CHENNAI: Following the unveiling of Periyar’s portrait at Oxford University to mark the centenary of the self-respect movement, the University of Madras, in association with the Dravidian Historical Research Centre, organised a two-day symposium titled ‘A century of self-respect: Periyar and the legacy of the Dravidian movement’ on September 11 and 12.
Speakers on Thursday included Manoj Mitta, author of Caste Pride, Congress leader S Peter Alphonse and Indus researcher R Balakrishnan, who addressed various aspects of the movement and its continuing relevance.
In the inaugural session, Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani said casteism dehumanised individuals, while the self-respect movement sought to “re-humanise” society. Referring to Chief Minister MK Stalin’s participation at Oxford, he said Periyar, though not formally educated, was now being studied in universities worldwide for his relentless fight against caste discrimination, untouchability and inequality, all aimed at creating a casteless society.
DMK MP A Raja noted that both the self-respect movement and the RSS were founded in 1925 but represented opposing ideologies. He said the RSS resisted constitutional values from the beginning, while the self-respect movement upheld them. The centenary, he stressed, must prepare people for the ongoing ideological battle to protect the Constitution. Sessions on Friday will feature speakers including Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain and G Sundar, director of the Roja Muthiah Research Library.