2018 ‘Periyar’ Award-winning Tamil director Gopi Nainar has announced that he is returning his award, accusing Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) and ‘Periyar’ists of hypocrisy. He pointed out that while the organization praise Dalit rights in films, they vilify and publicly insult those who fight for them in real life. Nainar also called out Dravidar Kazhagam for its dictatorial and fascist stance, stating that when its ideology and activism are questioned democratically—especially by a Dalit activist—it responds with hostility rather than open discussion.
In a social media post, Gopi Nainar expressed his frustration, stating, “I am being slandered in public by Periyarist thinkers for demanding housing for Dalits and preventing the encroachment of their lands. If I oppose and question an organization that claims to be democratic in a democratic way, it confronts me with a dictatorial mindset. Such environment makes me fear for my life to live among people with this dictatorial mindset. I believe this is the condition of Dalits all over Tamil Nadu. When a Dalit raises political questions with a democratic mindset, it enrages Periyarist thinkers and Dravidian ideologues in Tamil Nadu. This is nothing but dictatorial mindset.”
He expressed concern that taking such a stance against them could even lead to his murder in the future and stated, “In this context, as I am who is being severely insulted today may also be killed by them in the future. There is no big difference between the massacre of intellectuals, social activists, artists and the murder that is happening all over India and the murder that will happen to me in the future.”
He further compared his situation to the targeting of intellectuals, activists, and artists across India. Referring to his film Aram, he stated that the movie highlights how the government does little to help the oppressed. The Dravidar Kazhagam had praised the film and awarded him the Thanthai Periyar Award, but now, when he actively fights for the rights of the oppressed, the same group treats him as an enemy.
Highlighting the Dravidar Kazhagam’s hypocrisy, he said, “I directed the film Aram. The theme of the movie which conveys the idea that the government does nothing when oppressed people suffer. That is why Dravidar Kazhagam praised me and honored me with the Thanthai Periyar Award. However, this now feels humiliating as I actively lead struggles for oppressed Dalit people. The same Dravidar Kazhagam that celebrated Aram by giving me an award now portrays me as an enemy of society when I attempt to implement it in real life.”
Declaring that this contradiction humiliates him, he said, “For such reasons, I am returning the Periyar Award given to me by the Dravidar Kazhagam for the film Aram, with the spirit of struggle of Periyar, Ambedkar, and Marx.”
என்றும் பெரியார் அம்பேத்கர் மார்க்ஸ் போராட்ட உணர்வோடு pic.twitter.com/nU8CnA80Bn
— Gopi Nainar (@GopiNainar) March 20, 2025
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