WHY DO THEY FEAR PERIYAR? THE TRUTH BEHIND A HATRED THAT NEVER DIED

Every society has one figure it never truly forgives—the one who refuses to bow, refuses to flatter tradition, and dares to ask why. In tamil Nadu, that figure is Periyar E. V. Ramasamy. Decades after his death, Periyar is still attacked, distorted, and demonised. Not because he failed—but because he succeeded too well. The hatred against him is not accidental. It is structural, ideological, and deeply revealing.

This is not about personality.
This is about feeling threatened.

1. CASTE ELITES WHO LOST THEIR BIRTHRIGHT

Periyar’s most unforgivable crime? Saying something shockingly simple:
No human being is superior by birth.

That single idea shook centuries of caste hierarchy. Brahminical dominance, hereditary privilege, and social monopoly were dragged into public scrutiny. For caste elites who thrived on unquestioned authority, Periyar wasn’t a critic—he was an existential threat. Branding him “anti-culture” became their survival tactic.

2. RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS THAT THRIVED ON FEAR

Periyar dismantled rituals, superstition, blind faith, and priestly mediation—especially where money and control were involved. When gods were questioned, intermediaries panicked. A population that thinks critically is bad for religious business. So he was labelled “anti-Hindu” rather than what he truly was: anti-exploitation.

3. POLITICAL FORCES THAT FEARED SOUTHERN ASSERTION

From sections of the old congress to later right-wing and Hindutva-data-aligned groups, Periyar was inconvenient. He opposed hindi imposition, North indian cultural dominance, and centralised power. His ideas strengthened a self-respecting, rational South indian political identity. That autonomy made delhi uncomfortable—and opposition inevitable.

4. MERCHANTS OF SUPERSTITION WHO LOST PROFIT

Astrology, rituals, godmen, fear-based belief systems—Periyar’s insistence on questioning and reasoning hit them where it hurt most: their income. “Ask questions,” he said. “Verify truth.” Entire industries built on blind belief began to collapse. Naturally, they fought back.

5. PATRIARCHS THREATENED BY WOMEN’S FREEDOM

Widow remarriage. Women’s education. Property rights. Sexual autonomy. A woman’s voice inside the family.
Periyar supported them all—loudly.

For male-dominated social structures, this was revolutionary violence. women being empowered meant men losing unchecked authority. That resentment still fuels attacks on him today.

6. RELIGIOUS NATIONALISTS WHO HATED HIS UNIVERSAL HUMANISM

Periyar didn’t worship the nation like a god. He questioned nationalism when it crushed human dignity. He spoke from a global human-rights perspective, not religious identity. For those who equate patriotism with religious obedience, this was unacceptable. Dissent became “anti-national.”

HOW WAS PERIYAR ATTACKED? NOT WITH IDEAS—BUT WITH DECEPTION

Unable to defeat his arguments, opponents resorted to manipulation:

• Speeches clipped and twisted

• Fake quotes manufactured

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• Memes and YouTube propaganda

• The lie that “Periyar divided society.”

In reality, he exposed divisions that already existed.

WHAT PERIYAR ACTUALLY DID

He didn’t divide society—he named its injustices.

• He challenged caste, not people

• He fought patriarchy, not families

• He opposed superstition, not spirituality

• He demanded self-respect, not chaos

• 
  

That is why his ideas survived attacks, bans, distortions, and decades of hate.

FINAL TRUTH: THEY DON’T HATE PERIYAR—THEY FEAR HIS QUESTIONS

Periyar is opposed because he cannot be safely worshipped, easily erased, or comfortably misunderstood. He forces society to look into the mirror—and many don’t like what they see.

You can vandalise statues.
You can distort speeches.
You can spread lies.

But ideas that awaken self-respect don’t die.

That is why Periyar still lives—in thought, in resistance, and in every uncomfortable question power wishes you wouldn’t ask.