Non-Brahmin movement took a new shape under the Justice Party. This became more ***. ‘Self-Respect Movement’ led by E.V. Ramaswami Naicker became a new force. Ramaswamy who came out of Congress in 1925, started Self Respect League in 1926. He was called Periyar ( Senior Person) out of love by people.
Periyar was born in Erode to a rich family. He believed that Congress is in favour of Varna system and started a new movement based Dravida ** identity. He rejected the ** supremacy in the name Aiya and Brahmin.
He said Tamil is language of Dravidians. He opposed Sanskrit language and literature. He also rejected Rama as the Vedic leader and accepted Ravana as the Dravidian leader. Angered by a bad experience at Banaras, he converted Sanskrit, Rama and Ravana as cultural ideals and patronized Ravana.
He championed equality and criticized caste and gender based discrimination. He participated in temple entry movement held at Vaikom of Kerala. He became the president of Justice Party in 1939.
He started an association called “Dravida Kalagam’. He also started Justice Periodical. The ideological Non-Brahminical movement started by Ayonthidas and T.M.Nayar was turned into a cultural movement by Periyar. His life goal was to establish an equal society where there will be no inequality based on caste, religion and gender.
