On 17 September 2024, social media erupted in conflict after Kollywood actor and Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay visited Periyar Thidal. There, he paid his respects by offering flowers and garlanding the statue of E.V. Ramasamy Naicker, known as Periyar to his followers, barefoot to commemorate his 146th birth anniversary. This event sparked significant online debate among netizens criticizing him.
However, that criticism gradually transformed into a discussion rooted in historical facts and data. Critics spotlighted a documentary based on Samy Chidambaranar’s 1939 book “Tamizhar Thalaivar,” which describes how EVR had nocturnal escapades with prostitutes on river banks while making his wife cook for such picnics.
Many netizens highlighted inconsistencies in actor Vijay’s tweet praising E.V. Ramasamy (EVR) for his contributions to “women’s rights, women’s education, and women’s protection.” Critics pointed out this hypocrisy and referenced a two-part documentary that draws heavily from the book “Tamizhar Thalaivar,” authored by Samy Chidambaranar under EVR’s supervision and published in 1939.
Under the title “Family Mischief” (Kudumba Kurumbugal), Samy Chidambaranar narrates that “Ramasamy was a great “Minor” (flirt) before he ventured into public life. His friends will joke about his ‘minor’ exploits quite quirkily. Sometimes he (EVR) would also talk about it. In those days, EVR was mostly in the houses of prostitutes – entering and departing. There were many partners for this. Ramasamy and his associates would go to the banks of River Cauvery with a group of prostitutes during the lunar nights. They would spend the whole night in the river ‘having fun’ and return home only early in the morning. The food for these meetings should come from EVR’s house only. Parents should not know about food delivery. For this, EVR will seek the help of Nagammai. She will, too, unbeknownst to the family, would cook the food that her husband wanted, and the food would be sent through the backdoor and taken to the Cauvery by a cart.”
Critics argue that such actions effectively turned the woman who entered the marriage into a form of slavery. They contend that EVR took advantage of her lack of education and awareness. This context raises questions about how someone like him could be praised for contributions to “women’s rights, women’s education, and women’s protection,” as TVK chief Vijay claimed.
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