All the services that Periyar rendered to humanity for seventy five years had taken their origin from his essential humanism. Ramalinga Adikal had expressed his sympathetic essence when he said that whenever he saw a drooped plant, he felt a drooping within. Periyar’s sympathies were by no means of a lesser magnitude.
Periyar’s humanism was by no means lesser in extent than that of either Ramalinga Adigal or Gandhi or other Indian spiritual seers.
His services towards social reforms in Tamil Nadu and the spreading of Communism were but humanitarian missions. Had he not been a great person with a humanistic heart, he would not have had to endure verbal attacks on him.
It is an absolute truth indeed that if he had not been a man of humanism, he would not have had sacrificed great wealth and a life of luxury and indulgence.
Periyar’s humanism was not the humanism of throwing alms at an appeal from a hunger struck beggar.
The humanism raised its voice in the interest of all those who had been kept suppressed throughout the world.
Periyar had such humanism that made him dedicate his entire life to the welfare of the backward classes, most backward classes and the scheduled classes in Tamilnadu and throughout India who had been stamped the sudras by the Aryans.
We should refer to instances wherein his humanism had made him extend a sympathetic help to individuals and societies.
Anna had once remarked that if there was a hole through which the cat could pass, the kitten could as well pass through the same hole.
Similarly there is no necessity to refer to instances of Periyar’s humanistic services to individuals since he had been humanistic towards the whole of the Tamil community . Yet let me take the liberty of referring to a few instances.
When Periyar was young, a battalion of soldiers travelled by train from somewhere in the North to the southem districts. As the train reached Erode junction, they left the train and started attacking the public and the shopkeepers there for some reason. Periyar had then been to the railway station on private business. He prevented the soldiers from attacking the poor people. A few soldiers pulled him into the compartment. He was caught inside the compartment. However, he was brave enough to wriggle out pushing the soldiers off.
A crowd had gathered. The police also arrived. The train left after a little while.
Periyar might have kept himself away from the trouble had he not been bothered about the troubles of others. But he confronted what he considered an unjust act. He was both physically and mentally strong enough for such an upright deed. If Periyar had the strength of will and body while young to rise against the troubles caused to a few, it was but natural that he rose against the cruelties practised in a society as a whole when he became middle aged and thereafter.
Swami Kaivalyam was a friend of Periyar. He was a few years elder to Periyar. He had compared Periyar to the Priest of the gods, Brahaspathy. His description had been very apt indeed.
The abode of the gods had degenerated and Brahaspathy taught atheism to Brahma and changed conditions there. So degenerated was the state of affairs in our country too. People were subject to alien imperialism. They had been exploited.
They had lost their ability to think and their sense of honour. They lacked unity. They were eternally wedded to the disgrace attributed in the name of religion and caste.
They had no control over their own life. They did not understand that their very future had been mortgaged in the name of the scriptures of Manu. Periyar’s labour and speeches were spent on making our people realise their own objectivity and work a way out of superstitions.
Periyar’s humanism was by no means lesser in extent than that of either Ramalinga Adigal or Gandhi or other Indian spiritual seers.
His services towards social reforms in Tamil Nadu and the spreading of Communism were but humanitarian missions. Had he not been a great person with a humanistic heart, he would not have had to endure verbal attacks on him.
It is an absolute truth indeed that if he had not been a man of humanism, he would not have had sacrificed great wealth and a life of luxury and indulgence.
Periyar’s humanism was not the humanism of throwing alms at an appeal from a hunger struck beggar.
The humanism raised its voice in the interest of all those who had been kept suppressed throughout the world.
Periyar had such humanism that made him dedicate his entire life to the welfare of the backward classes, most backward classes and the scheduled classes in Tamilnadu and throughout India who had been stamped the sudras by the Aryans.
We should refer to instances wherein his humanism had made him extend a sympathetic help to individuals and societies.
Anna had once remarked that if there was a hole through which the cat could pass, the kitten could as well pass through the same hole.
Similarly there is no necessity to refer to instances of Periyar’s humanistic services to individuals since he had been humanistic towards the whole of the Tamil community . Yet let me take the liberty of referring to a few instances.
When Periyar was young, a battalion of soldiers travelled by train from somewhere in the North to the southem districts. As the train reached Erode junction, they left the train and started attacking the public and the shopkeepers there for some reason. Periyar had then been to the railway station on private business. He prevented the soldiers from attacking the poor people. A few soldiers pulled him into the compartment. He was caught inside the compartment. However, he was brave enough to wriggle out pushing the soldiers off.
A crowd had gathered. The police also arrived. The train left after a little while.
Periyar might have kept himself away from the trouble had he not been bothered about the troubles of others. But he confronted what he considered an unjust act. He was both physically and mentally strong enough for such an upright deed. If Periyar had the strength of will and body while young to rise against the troubles caused to a few, it was but natural that he rose against the cruelties practised in a society as a whole when he became middle aged and thereafter.
Swami Kaivalyam was a friend of Periyar. He was a few years elder to Periyar. He had compared Periyar to the Priest of the gods, Brahaspathy. His description had been very apt indeed.
The abode of the gods had degenerated and Brahaspathy taught atheism to Brahma and changed conditions there. So degenerated was the state of affairs in our country too. People were subject to alien imperialism. They had been exploited.
They had lost their ability to think and their sense of honour. They lacked unity. They were eternally wedded to the disgrace attributed in the name of religion and caste.
They had no control over their own life. They did not understand that their very future had been mortgaged in the name of the scriptures of Manu. Periyar’s labour and speeches were spent on making our people realise their own objectivity and work a way out of superstitions.
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