was (29). Periyar’s Early life influenced Self-Respect Movement: The thoughts on the important concept the “self-respect” as evolved by Thanthai Periyar is not born merely after Periyar became popular. Perhaps it was © 2022 Global Journals Volume XXII Issue V Version I 49 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2022 A A Study on Bharat Ratna Dr.M.G.Ramachandran’s Philosophical Film Songs that Contain the Ideas of Socialistic and Communistic Ideas Which can be Compared More Specifically with the Communist Manifesto as Propounded by Karl Marx and Engels – An Academic Comparative Study, using a Novel Methodology