E.V. Ramasamy Periyar

born in 17 September 1879, was an iconoclast, rationalist, and  social reformer who is remembered for the Self Respect Movement (with help from S Ramanathan) to redeem the identity and self-respect of Tamils.The movement fought for people of the lower castes to have “self-respect” in society. The Self Respect Movement that he led promoted weddings without rituals, and sanctioned property as well as divorce rights for women.

E.V. Ramasamy Periyar envisaged a Dravida homeland of Dravida Nadu and launched a political party, Dravidar Kazhagam (DK)

He advocated for equal rights for the backward castes, with a focus on women’s rights.

His work for the upliftment of lower-caste Keralites in 1924-25 during the Vaikom Satyagrah gave him the moniker “Vaikom Veeran”.

He  also founded a newspaper – ‘Kudi Arasu’

He was a believer in gender equality. He fought for women’s progress and questioned the gender inequality prevalent in society. He fought against barbaric social customs that were unfair to women, such as child marriage and widow remarriage. He encouraged women to take part in social movements and politics actively.