| |
| 1950 |
| He declared the Republic
Day, 26-1-1950, as a Mourning Day for Tamils. |
|
On 22-01-1950 Periyar was sentenced
to undergo imprisonment for the publicationof
his book 'Ponmozhigal' (Golden sayings).
|
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1951
|
| Sensing the formidable opposition engineered
by Periyar, Constitution of India was amended for the
first time by the Nehru Govt. at the centre. This was
the first Amendment to the Indian Constitution. Ultimately
sub clause (4) was added to the section 15 to admit of
the provision of Communal G.O. to preserve the rights
and equal opportunities of backward classes of India. |
|
|
1952 |
| Periyar opposed the scheme of New Elementary
education on the basis of the parents hereditary occupation,
introduced by the then Chief-Minister Mr. C. Rajagopalachari
(Rajaji). |
| Periyar and his followers erased with
tar the Hindi-name-Boards in all Railway stations all
over Tamil Nadu. |
|
|
1953
|
| In order to condemn idolatary worship
and to show to the world that there was no divine power
in idols, he organised a campaign. His followers and himself
broke the idol of PILLAIYAR (Vinayaga) at public places. |
| The intensity of Periyar's opposition
against the educational reform-programme of Rajaji according
to which all students should learn in schools their parents'
profession was so formidable that Mr. C. Rajagopala Achari
(Rajaji) had to quit the post of Chief-Minister. Consequently
MR. K. KAMARAJ came to power as Chief-Minister of Tamil
Nadu and he dropped the much opposed educational reform. |
|
| 1954 |
| Periyar convened the Conference
on Buddhism at Erode. |
| Periyar along with his wife
and some friends visited Myanmar (Burma) and Malaysia.
At Mandalay (Myanmar) he attended the World Buddhist Conference
where he met Mr. Mallala Sekara, a Buddhist Scholar and
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. He conversed with the latter for a
long time and the subject of conversion to Buddhism came
up for the discussion. He strongly advised Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
to get coverted to Buddhism with a very lage mumber of
people, and not to go alone. |
| 1954
Dec |
| Periyar undertook his second
tour to Malaysia and propagated his rationalistic principles
in many places. |
|
|
1955
|
| Periyar announced and fixed
a date to set fire to the Indian National Flag in protest
against the compulsory scheme of imposition of Hindi in
Tamil Nadu, much against the wishes of the people. |
| Periyar was arrested for his
public agitation of burning the pictures of Rama at all
public places, as a symbolic protest against the Aryan
domination and degradation of the Dravidian leaders according
to the Ramayana epic. |
| The Trichi District Collector
Mr. R.S. Malayappan a sympathizer of the Untouchables
was given wantonly strictures in a judgement of the Madras
High Court by two Brahmin Judges. Periyar exposed this
judgement since R.S. Malayappan was an Offficer from a
Backward community. Periyar criticised the High Court
judges for their hatred towards the depressed class officers
in a public meeting held at Trichi Town Hall Square. |
|
|
1957
Jan - 18
|
| The meeting between PERIYAR
and VINOBA BHAVE, the Founder-leader of 'Land Donation
Movement' took place at Tiruchirappalli. |
| 1957
April - 23 |
| For criticising the judgement
of Madras High Court delivered by two Brahmin Judges in
the case of Trichi District Collector Mr. R.S. Malayappan,
Periyar was charged with contempt of court and when the
final hearing was heard (Before the judges Justice P.V.
Rajamannar and Justice A.S. Panchapakesa Iyer) he made
a statement in the High Court, explaining how Brahmins
conducted themselves with racial motive in several cases
and opined that it was their inborn natural 'Dharma' to
annihilate uprising Shudras and Panchamas. |
| 1957 |
| On 3-11-1957 at Thanjavur
a big conference was held to weigh Periyar against silver
coins to commemorate his birthday. |
| On the same day a resolution
was passed calling upon the people of Tamil Nadu to come
forward to burn the excerpts of Articles in the Constitution
of India on 26-11-1957 as a protest against the inclusion
of Articles supporting caste. Some 10,000 people burnt
the excerpts of the Constitution of India. Only about
3000 of them were arrested and sentenced to undergo from
6 months to 3 years Rigorous Imprisonment. This agitation
rocked the whole of Tamil Nadu and that was the first
time that such a big agitation against casteism was started.
Some 15 to 18 persons died in and out of jail due to incarceration
(A special act was passed to funish them). |
|
|
1958
|
| Against the caste system,
another big agitation was started by Periyar. Brahmins
used to inscribe the name in their Hotel-Name-Boards as
'Brahmin Hotel' to spread the impression that Brahmins
were superior caste. Periyar requested all his followers
to erase the name 'Brahmin' in the Hotel Name Boards.
Accordingly a compaign was started to erase the word Brahmin
in all Brahmin Hotels in Tamil Nadu. As a result of this
agitation, the name 'Brahmin' in the hotel-name-boards
disappeared. |
| Periyar was arrested as a case
was foisted on him by the Govt. of Tamil Nadu that he
exhorted his followers to attack the Brahmins in his speeches
delivered at Pasupathipalayam (Karur), Kulitalai and Tiruchirapalli
and was sentenced to undergo imprisonment for 6 months
by the District Sessions Court at Tiruchirapalli. |
| Periyar and Ram Manohar Lohia,
the Socialist leader of North India, met at Chennai and
discussed their social and political service to the people. |
|
1959
|
| He undertook a tour of North India addressing
meetings at Kanpur, Lucknow, New Delhi and other places. |
|
1960
|
| He burnt the map of India excluding Tamil
Nadu, explaining that the Central Government Raj is a
Brahmin Raj. |
| A protest day was observed by Periyar
all over Tamil Nadu against the Supreme Court judgement
which had crippled the operation of the Tamil Nadu Land
Ceiling Act which was ratified by an Amendment to the
Constitution. |
|
1967
|
| Mr. C.N. ANNADURAI became
the Chief-Minister of Tamil Nadu, his party (DMK) having
secured the majority of seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.
He went to Tiruchirappalli and sought Periyar's greetings,
goodwill and advice. |
| Periyar decided to extend
his support to the D.M.K. Ministry. Mr. C.N. Annadurai
declared in the State Assembly that he dedicated his 'Ministry'
to Periyar. He also enacted the Self-Respect Marriage
Act legalising all the marriages so far conducted on Self-Respect
Marriage System devoid of rituals. |
| Mr. C.N. Annadurai, a lieutenant
of Periyar, brought a legislation renaming Madras State
as Tamil Nadu State and also introducing the two language
formula (Tamil and English) for Tamil Nadu, instead of
the 3 language formula prescribed by the Central Govt.
then. These three achievements are the mile stones of
his ministry. |
|
1968
|
| As a true rationalist disciple of Periyar
the Chief Minister ANNA directed to remove the pictures
of all Hindu deities from the Govt. offices through a
circular, as a secular measure. |
| Periyar observed a day for "Condemnation
of the exploitation of North Indian Business Magnates". |
| He was invited to address Minorities Conference
at Lucknow (U.P. Capital). |
| The Ramayana, Epic of Aryans,
was burnt all over Tamil Nadu as a mark of distrust of
the Aryans and trotest against the treatment of Dravidians
in the Ramayana. |
|
1969
Feb - 3
|
| Chief Minister ANNA expired. Periyar plunged
into profound grief and expressed that the future of entire
Tamil Nadu had become darkened due to the demise of ANNA. |
| 1969 |
| Periyar announced a Programme of agitation
to get the right people of all castes to enter into the
Sanctum Sanctorum of temples to eradicate the caste discrimination
practised, according to which Brahmins alone could become
Archakas and perform poojas in Sanskrit only instead of
Tamil. |
| 1970 |
| The Tamil Bi-monthly, the
"Unmai" (Truth) was first started at Tiruchirapalli
by Periyar. First issue was released by Dr. K. Veeramani,
General Secretary (Now President) of Dravidar Kazhagam. |
The UNESCO, an international
organisation of the United Nations, conferred on Periyar
a glorious title the citation of which reads as "Priyar
the prophet of New Age, Socrates of South East Asia, Father
of the social Reform Movement, and Arch enemy of ignorance,
superstitions, meaningless customs and base manners"
- UNESCO 27-6-1970. The award was presented by the Union
Education Minister of Education, Dr. TRIGUNA SEN under
the presidentship of Chief Minister KALAINGAR
M. KARUNANIDHI. |
| Periyar inagurated a new forum,
called the Rationalist Forum, a non-political social organisation,
enlisting the Government and private Employees and also
others who subscrible to the views of "Rationalism". |
| A legislation was passed in
the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, enabling persons
belonging to all castes to become Archakas (Triests) in
Temples. Periyar demanded such a legislation, to abolish
castes and to establish equality of persons irrespective
of caste at all places. |
| Periyar inaugurated the English
monthly, the "Modern Rationalist", the need
for which was keenly felt by English knowing Rationalists. |
| 1970
Nov-1 |
| Mumbai (formerly Bombay)
Dravidar Kazhagam arranged Birth-Day Celebrations
of Periyar (September 17) and Anna (Sep. 15) Accompanied
by EVR Mani Ammai and General Secretary of Dravidar
Kazhagam Mr. K. Veeramani, Thanthai Periyar travelled
in his van from Chennai and attended the above two
functions besides some more meetings in Mumbai for
three days from First November, 1970. |
|
1971
Mar-3
|
| After the 1971 Assembly election
to Tamil Nadu, the new D.M.K. Ministry was sworn
in under the Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. Periyar
attended the function. |
| 1971
Sep- 17 |
| At Erode, the home-town of Periyar,
his statue was unveiled by the Chief Minister of
Tamil Nadu Hon. M. Karunanidhi. Revered Kundrakudi
Adigalar presided over that function. |
|
1972
Aug-13
|
| At Cuddalore, the statue of Periyar
was unveiled by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu,
Hon. M. Karunanidhi. The Chairman of the Legislative
Council Mr. C.P. Chitrarasu presided over the function. |
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