A Memorable Evening

I was ecstatic to see the invitation in Think – Tank daily Viduthalai (Mouth piece or Band wagon of Davidar Kazhagam) sent by Washington Tamil Sangam. It was for the reception to Davidar Kazhagam President Mr.K.Veeramani who had been touring United States. The gathering is to felicitate him for his latest book Vazhalviyal Sithanaikal - 2. The function comprised of keynote address and followed by Question answer session with him.

Mr.K.Veeramani is one of the renowned speakers in Tamilnadu who has cognizance of many subjects and his speeches are progressive with authentic facts and credible information. His words always perk up me, rejuvenate my thoughts and refurbish my rational module.

He has authored many books on rationalism and social justice. This particular book Vazhalviyal Sithanaikal – 1& 2 is significant in his writing career as it is totally different from his other books. The Vazhalviyal Sithanaikal book comprises of articles related to self growth, personality development, health tips, moral practices and wonderful habits can be adopted on day to day life.

The Vazhalviyal Sithanaikal – 1 book was released last year has received a roaring acclamation for its content and substance. The book was a huge hit with record sales. The book has earned exceptional reviews from daily’s and magazines. The Vazhalviyal Sithanaikal – 2 is the continuation of the first book with another 50 quality articles.

Before coming to Washington, he was invited by the World Humanist and Rationalist Conference held in Paris and delivered a phenomenal speech on impact of cultural and socio-religious institutions and practices on economic wellbeing and human rights of the people. Two books of Thandhai Periyar were translated to French and released in Paris.

His topic of speech on the occasion was Periyar- yesterday, today and Tomorrow (Periyar-natrum innrum nallayum). He spoke about the intellectual and rational way how Periyar bought in the revolution in Tamilnadu and how Periyarism is vital and indispensable for the welfare of the society. He articulates how the principles of Periyar are admired by the world and how persistent they are.

His way of expressing, the fountain of words and his power of reasoning are amazing. The speech was followed by question answer session where the audiences have asked questions about Periyarism, politics, reservation, dalit movement and Women empowerment. He responded to the questions so promptly with appropriate and relevant answers.

Though I am constant attendee of his meetings, I got excited to see him in Washington, DC. That evening was memorable and will always be vivid in my memory to remember and cherish.

Thanthai Periyar – Crusader of Social Justice

A Social Reformer who worked relentlessly with tremendous energy to demolish everything that degraded, discriminated and suppressed humans and to build a new and just social order based on egalitarian principles and rational outlook is none other than E.V. Ramasamy popularly hailed as Thanthai Periyar. This blog is a humble tribute to the Great Man on his 127th Birth Anniversary.

Periyar was born in the last quarter of 19th century (September17th, 1879) in the society where atrocious and cruel Hindu religious practices were in place. At the time the lower castes (Sudaras and panchammas) considered their discrimination, suppression and wretched condition as natural and fate. They did not resent or were not even conscious of the indignities heaped on them. Periyar who has a great passion for social justice fought tenaciously to emancipate the people from all social evils.

He stressed the need to abolish the hierarchal, graded, birth-based caste structure as a prelude to build a new egalitarian social order. He fought against those whose vested interests that upheld and perpetuated beliefs, faiths, traditions, customs and institutions that degraded and discriminated people.

He realized that without instilling the spirit of human dignity and self-confidence, people cannot be emancipated. So he started self-respect movement and spread the idea of the equality and the worth of all human beings.

He gave great importance to make people to use their rational faculty, to embolden them to think freely on all issues including the religious and ‘spiritual’ ones, and to accustom them to plan their own living, individually as well as collectively.

Periyar's vigorous and spirited role in the Vaikom Satyagraha (1924-25) contributed in no mean measure for the triumph of that first historic social struggle in the history of modern India. This paved the way for the "untouchables" to use public roads without any inhibition and for other prospective egalitarian social measures.

His programs, movements, campaigns, propagations, activities and agitations to accomplish social justice, women empowerment, script reform and birth control etc have never created any turbulence or hostility in the country. He brought in the silent revolution.

The courage, determination and perseverance exhibited by the Socrates of South India while bombarding the social disorders rooted in the society has made Periyar as a Distinct and Unparalleled Leader. His rational approach and legacy got the attention of the whole country.

The benignancy and graciousness possessed by his black shirt, stubbornness emerged out from his soft hairy white beard, modern vision envisioned by his old fashioned round spectacle and the honest path laid by his invincible walking stick are undoubtedly a boon to human race.

Long Live Periyar…..

Hinduism – Unjust and Unequal

The Title may trigger anguish to many of the followers of Hinduism, but it deserves the title for its wicked content and immoral principles. This blog illustrates the practices persisting in the religion which deteriorates the society and its own people.

The common people of India have suffered for a very long period, for about 2000 years, under religious influences and social institutions that are inimical to their freedom and advancement. The social system emphasized by Hinduism, orthodoxically known as Vedic Sanathana Dharma, is unequal and unjust. It prescribes and sanctifies the graded birth-based inequality among various castes organized on Varna system.

The four-fold Varnas are Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisiyas, and Sudras. Those outside the Varna fold are known as Avarnas, Panchamas, Chandalas etc, called ‘Untouchables’ and ‘Unseeables’. People born in Sudra, Avarna, Panchama etc castes form the lower and the lowest rungs of the social ladder. In this graded inequality, they have been denied educational and other facilities to develop their mental faculties and moral stature. They were kept illiterate and superstitious by religious heads and priests.

The scriptures like epics (Ithihasas), mythologies (Puranas) and Codes of Conduct (Dharma Sastras) taught them that by birth they belonged to a servile class. They were made to believe, by the principle of Karma, which they were born in a low caste because of their misdeeds in the previous birth.

Being mentally shackled, the vast majority of Indians, the Sudras and Panchamas, forming more than 80 per cent of the population, were made to lead a wretched life for several centuries under monarchs who ruled according to the principles and Codes of Conduct laid down in the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Manu Dharma Sastra etc.

Such scriptures condemned these people as sinners by birth (Paapa Yonih.) Among the servile classes, the lot of the Panchamas was the worst, being treated as untouchables. Condemned to live in the outskirts of the villages or in the slums of towns, they were prohibited to use public streets, lakes, wells, schools, temples etc. They were not allowed even to clothe decently.

Sati is the traditional Hindu practice of a widow immolating herself on her husband's funeral pyre. Sati was considered as a most virtuous and meritorious act which inflamed innocent women in the name of religion.

Devadasi system is the religious system of votive offering of girls of particular community to the deities in the Temple. The system forced the Devadasis to prostitution in the name of God and religion. This ignominious Hindu tradition kept destitute and hapless women shackled for a very long duration of time.

Hinduism entertains the practices of Sati, Devadasi, Child marriage, Bigamy, Untouchability and characterized by caste system and inequality is certainly the menace to mankind

Women Reservation Bill

This Bill has been creating pandemonium in both the Houses for record number of times since its inception in the Parliament. The Bill is been discoursed extensively and it has undergone all sorts of treatment by the Members in various sessions, but still the fate of the Bill is in cross roads. This blog appraises the comprehensiveness associated with the Bill.

There exists an inferior category in the hierarchy defined by Manu Dharma below the level of Sudhras (All OBC’s, SC and ST) is Women. According to Manu, the women are supposed to perform the duties ordered by the men and have to withstand the excesses caused by him quietly without showing any dissent. This atrocity holds good for all the women belonging to any caste. In Manu’s context, women are given the status of slaves rather then the person with self-respect.

After arduous and prolonged struggle, they are getting relieved from the achings of antifeminism practiced here. But still the male dominance prohibits the participation of women in mainstream politics, which is evident from the statistics that reveals the meager percentage of female representation in State Assembly and in both Houses of Parliament.

The poor presence eventually takes away the views of women in the important decision making process for the growth of the country. The sole purpose of the Women Reservation Bill is to enable the greater participation of women in political arena. This Bill will certainly heel the wounds caused by ill treatments so far.

It is cryptical to understand the mathematics behind the derivation of the magic number 33%. The allocation of one-third percentage instead of appropriate 50 % for half population of the country is skeptical and it is one more instance of male chauvinism.

Waiting for the consensus among the political parties is the cripple reason that stalls the implementation of the Bill. This obviously pictures the hypocrisy in the design the Bill. The draconian act like POTA had been made to existence without the worry of consensus. Why the government is looking for consensus only on this Bill?

The speculation of upper caste politics about the Bill is outrageous as they envisage the Bill to nullify the emergence of Backward and Scheduled caste leaders through their proxies. The uproar in the Northern India is due to the above said fact and it can’t be omitted without given a thought.

The jeopardy felt by the Backward and Scheduled leaders who started participating in the National politics after Mandal era is tangible. The solution for the problem is to assure the internal allocation while implementing the Bill. Without the internal reservation the Bill will not serve the sole purpose it intended for.

If the Bill is thrown to back burner in coming sessions of Parliament, women should reconsider their diplomatic approach towards the implementation. They should march to the streets to fight for their Rights.