CHENNAI: Scholars and academicians gathered here for a two-day national conference organised by the School of History and Tourism Studies of Tamil Nadu Open University (TNOU), that began on Wednesday.
The conference on ‘Reformers and revolutionaries of South India and their contributions to social change’ will witness paper presentations and discussions by scholars from universities in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, on various themes such as the concept of social change and social justice in Indian history, role of social reformers like Basaveswara of Karnataka, Kanuparti Varalakshamma, Annie Besant, Christian missionaries and the contribution of Tamil writers and thinkers.
Seeking to define the differences between reformers and revolutionaries, Rev G Joseph Anthony Samy, principal, Loyola College, quoted Brazilian archbishop Helder Camara’s famous words: “When I feed the poor, I am a saint; when I ask why they are poor, I am a revolutionary.” In this context, he also recalled the methods and philosophy of the moderates and extremists of the Indian National Congress during India’s freedom struggle.
While reformers like Raja Rammohan Roy and Swami Vivekananda were famous in history for their contribution to women’s emancipation and other causes, there were several others who remained unknown to the world. “However, we still have a situation of gender inequality in Indian society. I don’t see much change,” the senior academician rued.
Walking down memory lane, he recalled the murder of a young woman five years ago. “She was raped, murdered, her face was smashed, her body dumped into a garbage bin and set afire,” he said. “But nothing happened. Life went on. Is it because we lack awareness and boldness?” he wondered.
Samy traced the struggle of reformers such as Annie Besant, the lesser-known Lady Sadasiva Iyer and others in the 1920s, in their bid to get women the right to exercise their franchise and contest elections. Earlier, in her inaugural address, TNOU vice-chancellor Chandrakantha Jeyabalan said that it was people with courage and the drive to do something that had succeeded in bringing about change in society.
Madras University vice-chancellor R Thandavan, who made a brief appearance, expressed his appreciation for TNOU’s efforts in organising the conference.
