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UPSC » Daily News Analysis ‘100 Years of the Self-Respect Movement’ : 8 September

Daily News Analysis ‘100 Years of the Self-Respect Movement’ : 8 September

Table of Content

Background:

  • The Justice Party (1916) was the first organised voice of non-Brahmins against Brahmin domination in politics and society.
  • Periyar, after quitting the Congress in 1925, launched the Tamil weekly Kudi Arasu and began mobilising people under the Self-Respect Movement.
  • The aim was to create social equality, self-respect for non-Brahmin masses, and liberation from caste hierarchy.

Key Features of the Movement:

  • Radical Social Reform: Questioned caste, religion, and gender hierarchies; opposed Brahminical dominance.
  • Self-Respect Marriages: Promoted marriages without priests, rituals, or dowry, later recognised legally in Tamil Nadu.
  • Women’s Rights: Supported widow remarriage, divorce, abortion rights, property rights, and women’s education.
  • Caste & Social Justice: Empowered marginalised castes, challenged untouchability, and promoted equality.
  • Media Role: Through Kudi Arasu, Periyar spread radical ideas of rationalism, atheism, and anti-caste politics.

Impact:

  • The movement gave voice to non-Brahmin masses and shaped Dravidian politics.
  • It challenged Congress nationalism, arguing it upheld caste inequalities.
  • Inspired later reforms in Tamil Nadu, including social justice policies, reservation, and gender reforms.

Legacy:

  •  The Self-Respect Movement remains a milestone in India’s social history, remembered for its bold attack on caste oppression and its progressive ideas on gender and equality.
  •  It continues to influence Dravidian politics and Tamil Nadu’s social policies today

Why in News?

  •  This year marks the centenary of the Self-Respect Movement (1925–2025), a landmark social reform movement in Tamil Nadu led by Periyar E.V. Ramasamy.