Periyar’s legacy is a guiding light for equality, self-respect: Aadhav Arjuna

CHENNAI: Public Works and Sports Development Minister Aadhav Arjuna on Thursday paid tribute to social reformer ‘Periyar’ EV Ramasamy on his birth anniversary, recalling his lifelong struggle for equality, self-respect and social justice.

In a statement, Aadhav said the first Self-Respect Conference, held at Chengalpattu, had declared that the notion of people being superior or inferior by birth must be rejected in its entirety. Periyar propagated this principle of equality throughout his life and served as a guiding light for the people of Tamil Nadu to live with dignity and self-respect, he said.

Aadhav described Periyar as a leader who took the idea of equality to the masses and fought relentlessly for social justice. He also credited Periyar’s movement with creating the circumstances that led to the First Constitutional Amendment.

Highlighting his advocacy of women’s liberation, Aadhav recalled Periyar’s words: “The first step towards human equality is a society in which men and women are equal.”

He also described Periyar as a steadfast opponent of Hindi linguistic dominance and recalled his message that a life of self-respect is a life of happiness.

“Let us honour the legacy of Thanthai Periyar, whose principles continue to guide us as a bulwark against caste and religious majoritarianism,” Aadhav said.

He called upon people to pledge themselves to the path of secularism and social justice without compromise, asserting that Periyar’s principles continued to provide direction in the pursuit of an egalitarian society.

Aadhav later paid floral tributes to Periyar by garlanding his statue and portrait on Anna Salai here.