Periyar > Quotes

“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.”
― Periyār

“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?”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“Every one has the right to refute any opinion. But no one has the right to prevent its expression.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“Only education, self-respect and rational qualities will uplift the down-trodden.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“யார் சொல்லியிருந்தாலும் எங்கு படித்திருந்தாலும் நானே சொன்னாலும் உனது புத்திக்கும் பொது அறிவுக்கும் பொருந்தாத எதையும் நம்பாதே”
― பெரியார் ஈ.வெ.ரா.

“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.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“Man treats woman as his own property and not as being capable of feelings, like himself.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“Decide for yourselves as to what you should thing of those who say there is God, that he is the preserver of justice and that he is the protector of all, even after seeing the practice of untouchablity in the form of man being banned from human sight and contact, from walking into the streets, from entering the temples and drawing water from a tank, is rampant in the land, and yet that land is not spared from being razed by an earthquake, burnt by the fiery lava of a volcano, engulfed in a deluge from the ocean, submerged in the chasm of the earth, or fragemented by thunder-storm.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“Saying that strength, anger and leadership are men's inherent qualities and calmness, silence and caring are women's qualities is nothing else but saying that bravery, force, anger and leadership belong to the tiger and calmness, silence and caring belong to the goat. The women's right we demand is that men should accept that women also possess bravery, strength, anger and leadership quality like men. Further, in our opinion both the sexes should have all the qualities mentioned … only that would lead to the development of human society.”
― Periyār, பெண் ஏன் அடிமையானாள்?

“Women in India experience much worse suffering, humiliation and slavery in all spheres than even the untouchables.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“The terms `Husband' and `Wife' are inappropriate. They are only companions ad partners. One does not slave for other. They both have equal status.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“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.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“Till the end of my life, I shall never canvas for a vote. I shall not even expect a word of praise from any quarter.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“எங்காவது பூனைகளால் எலிகளுக்கு விடுதலை உண்டாகுமா? எங்காவது நரிகளால் ஆடு, கோழிகளுக்கு விடுதலை உண்டாகுமா? எங்காவது வெள்ளைக்காரர்களால் இந்தியர்களுக்குச் செல்வம் பெருகுமா? எங்காவது பார்ப்பனர்களால் பார்ப்பனரல்லாதவர்களுக்கும் சமத்துவம் கிடைக்குமா என்பதை யோசித்தால் இதன் உண்மை விளங்கும். அப்படி ஒருக்கால் ஏதாவது ஒரு சமயம் மேற்படி விஷயங்களில் விடுதலை உண்டாகி விட்டாலும்கூட ஆண்களால் பெண்களுக்கு விடுதலை கிடைக்கவே கிடைக்காது என்பதை மாத்திரம் உறுதியாய் நம்பலாம்.”
― Periyār, பெண் ஏன் அடிமையானாள்?

“You cannot expect any rational thought from a religious man. He is like a rocking log in water.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“We do not need to explain how the Aryans entered and settled in the Dravidian country, 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.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“Therefore, one can observe true chastity, natural chastity, and independent chastity among the people only when these cruelties are removed and never through compulsions, a different canon for the two sexes, and commandments written by the mighty for the weak that produce only slavish chastity and enforced chastity.”
― Periyār, பெண் ஏன் அடிமையானாள்?

“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.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“Why should anyone, in the name of caste, be considered lowly or be made to do a mean job?. If all in the country are given education, can there exist a caste for doing mean work? It is not because of lack of education that those people are constrained to do contemptible work and are considered lowly?”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“Wisdom lies in thinking. The spear-head of thinking is rationalism.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“People are talking high of Thiruvalluvar. But in practice they do not respect his teachings. They act against him and disregard him.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“In the Kural there is a chapter on invocation to God. But there is no place in it for principle of idol worship.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“To discard what is unwanted, and to retain what is needed, is what reform means.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“The duty and the responsibility of a rationalist is to thoughtfully and promptly carry out his actions, in fraternal affection, without considering country, language, God, religion and caste.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“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.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“Many crores of rupees are squandered in this country by way offering gratitude to God and bribing Him to gain greater and greater wealth.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“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.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“Our thoughts of literary renaissance should always center themselves on the removal of superstition, meanness, indignity and ignorance.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“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.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

“Whomsoever I love and hate, my principle is the same. That is, the educated, the rich and the administrators should not suck the blood of the poor.”
― Periyar E.V. Ramasamy