The Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) has peddled a misleading and incorrect information that has already been busted about EV Ramasamy Naicker (hailed as ‘Periyar’ by his followers).
During the examination held on 13 July 2024, TNPSC included a question that states, “Who is certified as, “Socrates of South Asia” by UNESCO a unit organisation of United Nation?” perpetuating the propaganda endorsed by DMK and other Dravidianist organizations, aiming to portray E.V. Ramasamy Naicker (EVR) as an international leader. Despite repeatedly debunking of this falsehood, with the UNESCO itself putting statement that no such award was given EVR, TNPSC persists in promoting it.
துணை ஆட்சியாளர் துணை காவல் கண்காணிப்பாளர தேர்ந்தெடுக்க நேற்று TNPSC group 1 exam ல கேட்கபட்ட திராவிடியாத்தனமான கேள்விய பாருங்க மக்களே இந்த பொய்ய எத்தனை தடவை செருப்பால அடுச்சு ஓட விட்டாலும் திருட்டு திமுக @mkstalin திராவிடியா அரசாங்கம் திருந்துற மாதிரி இல்ல?@annamalai_k pic.twitter.com/PytHLfYTQ1
— பைரவன் V6 (@Bhairavan_) July 14, 2024
Did UNESCO Certified EVR as Socrates of South Asia?
No, for long, it has been said, written and ingrained in the minds of people that EVR was conferred with the title of “Socrates of South Asia” by the UNESCO. This had found its place even in school textbooks of Tamil Nadu and was even asked as a question in annual examinations and Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission exams. However, this award has turned out to be a sham. An email response from the UNESCO office in Delhi has confirmed that no such award/title was given to E.V. Ramasamy Naicker.
The issue was first brought to light by a person named Jagannath Srinivasan who back in May 2019 wrote in his Facebook post that ‘Periyar’ being awarded the title of ‘Socrates of Southeast Asia’ by the UNESCO was a sham. He had reported the false information mentioned in E.V. Ramasamy Naicker’s Wikipedia page following which the information was removed from the free online encyclopedia. This had irked the Dravida Kazhagam and its president K. Veeramani who in an issue of Viduthalai spewed venom against Jagannath Srinivasan by making casteist and bigoted remarks.
Later, Prabhakaran, the son of scheduled caste activist and BJP leader TADA Periyasami filed an RTI with the Tamil Nadu Information Commission asking if the fact about ‘Periyar’ getting the title from ‘UNESCO’ mentioned in the Tamil Nadu textbook was true. The Commission had replied that a private organization with a similar name had given the title. The fact is that the award was sponsored by Tamil Nadu UNESCO Mandram (no way related to the United Nations).
The issue gained the deserved traction after Maridhas, an independent YouTuber exposed in a video about the sham. He had stated that he received an email from the UNESCO office in Delhi that confirmed that no such award/title was given to E.V. Ramasamy Naicker.
For more than 40 years, this lie has been peddled with several articles and research papers on EVR written based on this lie. None in the media or those belonging to the ‘intellectual’ circle who speak of facts has ever opened their mouths about this blatant lie peddled.
Then who gave the award to EVR? It was none other than late former DMK leader M. Karunanidhi in the presence of Dravida Kazhagam President K. Veeramani, under the banner name UNESCO manram.
High Court Direction
Previously, a petition was filed in the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court in February 2021, seeking the removal of a claim from Tamil Nadu school textbooks that E.V. Ramasamy Naicker, commonly known as ‘Periyar,’ was bestowed the title of ‘Socrates of Southeast Asia’ by UNESCO, which is factually incorrect.
The Court instructed the committees responsible for textbook preparation to conduct a review and take appropriate action within 12 weeks. The petition, filed by advocate Muhammad Razvi, pointed out that certain Class 9 textbooks published by the Tamil Nadu government and some college textbooks falsely attributed this title to Periyar. Razvi emphasized that India is not included in the list of Southeast Asian countries recognized by UNESCO, thereby discrediting the claim of such an award to E.V.R.
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