In 1929, a rally of the Self-Respect Movement happened in Chengelpet. For the rally, a flag was designed that had sun emitting four rays with the pictures of four leaders – Theagaraya Chetty, T.M. Nair, Panagal Arasar, and Periyar E.V. Ramasamy. This flag was designed by Thatha Rettamalai Srinivasan who also led the rally at Chengelpet.
Ten years later in 1939, Thatha Rettamalai Srinivasan started the Madras Province Scheduled Castes’ Federation with Dr. Ambedkar’s support. This federation took the form of a political party which was popularly and colloquially known as “Surya Katchi” because the party’s flag had a sun in it. A magazine for the Madras Province Scheduled Caste federation that was published from Gudiyattam near Vellore had for the first time carried the symbol of a rising sun emerging from two mountains (Rettamalai in Tamil means 2 mountains).
Now this can be washed off as a story meant to discredit the DMK. But, the truth put out here has been documented by Dr. Nirmala herself, who is the granddaughter of Thatha Rettamalai Srinivasan.
The history of Rettamalai Srinivasan and his contribution towards emancipation of Dalits has been marginalized and doesn’t find a place in the mainstream. Born into the Paraiyar caste he was a close associate of both Gandhi and Ambedkar. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of the scheduled caste movement in Tamil Nadu. He is the brother-in-law of Iyothee Thass, another prominent anti-caste leader. He worked as a translator in South African court where Gandhi was practicing as a barrister. It was him who taught Gandhi how to sign M.K. Gandhi in Tamil.
He established the Paraiyar Mahajana Sabha and represented the Paraiyars in the first two round table conferences held in London along with Babasaheb Ambedkar.
When the Temple Entry Disabilities Bill was introduced in the Madras Legislative Council in November 1932, Rettamalai Srinivasan described it as a modest and said “whether the God is inside the temple or not, but I am the original inhabitant of this soil and I must have the birth right or civil right to move anywhere and everywhere in my land weather it is a land or sea, road or temple”. When Ambedkar decided to convert to Buddhism, he issued a statement asking him to reconsider his decision. However, like Ambedkar, he too believed that Gandhi’s approach would not lead to upliftment of Dalits but was of the stance that legislations in favour of temple entry would definitely help in the amelioration of Dalits.
So, the original creator and the proprietor of the rising sun symbol was none other than the firebrand Dalit leader Thatha Rettamalai Srinivasan. But never has the DMK that lectures others on social justice has ever acknowledged Rettamalai Srinivasan and his contribution towards the upliftment of Dalits in Tamil Nadu. Not even on his birth anniversary.