Understanding Periyar

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 18 September 2025 “If god is the root cause for our degradation, destroy that god. If it is religion, destroy it. If it is Manu Dharma, Gita, or any other Mythology (Purana), burn them to ashes. If it is a temple, tank, or festival, boycott them. Finally if it is our politics, come forward to declare it openly.” ― Periyār “You cannot expect any rational thought from a religious man. He is like a rocking log in water.” ― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy September 17 is the birth anniversary of Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy, commonly known as Periyar. While he's often projected as an atheist and a hardcore irreligious person, he was actually a rationalist who believed that wisdom lies in thinking and the spear-head of thinking is rationalism. He was of the view that atheism is a knee-jerk reaction which could be as futile as theism because both are extreme and militant in nature. What one finally concludes after applying his/her rationality is an intellectual and rational decision. This cerebral decision could be in favour of god or against it. But coming to the conclusion that there's no god just because a few atheists believe in godlessness cannot and shouldn't be your independent decision. In other words, embracing atheism for the heck of it or for the sake of an atheist group will be a vicarious decision. This is wisdom and this is rationality. Periyar was a fluid and liberal thinker who never insisted that his words were oracular truths or Aarsh Satya (in Sanskrit). What to accept or discard is a personal decision based on one's power of reasoning, prudence, intellect (Vivek) and volition. He said, “I will not subject you to a restraint, in the manner of scriptures and ancient works, by stating that you should trust what I say, that my words are apocalyptic; and that if you do not believe me, you will become atheists and go to hell. If what I say is not agreeable to your instinct, knowledge, experience and inquiry, reject it.” Today's fashionable atheists suffering from schoolboy atheism often quote this statement of Periyar to buttress their point: “He who invented god is a fool. He who propagates god is a scoundrel. He who worships god is a barbarian.” But they don't know its context. So, they quote it out of context. He just quoted a line from the Pali Canon of Hinayana Buddhism that stated, " Devam Pacchham Iroti Par Dhamma" (God is a creation of primitive minds). The derogatory adjectives were added later and misattributed. This he (Periyar) said in a religious gathering in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in 1954. It's worthwhile to mention that Buddhism doesn't believe in any god and Hinayana, in particular, doesn't even believe that Buddha was enlightened. 'No one is enlightened, not even Buddha,' is the core of Hinayana Buddhism. Periyar was a social reformer who had no time for god and religion. He once famously said, "I abuse god and religion only when you provoke me to condemn them. I don't go on inveighing against your gods and religions." He wanted people to get rid of all irrational and unfounded beliefs and considered gods, religions, scriptures and rituals as the biggest superstitions. He wasn't anti-Brahmins. He was against Brahmanism. Periyar was a votary of free speech. He'd always say, “Every one has the right to refute any opinion. But no one has the right to prevent its expression." Today, Periyar is a much misunderstood man. Believers think that he cast opprobrium on theism and atheists quote him at random to bolster their atheistic views. He was beyond that and called himself Iish-Parangmukh (apatheist). Despite being friends with Dr B R Ambedkar and an admirer of Buddha's universal teachings, he was the first person who termed Ambedkar's Navayana Buddhism as Political Buddhism. Periyar never followed any sect of Buddhism, be it Mahayana or Hinayana, as a follower of Buddhism because he believed that Buddhism was a degeneration of Buddha's way of life and a travesty of Buddha's teachings. Had he been alive today, he'd have used the term Political Hinduism for this Sanatan Dharm. ----- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/understanding-periyar-ramasamy/d/136878 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism