In this month’s Research Spotlight, author, Karthick Ram Manoharan, discusses his essay on ‘Radical freedom: Periyar and women‘.
Can you tell us briefly what the article is about and why it is important?
Periyar E.V. Ramasamy (1879-1973) was one of the most important anti-caste leaders in modern India. As the founder of the Self-Respect Movement, he is seen as the key figure of the Dravidian politics of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Politicians, activists and intellectuals pledging allegiance to Dravidian political ideals claim to be inspired by Periyar’s emphasis on social justice and rationalism. In Tamil Nadu, he is a household name, often associated with his promotion of atheism and his radical critique of religion and caste. However, he was also a proto-feminist, and expressed his views extensively on the women’s question. This paper discusses Periyar’s approach to the women’s question in detail, making a comparative reference to the radical feminist Shulamith Firestone’s The Dialectic of Sex. A commonality I found between them was an emphasis on sexual liberation, a critique of imposed child-rearing and child-bearing responsibilities on women, and a welcoming of modern technology enabling women’s empowerment.
There is much discussion globally regarding the feminist movement; its origins, evolution, contemporary changes, and future prospects. The first three waves of feminism had social and intellectual impact globally. With the third wave of feminism, and with the increased interventions of scholars from Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa, including racial and sexual minorities in the West, the older ideas of feminism began to be critically explored. Issues of intersectionality, culture, race, caste, sexual orientation and colonialism began to be centered in feminist discussions. What I found fascinating about Periyar is that his thoughts anticipate many of these discussions. Periyar believed that the oppression of women was informed by caste, culture, religion and language, but was also irreducible to the same. He was not in favor of attempts to subsume the women’s question to the anti-colonial, nationalist, or even the anti-caste programme, and viewed it as an issue to be dealt with in its own right. I believe Periyar’s thoughts on women will be of much relevance to global debates on feminism.
What inspired you to investigate this subject and write this article?
S. Anandhi’s essay “Women’s Question in the Dravidian Movement, c. 1925–1948” published in Social Scientist in 1991 was an inspiration for me to pursue this subject. This essay was one of the earliest academic works to explore Periyar’s approach to women. The extensive new primary material of Periyar’s works that were published in the volumes of the Periyar Kalanjiyam in recent years were a treasure trove for my research. I wanted to build on the landmark work of earlier scholars, updating with new primary material, to provide a more comprehensive account of Periyar’s gender politics. I find Periyar himself to be quite inspiring. An autodidact with no formal education beyond the age of 12, his positions on a variety of social issues, especially women’s liberation, are quite radical. The possibility that my work might inspire other scholars to pursue new research on Periyar and gender has further motivated me. As indicated in the conclusion of the essay, I was particularly interested in how the new generation of feminists and LGBTQ activists might engage with Periyar’s thoughts.
What were the outcomes of your research?
The key outcome of this research was to demonstrate how Periyar went beyond legal measures for women’s rights (including access to education, property, and equality before law) and emphasized women’s liberation and autonomy, referring to hitherto unused primary material of Periyar.
Why is Open Research important to you?
I have found that open access research generally is more impactful, allowing authors and researchers to reach a wider audience beyond just specialist readership. Further, there are increased possibilities of getting constructive feedback. I have been contacted with some very positive comments about my article on Open Research Europe.
What motivated you to publish with Open Research Europe?
I submitted my article for Open Research Europe as soon as the platform was launched. Apart from my commitment to the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) fellowship to publish in open access journals, I found the idea of Open Research Europe to be very exciting in its approach to accessibility. Further, the support offered to MSCA authors and the prompt responses by the editorial team to queries and problems was very encouraging. I hope to publish again with Open Research Europe in the future.
What are your next steps?
This research article on Periyar and women is part of my broader research to provide a systematic account of the political thought of Periyar. One of my project outputs is a monograph titled Periyar: A Study in Political Atheism, which examines Periyar’s critique of religion and political theology. Furthermore, I am looking to provide a larger picture of Periyar’s political thoughts, covering his views on nationalism, colonialism, caste, religion, language, identity and, of course, gender. My article on Open Research Europe is a big step in that direction.
Interested in reading the article? Find out more about the research here.
