Introduction:

The Self-Respect Movement was dedicated to the goal of giving non-Brahmins a sense of pride based on their Dravidian past which also meant denial of the superiority of the Brahmins whom he described as representative of the Aryans.

Body:

Salient features:

• The Self-Respect Movement was dedicated to the goal of giving non-Brahmins a sense of pride based on their Dravidian past which also meant denial of the superiority of the Brahmins whom he described as representative of the Aryans.
• Its aim as to achieve a society where backward castes have equal human rights, and encouraging backward castes to have self-respect in the context of a caste-based society that considered them to be a lower end of the hierarchy.
• Revitalization of the “Dravidian Languages” (that include Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Tamil).
• Social reform by the abolition of existing caste systems, religious practices for which he advocated inter-caste self-respect marriages without the need for Brahmin priest.
• Glorifying the Tamil history and language by appealing to people to give up the caste suffix in their names, and to not mention caste.
• Recasting women’s equal position in the society by empowerment to take their own decisions.

Outcomes of Dravidian Movement:

Successes:

• Anti-Brahminism and Self-respect Marriages were two important aspects of Self-respect Movement.
• The movement encouraged inter-caste and inter-religious marriages, along with that it also encouraged marriage ceremonies without Brahmin priest.
• Post independence, Tamilnadu passed a law and become the first state to legalize Hindu marriage without Brahmin priest.
• The monopoly of power and influence enjoyed by the Brahmins was slowly lost due to E.V.R.’s unceasing propaganda against orthodoxy. It filled with the sense of self-respect and above all selfconfidence, to fight against social injustice perpetrated by the Brahmins of the day.
• The practice of having separate dining places for Brahmins in every hotel or earmarking separate eating places in public feasts was slowly given up owing to the agitation of the volunteers of the movement.
• Owing to its influence, several people gave up their titles and took pride in publishing their names in Kudi Arasu.
• It was largely responsible for making an effective change in the social life of the vast majority of people through its ceaseless propaganda against superstitious beliefs, based upon religious traditions.
• It was instrumental in non-Brahmin communities of Tamil Nadu to create awareness amongst themselves, as one community. The Self-Respect movement brought the message of the Tamil Nationalism to the masses.
• Gender relationships were actively divorced from Brahminical patriarchy and women’s rights over their physical, sexual and reproductive choices were celebrated.
• Self-Respect Movement was not a mere social reformist movement. It aimed at destroying the existing Hindu social order in its totality and creating a new, rational society without caste, religion and God.
• The movement was extremely influential not just in Tamil Nadu, but also overseas in countries with large Tamil populations, such as Malaysia and Singapore.

Limitations:

• The Dravidian movement failed to liberate women as well as lower caste. It could not ensure equal rights for them.
• The ambit of movement was confined only to Tamilnadu.
• The Dravidian movement may have succeeded in reducing the dominance of the upper castes in administration, however, it has strengthened the middle castes which are the backbone of the rural economy.
• Without proper land reforms middle-class control rural economy which has kept the lower castes in a continued state of suppression.

Conclusion:

The Dravidian Movement played a seminal role in shaping the history of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu today presents a complex relationship, which intertwines a balance of power expressed through caste, populist mobilisation based on Tamil identity, and a penchant for welfarism in policymaking. The contribution of Ramaswamy Naicker (Periyar) in introducing social reforms in has been enormous and his legacy is still alive today in India.