BJP Tamil Nadu Head K. Annamalai has hit the raw nerve of the DMK, Communists and Congress by quoting EVR’s (hailed as ‘Periyar’ by his followers) views about each of these parties.
His comment comes after his Srirangam Declaration where he declared that all statues and plaques bearing ‘Those who believe in God are idiots’ will be removed/relocated.
“Today, from this land of Srirangam, the BJP is taking a vow. Once the BJP comes to power in Tamil Nadu, the first task would be to remove that plaque and flagpole outside the temple. Statues of Azhwars and Nayanmars would be installed. Statues of Tamil scholars would be erected. Tamil scholar Thiruvalluvar’s statue will be installed. Those who sacrificed their lives during the freedom movement, their statues would be installed and worshipped. Not the statue which says ‘Those who believe in God are idiots’. As soon as the BJP comes to power, the BJP government would remove all such statues placed outside all temples.”, Annamalai had said.
Following this Annamalai gave a press meet in which he explained the rationale for not having such plaques outside Hindu places of worship. He quoted the very same EVR to hit back at the DMK, Communists, and Congress who have been simping for EVR.
EVR About Communism And Communists
Here is a list of instances and quotes from EV Ramasamy Periyar in which he criticised Communists and communism. The majority of the quotes were taken from the book “Collected Works Of Periyar E.V.R” by Dravidar Kazhagam’s current president, Ki Veeramani.
He claimed that Brahmins dominate trade union leadership positions, saying, “The leader of the Congress party is a Brahmin. The leader of the socialists is a Brahmin. The leader of the communists is a Brahmin. The leader of the Hindu Maha Sabha is a Brahmin. The leader of R.S.S is a Brahmin. The leader of the Trade Union is a Brahmin. The President of India is a Brahmin. They are all one in the heart of hearts.”
EV Ramasamy Naicker described Communists as exploiters, similar to foreigners, saying, “The communists have their office at a foreign place like Bombay or Delhi, they are only interested in exploiting us like the other foreign controlled parties. Janaskthi’s [CPI journal] editors are Brahmins and wherever Brahmin goes he is likely to support caste differences.”
EV Ramasamy Naicker stated that Communism is a useless ideology, saying, “Talking Communism without eradicating caste is like discussing higher education without the rudiments of learning.”
He claimed that the introduction of Communism into India would result in the exploitation of people who did not own land. “There can be no scope for Communism in a country, where there is absence of common ownership and rights. If attempts are made to bring in Communism in a country, which does not have common ownership and rights, it will only give room for those who already enjoy more rights to reap the benefits of Communism,” EV Ramasamy Naicker said.
He went on to say that the cooperative spirit will reign in the future, propelling society forward, and that communism is not required to teach this. EV Ramasamy Naicker stated, “One day or other the co-operative spirit will reign supreme making the society march on towards progress. It is not necessary that Communism should be fostered for that. Without talking a word about communism, you can make the society progressive with the help of mere co-operation.”
He went on to say that communism is a sham and that their only agenda is to criticise the rich while ignoring Brahminism and Varnashrama Dharma, which are promoted by people like Rajaji and political parties like the Congress.
In his speech delivered at Trichy on 21-2-1943, EV Ramasamy Naicker said, “All the talks on communism in our country is bogus. Our youths must keep away from such talks. What is the work they do? Their eyes are always on the leaders of the Justice Party. Their work is to criticise the Muslims and rich people. They are not worried about the evil casteism or reactionary propaganda of Gandhi. They are not worried about Rajaji who wants only the Brahmins to live happily. They are not worried about the Congress party that upholds the Varnasrama Dharma. They are not worried about khadhi being symbolic of barbarous age. The communists are dominated by the evil forces cited above. So I appeal to the youth to be aware of these communists. Communism here, as it is, is a sugar coated poisonous pill. Beware!”
On December 25, 1968, under the rule of DMK Chief Minister Annadurai, Tamil Nadu witnessed the worst massacre of Dalits, who were protesting for the pay hike. However, instead of criticizing the perpetrators of the crime EV Ramasamy Naicker criticized Communists who were with the Dalits during the protests.
During the Sembanur Kovil public meeting on January 12, 1968, just a few days after the massacre, EV Ramasamy Naicker said, “The Communists were responsible for the Nagai Taluk massacre (referring to Keezhvenmani). They were responsible for the deaths of 42 people.”
Blaming the Communists and asking Dalits to live within their means rather than protest for pay raises, EVR said, “Without telling you how the workers should live with what they have, the Communist comrades are trying to create riots and revolutions in Tamil Nadu and overthrow this regime.”
Aside from what EV Ramaasamy Naicker said about communists and communism, there are a number of accounts written by various authors about the atrocities committed by Communists.
To summarize, EVR and Karl Marx have nothing in common other than their long unkempt beard. So, Communists trying to defend and appropriate EVR only looks bad on themselves.
Let’s go to Congress
EVR About Congress And MK Gandhi
The Congress party in its attempt to keep the DMK in good humour has gone on to venerate and appropriate the very same man who had called for its annihilation including that of Mahatma Gandhi. Every year on September 17, the Congress party heaps praises on E.V. Ramasamy Naicker (known as Periyar by his followers) on the occassion of his birth anniversary.
Unlike the Congress party whose leaders are now idolizing the vile iconoclastic demagogue, EVR was not kind to them.
There has not been a single leader who has criticized Gandhi as rabidly and unjustly as EVR did. He had even called for the ‘annihilation of Gandhi’ and ‘annihilation of Congress’ along with the ‘annihilation of Brahmins’.
EVR in 1927 had said “My friend Ramanathan and I told the Mahatma (when we met him) that three tasks had to be completed for India attaining independence and self-respect. The first would be the destruction of the Congress party, the second the destruction of Hindu religion and the third the destruction of the domination of Brahmins. The third would automatically happen when the first two tasks were completed. Gandhi’s response was not to our satisfaction.”
EVR was someone who opposed the very idea of India and was dead against Mahatma Gandhi. He had called for a Dravidistan along the lines of Pakistan and also tried to collude with Muhammad Ali Jinnah for the same. However, Jinnah saw him as a threat to his own plans and showed EVR the finger.
In 1957, he had called for the burning of pictures of Mahatma Gandhi. He said “We were cheated by Gandhi. Our land (the Tamil land) has been enslaved to the Northerners and Brahmins by Gandhi. It is because of Gandhi that people lost all great qualities they had…(and) it is now impossible to live without being immoral, dishonest, deceitful and traitorous.”
In a speech made in December 1973, this is what he had to say about Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination – “These are our five principles—annihilation of God, annihilation of religion, annihilation of Gandhi, annihilation of Congress and annihilation of Brahmins…Before we could annihilate Gandhi, the Brahmins did the task for us“.
Though he expressed his condolences when Mahatma Gandhi died, he resorted to calling Gandhi names again.
In a rally held on 4-11-1973, Periyar said “Watch out for the people who are saying ‘Jai Congress’ & ‘Jai Gandhi’ they are implicitly accepting they are bastard sons of paarpans (brahmins). They are accepting that they are lowborn.
He had even called for burning Mahatma Gandhi’s photos and razing down of his statues.
EVR About DMK
The book “Thanthai Periyar’s Irudhi Perurai (“Marana Sasanam”), is a compilation of the last speeches of EVR.
Here’s a quote from Page 21 of that book.
“There is nobody, there is nobody to tell, there is nobody to think, what all are they (DMK) giving for a vote! He is giving away everything except his wife. For getting votes, he is not worried about this. Who? I am talking about the Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) folks only. Others would swear at me if I tell this. What is the necessity for DMK guys to do this? Why are they doing all these things? For him, votes are ultimate. He is not bothered about his wife or children. He believes that this will become the norm in a few days – to sell one’s wife and act in the interest of those who buy her – as power is important.”
This speech was quoted by Annamalai in back in September 2022 when DMK MP. A Raja went on a tirade against Hindus and Hinduism.
If EVR’s quote calling those who worship Gods as idiots and barbarians can be placed outside Hindu temples, then by that logic, his quotes on DMK, Congress and Communists should also be placed outside the respective party offices?
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