Self-Respect Movement was an emancipatory movement unlike any other, whose aim was to empower individuals and communities to challenge and overthrow the hierarchical structures that oppressed them. But the movement traversed farther to nurture rational thinking, inspire subaltern politics, advocate women’s rights and promote social justice.
It was founded in 1925 by S. Ramanathan, who invited E. V. Ramasamy (also known as Periyar) to head the India against Brahminism movement in Tamil Nadu. The movement was extremely influential not only in Tamil Nadu, but also overseas in countries with large Tamil populations, such as Sri Lanka, Burma, and Singapore.
Central theme of the Self-Respect Movement
Equality with stress on economic and social equality formed the central theme of the Self-Respect Movement and was due to Ramasamy’s determination to fight the inequalities ingrained in the caste system as well as certain religious practices.
Working on the theme of liberating the society from the baneful social practices perpetrated in the name of dharma and karma, Ramasamy developed the idea of establishing this movement as the instrument for achieving his objective.
Principles of the Self-Respect Movement
The main principles of the Self-Respect Movement in society were to be:
֎ No kind of inequality among people.
֎ No difference such as rich and poor in economic life.
֎ Men and women to be treated as equals in every respect without differences.
֎ Attachments to caste, religion, varna, and country to be eradicated from society with a prevalent friendship and unity around the world.
֎ With every human being seeking to act according to reason, understanding, desire, and perspective, and shall not be subject to slavery of any kind or manner.
Periyar’s philosophy of self respect
Ramasamy was convinced that if man developed self respect, he would automatically develop individuality and would refuse to be led by the nose by schemers. One of his most known quotes on Self-Respect was, “we are fit to think of ‘self-respect’ only when the notion of ‘superior’ and ‘inferior’ caste is banished from our land”.
Ramasamy believed that self-respect was as valuable as life itself and its protection is a birthright and not swaraj (‘political freedom’). He described the movement as Arivu Vidutalai Iyakkam, that is, a movement to liberate the intellect.
Ramasamy once claimed that to describe the ideology of his movement, no dictionary or language in the entire world could provide a word better than or equal to suya mariyadai (self-respect).
Periyar’s views on freedom movement
Periyar declared that the Self-Respect Movement alone could be the genuine freedom movement, and political freedom would not be fruitful without individual self-respect. He remarked that the so-called ‘Indian freedom fighters’ were showing disrespect of self-respect, and this was really an irrational philosophy.
He observed that political freedom as conceived by nationalists such as Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru and others did not cover individual self-respect. To him neither revival of the original spirit of Hindu religion and ancient traditions which formed part of Gandhi’s conception of freedom, nor complete liberation from the British rule which was considered by Nehru to be the meaning of freedom or both of them together could ensure individual self-respect or the eradication of social ills from Indian society.
In his opinion, the task of fulfilling the need for self-respect would have to be faced whatever be the extent of political freedom gained. Ramasamy raised question whether Gandhi’s vision of freedom or Nehru’s concept of independence contained even an iota of individual self-respect.
Periyar’s ideology of anti-Brahminism
Ramasamy was an advocate of anti-Brahminism. Ramasamy’s ideology of anti-Brahminism was radical to such an extent that a non-Brahmin who upheld the integrity of the caste system was seen as a supporter of Brahminism. Ramasamy called on both Brahmins and non-Brahmins to cast out brahmanism. Ramasamy also claimed, on several occasions, that to eliminate the caste system, driving away the Brahmins was crucial.
Feminist values of the Self-Respect Movement
Self-Respect Movement held as its core, deeply feminist values. Women’s rights over their physical, sexual and reproductive choices were celebrated. In Periyar’s model of society, women were to be allowed access to contraception and even permanent birth control measures.
Women were given the right to choose partners as well as divorce them and remarry. Widowhood was not penalized through religious beliefs.
Heterosexual partnerships were radically transformed by advocating for the erasure of gender hierarchies and roles; the sharing of domestic work, child-rearing were all paths to love through equality and service to society.
These ideas attracted several women from all walks of life to the movement. Women included former prostitutes, former devadasis, wage labourers, doctors and teachers. Women in the movement worked on issues most closely affecting women like advocating for alcohol prohibition, supporting survivors of domestic violence and the anti-temple prostitution (devadasi system).
Significance of Self-Respect Movement
֎ The Brahmins’ monopoly on authority and influence steadily diminished as a result of Periyar’s never-ending anti-orthodoxy campaign. People were inspired by a sense of self-respect and, more importantly, self-confidence as they prepared to fight the Brahmins’ social injustice. The first state after independence to pass legislation enabling Hindu marriages without a Brahmin priest present was Tamil Nadu.
֎ A number of political parties in Tamil Nadu, such as Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) owe their origins to the Self-Respect Movement.
֎ One of the major sociological changes introduced through the self-respect movement was the self-respect marriage system, whereby marriages were conducted without being officiated by a Brahmin priest.
֎ The Self-Respect movement encouraged inter-caste marriages, replacing arranged marriages by love marriages that are not constrained by caste.
However, the movement failed to liberate women as well as the lower caste and remained partially successful in securing equal rights for them. It failed to strengthen the economic condition of the poor and depressed classes. Since, the movement was limited to Tamil Nadu, it had very limited influence.
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
QUES . Who among the following was the founder of the ‘Self-Respect Movement’? UPSC PRELIMS 2025
(a) ‘Periyar’ E. V. Ramaswamy Naicker
(b) Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
(c) Bhaskarrao Jadhav
(d) Dinkarrao Javalkar
Answer – (a)
