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infrastructure and he launched the anti-caste challenge on this domination. As the first revolu-
movement. He criticised misconceptions, super- tionary step, he himself consecrated a temple
stitions and religious orthodoxy in his writings. dedicated to Lord Shiva in Aruvippuram in
He constructed the first Brahmo Mandir in 1888. When questioned by the Brahmins, he
Andhra in 1887, and the Hithakarini School in replied that he had consecrated a Shiva belong-
1908. He also started a home for widows. ing to his community. The irony of the message
He started a magazine called Viveka Vardhini was very clear – how could Shiva be owned by
(knowledge improver) in Telugu. He fought to any particular community? It was a strong
abolish child marriages and kanyasulkam (a kind warning to the upper castes and a bold procla-
of bride price given by the groom to the bride’s mation that everyone irrespective of his caste or
parents). He also worked hard to convince religion has the right to realise God.
orthodox Hindu religious leaders to allow widow PERIYAR E.V. RAMASAMY NAICKER
to remarry. It is also believed that he himself Periyar Ramasamy was born on September 17,
married a widow. 1879, in Tamil Nadu. He was an atheist social
He dedicated his entire life to social service, reformer, activist and founder of Dravidar
social reforms and the upliftment of lower castes. Kazhagam and the Self Respect Movement. The
He donated the money that he earned by writing philosophy of Periyar E.V. Ramasamy Naicker
books to the Hitakarani Samajamu, a social was that all men and women should live with
welfare establishment. He justly regarded as the dignity and have equal opportunities to develop
Father of the Modern Andhra Society. their physical, mental and moral faculties. To
SREE NARAYANA GURU achieve this, he wanted to put an end to all kinds
of unjust discriminations and to promote social
Sree Narayana Guru was born on August 20,
1856 in a middle class peasant family of the then justice and rational outlook.
untouchable Ezhava caste, at Chempazhanthy He started the Vaikom Satyagraha in Kerala
village in Thiruvananthapuram. Even as a child against untouchability. This movement resulted
he had strong abhorrence toward the caste in abolishing untouchability in the state by the
distinctions and untouchability and he always Raja of Travancore. National leaders like
protested against Mahatma Gandhi, C. Rajagopalachari, Acharya
injustice. “Ask not, say Vinobha Bhave also took part in this movement.
not and think not Periyar’s philosophy was that different sections of
caste” was his motto. a society should have equal rights to enjoy the
He had deep sympathy fruits of the resources and the development of
towards the ill-treated the country. They should all be represented in
people and he decided the governance and the administration of the
to clean the vulgarity state. This principle had been enunciated earlier
crept in the Hindu by those who stood for social justice, particularly
society. And, he started by the South Indian Liberal Federation, popu-
his revolutionary Sree Narayana Guru larly known as the Justice Party. Periyar’s unique
mission. contribution was his insistence on rational
Consecration of a Hindu temple was the exclu- outlook to bring about intellectual emancipation
sive right of Brahmins. Sree Narayana threw a and a healthy world-view. He also stressed the
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