Bookstawa – Modern History

Self Respect Movement

E. V. Ramaswamy Naicker

E. V. Ramaswamy Naicker started the Self Respect Movement. He had started his political
career as a member of the Indian National Congress in the year 1919. Naicker was a non-Brahmin
and he believed that Brahmanical culture and religion were responsible for the exploitation of the
lower class people. He wanted to fight against this Caste based discrimination even while he was
in Congress, but did not receive much support for it. This was why he resigned from the Congress
in the year 1925. Later, he was given the title of Periyar. Periyar means ‘The Great Man’.

Self Respect Movement

E. V. Ramaswamy Naicker believed that non-Brahmins have lost their self-respect as a

result of discrimination received for ages. Hence, he believed that Caste based discrimination
would come to an end only if the Non-Brahmins were able to find their sense of the self-respect
again. Therefore, Naiker started the Self Respect Movement right after he left Congress in the
year 1925. He got the idea to start the Self Respect Movement through Tamil literature, in which
huge emphasis has been given to self respect.

Goal of the Self Respect Movement

• The Self Respect Movement aimed to completely reject all Brahminical culture and religion.

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• They wanted to spread awareness about their Dravidian past amongst the Non-Brahmins to
awaken a sense of pride in them. Non-Brahmins were to be convinced that they also
belonged to a great culture and Brahmins were not superior to them.

Steps Taken by the Self Respect Movement

• E. V. Ramaswamy Naicker started a newspaper in Tamil language to support the Self

Respect Movement, by the name Kudi Arasu.
• They started Self Respect weddings, where wedding rituals were performed without
Brahmin priests. This was a big step as it is hard to imagine a wedding without a Brahmin
priest even today.
The Self Respect Movement was successful in awakening self respect in the hearts of the non-
Brahmins in Madras.

Joining Justice Party

Afterward, Periyar joined the Justice Party and the Self Respect Movement also got merged
with the Justice Party itself. The name of the Justice Party was changed to the Dravidar Kazhagam
in the year 1944.

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