Periyar E. V. Ramasamy

"Comrades, we are the original inhabitants and descendants of the race that ruled this land. We are second to no other race in pride, valor, intelligence, force and civilization. Yet a small group of barbaric, nomadic, non-working race of usurpers has enslaved us for thousands of years. This minority race had no weapons like swords. Yet they have reduced us to the level of beasts while they have acquired for themselves economics, politics and theology."

"We do not need to explain how the Aryans entered and settled in the Dravidian country (tira¯vit»a na¯» t»u), and subjugated and oppressed the Dravidians. Nor do we need to explain how before the Aryans entered the Dravidian country, the Dravidian country had a civilization and arts of the highest rank."

"Man treats woman as his own property and not as being capable of feelings, like himself. The way man treats women is much worse than the way landlords treat servants and the high-caste treat the low-caste. These treat them so demeaningly only in situations mutually affecting them; but men treat cruelly and as slaves, from their birth till death."

"“For more than 40 years, I have been describing Tamil as a barbarous language (Kattumirandi Mozhi) used only by barbarians. When Brahmins and the Brahmin-dominated government wanted to make Hindi a State language, I started, to a very limited extent, advocating the promotion of Tamil language only to oppose the imposition of Hindi language."

"The only language that ought to replace Tamil is English."

"What is not there in English which can be found in Tamil Language?”"

"Capitalists control the machineries. They create difficulties to the workers. Consequently rationalism, which has to lead the way for peaceful life to all, has resulted in causing poverty and worries to the people because of dominating forces"

"By helping the poor, we must be able to remove their poverty. By extending help to one here and one there in the form of providing food will not remove poverty"

"The word ‘Sudra’ which means ‘Son of prostitute’ should not find a place even in the history hereafter. We will not allow it to find a place in the dictionary or encycl"

"Because our ladies mostly attend Kalatshepams, (Religious discourses) they have fallen prey to the superstitions, blind beliefs, and immorality by the false and fictituous propaganda of the Brahmins"

"As long as we give room for domination and the dominators, there will be worries and worried people. Poverty and |pestilence will live eternally in the country"

"There is no use of simply acquiring titles or amassing wealth if one has no self-respect and scientific knowledge."

"When the purpose of clearly exposing the differences between the Aryan and the Tamil culture, civilization, conduct and creed Thirukkural was written. I am of that firm view."

"While all men are born as equals, to say that Brahmins alone are the highest and all others are low as Pariah (the Untouchables) or Panchama is sheer nonsense. It is roguish to say so. It is a big hoax played on us"

"I am accused of ruining the world. What is it I am going to gain by ruining the world? I do not understand what the Brahmin devotees actually feel. Will anyone carry on propaganda to ruin the world? I hope they would soon think with reason."

"Quoted in “Collected works of Periyar E.V.R”, p. 513."

"As there was no open opposition to Aryanism from the beginning, it grew in stages and made us degraded"

"Wisdom lies in thinking. The spear-head of thinking is rationalism,"

"You cannot expect any rational thought from a religious man. He is like a rocking log in water."

"Wherever we see a temple, we must go inside and break all the idols inside. Wherever we find a Paapaan [pejorative for Tamil Brahmanas], we must kill and destroy him… If one non-Brahmin Tamil dies while trying to kill one Tamil Brahmin, only three of us will die out of every hundred. Ninety-four per cent of us will still remain but Tamil Brahmins will be eliminated. We will definitely go to this level."

"If god is the root cause for our degradation destroy that god. If it is religion destroy it. If it is Manu Darma, Gita, or any other Mythology (Purana), burn them to ashes. If it is temple, tank, or festival, boycott them. Finally if it is our politics, come forward to declare it openly"."

"Man is equal to man. There should not be exploitation. One should help the other. No one should harm anybody. Generally there should be no room for grievance or complaint from anybody. Everyone should live and let others to live, with a national spirit."

"There should be no differentiation amongst the people. All should be treated as equals. On this basis the Brahmin must give up his false prestige. In the interest of the society. I say that the blind beliefs should be given up. If the newspapers “Hindu” and the “Swadesamitran” carry on false propaganda that I am communal, I am not responsible for that"."

"I have not talked of anything to despise the Brahmins, just because they are born as Brahmins."

"Brahmins cannot hope to claim a high and superior status forever. Times are changing. They have to come down. Then only they could survive with dignity. Otherwise they will one day be forfeiting their high status. It will not be by force. It will be just laws of the land and the people."

"I want the Brahmins to realize that the Dravidian people today are very much hating those who cunningly cheated them with absurdities. They are now aware of the particular community making a living by spreading the foolishness. People have begun to hate god, religion, caste, mythologies (puranas) and so on"."

"Those who still believe the Brahmins should take a serious not of the changing times and start leading an awakened life."

"Aryans made the Dravidians to celebrate the Deepavali festival, Rama's birthday, Krishna's birthday. Similarly the Northerners made the Dravidians celebrate August 15th as the Independence Day. That is all. There is no other benefit or laudable reason."

"If we have a girl at home who has attained puberty, some one should come and ask for alliance. Otherwise the girl will have to remain a virgin only. But in a Brahmin's house if there is a girl who has attained puberty the Brahmin will go from door to door seeking a bridegroom. This is the difference between the Aryan and the Dravidian customs."

"We see morality in speeches and writings. We do not find it in practice. We are having different regulations for the males and the females. Our code of conduct is unfair to women. Child marriage is abolished. If there is right to divorce, right for widows to remarry and if women are now given certain rights, we will not see prostitution in the country. It will gradually disappear."

"A male has the right to wander about as he pleases. He has the right to marry any number of girls. This practice has led to prostitution."

"Marriages should culminate on account of the wishes of the couple. It is their knitting of the hearts that should lead to marriages"."

"Village reform is not merely cleaning the roads, constructing schools and worshipping monasteries. It is not mere celebration of festivals."

"Money lending is a horrible profession. If we are to call it otherwise it is lawful plundering."

"Any opposition not based on rationalism or science or experience will one day or other, reveal the fraud, selfishness, lies and conspiracies."

"Foreigners are sending messages to the planets. We are sending rice and cereals to our dead fore-father through the Brahmins. It is a wise deed?"

"I want to say a word to the Brahmins, “In the name of God, religion, sastras you have duped us. We were the ruling people. Stop this life of cheating us from this year. Give room for rationalism and humanism."

"It is absurd to quote religion or God or religious doctrines to render the people as lowest castes."

"The Brahmins are making you fools in the name of god. He makes you have faith in superstitions. He leads a very comfortable life condemning you as untouchable. He bargains with you to offer prayers to god on your behalf. I strongly condemn this brokerage business and warn you not to believe such Brahmins anymore"."

"There is no Brahmin or Sudra (Backard Caste) or Pariah (the Untouchables) in England. In Russia you do not have Varnasrama (Casteism) dharma or fate"."

"People are talking high of Thiruvalluvar. But in practice they do not respect his teachings. They act against him and disregard him"."

"When Dravidanadu was a victim to Aryan deceit, Thirukkural was written by a great Dravidian Thiruvalluvar to free the Dravidians"."

"Thirkukkural was written to show a good path to the people to create values in life and to develop a good order in the society."

"The Jews are only interested in themselves, and nobody else. They somehow contrive to have the rulers in their pocket, participate in governance and conspire to torture and suck the lives out of other citizens in order that they live (in comfort). ... Are they not comparable to the Brahmins who too have no responsibility but have the rulers in their pocket, have entered the ruling dispensation and been lording over (all of us)?"

"“Buddha, Jesus and Mohamed Nabi have been reformers. If world needs peace, unity and tranquility all religions must be decimated. Yet, with existence of a religion if the world can get peace, then in my opinion, it is Islam.”"

"EVR termed Thirukkural a significant Tamil literature as feces. In his daily Viduthalai he wrote “Thirukkural is feces served in a golden plate. I am telling you remove feces and you are asking what to replace it with!”"

"EVR has taken a daring anti-Hindu stand under the guise of being an atheist. In his daily Viduthalai he has written “I’m not telling anyone not to worship any God. Worship a God like that of Christians or Moslems.”"

"“If you ask a Christian or a Moslem about their God, they say their God is good and benevolent. They say their God has no physical form. Why don’t you people have such a God?”"

"“Tomorrow if Russia invades India, I would rather support Russia and get shot or jailed than to support India on patriotic grounds, not even a minute.”"

"“There is so much in common with the original Dravidian religion and Islam. The Arab word for Dravidian religion is Islam. When the Aryan faith was sought to be forced on our people, the Prophet Muhammed revived our people”s original faith by means of Islam“."