Delayed, Yet Hindu must reclaim the legacy of Periyar.- Series 1

Born as Hindu, died as Hindu, Fought against empowered Hindu and for the Impoverished Hindu.

Yes, Periyar life can be summed up in one sentence. Periyar remained within Sanatan Hindu fold, and it should be accorded deserving importance. Periyar stood for and fought for socially impoverished class and the rights of untouchable class. And it certainly needed invincible guts and self-belief in those days around 1900 to raise voice.

Infect, had he not offered his voice and vent for the disfranchised group among Sanatan Hindu, Hinduism would not have had the numerical strength left today. The disfranchised section would have been a sitting duck for conversion for missionary deceit and jihadi intimidation. 

Let us examine one by One.

1)    Caste Discrimination: Periyar fount relentlessly. Who on earth can support a caste which has been illegally smuggled and institutionalized in the Hindu fold? There is not a single religious scripture in Sanatan philosophy that upholds caste. There is no mention of Caste anywhere in Sanatan literature. Yet Caste distinction and Caste discrimination had been brutally institutionalized. Social and religious leaders of Hindu Society have shamelessly failed in their duty in preserving and promoting the essence of Vedic civilizational values. Caste is poison and followers of caste are doing sin to Sanatan Hindu Belief.

 

2)    Entry of Untouchable in temple: Who can call someone an untouchable? Periyar did biggest service to Sanatan, by challenging and rejecting this practice. Had he not done, largest section of Hindu population would have been swindled by waiting missionaries and jihadi.  Conversion which is happening in small numbers today would have acquired an unimaginable proportion.  Periyar saved the largest swath of impressionable downtrodden minds from the lurking conversion shark.

3)    Priesthood for all castes: And why should it not be? If Guru Balmiki can author the most auspicious story on Lord Ram, what is left to be told now? Lord Krishna is quoted in Srimad Bhagwat Puran: Exist only Four Varna that is based on profession and without any birth entitlement. Essence of the Periyar voice is just echo of what is written in sacred Sanatan scripture.

4)    Empowerment and Education to Women: Why should he be criticized for such a sanctimonious call? Is it not every Sabatini’s Duty? His call for Women education, abolition of Child marriage or widow remarriage were true empowering tools and great necessity. Is it needed to remind the Hindu Society, the honor, sacrifice and contribution women have offered? The Rig Veda mentions some of supreme female scholar Romasha, Lopamudra, Apala, Kadru, Visvavara, Ghosha, Juhu, Vagambhrini, Paulomi, Yami, Indrani, Savitri, and Devajami. The Sama Veda adds Nodha, Akrishtabhasha, Sikatanivavari and Gaupayana. And not to forget the great Gargi, Maitrya, they all have contributed to the writing of Vedic literature without any gender prejudice, discomfort and differentiation.

 

One Shloka that speaks the essence of Manu Smriti and all other Vedic literature as well is:--

यत्र नार्यस्तु पूज्यन्ते

रमन्ते तत्र देवता:।

यत्रैतास्तु न पूज्यन्ते

सर्वास्तत्राफला: क्रिया:।

 

Where Women are honored, divinity blossoms there, and wherever women are dishonored, all action no matter how noble it may be, remains unfruitful.

 

5)    Atheism Practitioner: True, he drifted into social isolation. He was a practicing theist who evolved into an indifferent atheist in course of time. He had had his primary experience of having served as trustee of three four big temples as a young man. He declared himself to be an atheist later. And it is not blasphemous. Hindu Sanatan does include both Theist and atheist in its fold. Infect Hindu Society should have declared him their mascot, as unlike Baba Sahib Ambedkar who renounced Hinduism to embrace Buddhism, he took his last breath as Hindu Sanatani. And Why Periyar, Even Veer Savarkar who was incarcerated for 27 year in prison, sacrificed his life for the cause of Hindu Sanatan, declared himself an atheist.

 

6)    Periyar was against Brahmin: A very contention issue. Highly debatable. It brings so many conflicting quotes, claims and counterclaim. Periyar fought tooth and nail against Brhamnwaad. What is Brahminwaad is a debatable subject? Was this not a responsibility of enlightened educated progressive Brahmin to come forward to do social reform which Periyar started? Should Brahmin have not led the Self-respect movement for downtrodden, Dalit and untouchables class? Should Brahmin have not accompanied and escorted the underprivileged into Temple?  Was it not the duty of Brahmin, a traditional conscience keeper of Hindu Society to have promoted and led an egalitarian and inclusive society?  Periyar rebelled against practice. Preached reform. Some of the deplorable statements which are ascribed to Periyar against Brahmin are not in good taste. Whatever context it had emerged, it should have been withdrawn. He has been criticized for some of uncharitable quotes about Hindu deity and practices. Such statements certainly are wrong and perhaps speaks more about his frustration with the system. He stayed put in Hindu faith, it should never have been discounted. But that does not absolve the issue of ills in the Society.

 

7)    Story of how a theist Periyar drifted to atheist Periyar is long. He represents pain and aspiration of the section of impoverished Hindu Society. He rebelled. He was ridiculed, lampooned and abused. His isolation and rejection from within the enfranchised Hindu Society offered Communist to project, promote and engulf Periyar as their mascot. Communist were divisive. The deceit of Communist around Periyar spread poison,​hate and division into Hindu Society. The empowered group of Hindu never realized the communist and missionary taking over the control of Periyar. Yet ​Periyar words gave vent to the ire of millions. Thankfully he saved the masses from religious conversion.

Sad, Hindu Social leaders yet have not realized their unforgivable blunder and allowed fringe Communist and missionaries to lead the anger of Social inequality and perceived injustice. Deplorable still today.     

True, Periyar was against the wrong practice of Hinduism against the prevailing Social order. He spoke against the ills and demeaning practice of the contemporary Hindu Society. He was a non - conformist rebellion and free Spirit. He was a prolific writer and thinker who authored as many as 17 volumes of his writings of running 5500 pages devoted to the issue of caste and untouchability.

Delayed yet, Let Hindu must reclaim the legacy of Periyar.  ​