Dr. K. Veeramani

Dr. K.Veeramani, The president of Dravidar Kazhagam is an ardent disciple of late Thanthai Periar. He has been a staunch follower of Peiyar’s ‘Self Respect Movement’. A visionary, an author of about fifty books believes in science than religion. A strong critic of religious fundamentalism shares many things from the formation of Dravidar kazhagm to the principles of self respect movement.

1. How was the Dravidar kazhagam formed?

A series of happenings took place and as a result, Dravidar kazhagam was formed. Rather than discussing those long events, I would give a direct answer to your question. In 1944, at Salem, Dravidar kazhagam was floated by Thanthai Periyar in a view to dispel the disparity among the various sections of people and to bring equality. Periyar made Anna hammer the resolutions. Dravidar kazhagam’s prime basis was to reach to people through social work and not through any formal power.

 

2.  When did Anna meet Periyar?

Anna met Periyar during the year 1938 at Tiruppur conference. Anna’s oratory power got him closer to Periyar. He was the editor of the daily ‘viduthalai’. A lot of youngsters got attracted to Anna’s prowess. Then with the help of Thanthai Periyar, he started the magazine ‘Thiravidar nadu’. Slowly, Dravidar kazhagam was getting popular among the people then.

3.      When did you first meet Thanthai Periyar?

I was a ten years old boy witnessing the formation of Dravidar kazhagam in 1944. I was made to stand up the chair and spoke in the meeting. The next day, it was captioned in the news papers as a star attraction, ‘ten years old revolutionary kid Veeramani spoke…’ Since my childhood, I have been involved with Thanthai Periyar and the movement.

4.  How was DMK formed then?

As Dravidar kazhagam was gaining its momentum, people like Aringar Anna and a few others were of a different ideology that formal power would be a basis to reach out to people more constructively. Paradoxically, Periyar was of a strong view that formal power would lead to manipulation and would require a lot of compromise. As a revolutionist, he was not in favor of diluting the Dravidar kazhagam’s prime agenda. So, with these kinds of different ideologies, they fell out with each other. It was further deteriorated in 1949, when Periyar married Maniammai, a lady who was nearly forty years younger to him. It was then Anna separated from Periyar and started a party called Dravidar Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

5.      What kind of relationship was between Anna and Periyar then?

They had a lot of regards for each other, though they greatly varied in their ideologies. But Anna and his cadres never lost their respect for Periyar. A classic example to highlight their regards, would be that DMK never contested in elections from 1949 to 1957. Anna even publicly announced that the leadership position is still vacant in DMK, and he welcomed Periyar to take over that post.

6. In your view, which reaches the public easily? Social work or formal power?

I would say, the base to reach out to people is Social work. 

7. Could you quote some of the Self Respect Movement's principles?

 

Our prime principle is to drive away superstision; to bring about equality among the people and not to believe in the caste system; to work hard and to lead a respectful life; not to believe in past and future lives; to give more importance to people and not to God; to believe in oneself and to have confidence; not to be a slave rather to work hard and to attain a state to offer jobs to others.

 

8. Personaly, how do you look at Periyar and the Self Respect Movement?

 

Periyar was ahead of his time. He did not expect the society to change overnight through his principles. He is a social scientist. The legendary ideas would evolve the society over the period of time. It has been having its effect from time to time.

 

9. Lots of Cult group emerges. Each cult group thrives with an increase in their followers. Still would you say people do patronize DK's principles?

 

Definetly yes. One has to do an qualitative analysis. It is quality vs quantity. To put it short, an alternative to religion is science. Science has an answer to all questions. In religion, there is no point of questioning. Self Respect Movement is eighty years old. But, caste system, superstition are all about 5,000 years old. To determine its success, one can not give any statistical records.

 

10. In Tamil Nadu, does the Self Respect Movement principle changed the mindset of the people.

 

In Tamil Nadu, to-day, there is no child marriage, practice of sati. One can come across these practices in Gujarat, Maharashtra. If we take the 33% allocation for affirmative action, in Tamil Nadu people are for it. Whereas in other Norther states, people are against it. So, definetly the Self Respect Movement principles has changed the mindset of the people in Tamil Nadu.

 

11. Would you appreciate the concept, that any one can become a priest and perform poojas in temples?

 

One becomes a doctor after attaining formal training through education. Then he is acknowledged for his prescriptions. In the sameway, when one gets trainning in reciting the mantras and others pertaining to poojas, he would be fit to become a priest.

12.  How is actor Satyaraj as Periyar?

When he dressed up like Periyar and stood in front of us, we saw the original Periyar in him. The movie 'Periyar' would be a milestone in actor Satyaraj's career.