A commemorative stamp and compilation of works by Maniammai, the late wife of Dravidar Kazhagam founder Periyar E.V. Ramasamy, was released at the Periyar Thidal in Chennai on Monday to mark the conclusion of her centenary year celebrations.
Releasing the stamp, G. Viswanathan, founder and chancellor, Vellore Institute of Technology, said: “Periyar has spoken about property rights for women, widow remarriage and so many other things. Today, 33% reservation for women has not become a law for the last 24 years. Political parties across the spectrum must support it. DMK should take this issue up." Mr. Viswanathan said that Tamil Nadu is lagging behind Maharashtra and Karnataka in passing anti-superstition law.
“In 2013, Maharashtra brought in the anti-superstition law. The BJP government in Karnataka has approved the law that was brought in by Siddharamaiah government. They have prevented all sorts of superstitions including rolling over the bannana leaves eaten by Brahmins,” he said.
‘Superstition rampant’
Mr. Viswanathan said that the superstitions in the society such as astrology, ‘asupicious’ timings have become the norm in the society. “Developed nations don’t care about caste or religion. Religions don’t need to be given so much importance and governments need not interfere or care about it. Only in developing and poor countries, people seem to care about religion,” he said.
Dravidar Kazhagam president K. Veeramani said that there is no need to worry about what could be the movement’s next step as the Dravidian leaders such as Maniammai had shown the way. He spoke about how Annai Maniammaiyar played a similar role like that of Periyar in ensuring that there was no rift among DMK leaders.
Mr. Veeramani said that former DMK general secretary K. Anbazhagan had admitted that the DMK leaders used Maniammai’s marriage to Periyar to break away when the real reason was the intention to enter electoral politics.
“Maniammai had appealed to the DMK leaders — M. Karunanidhi and Navalar Nedunchezhiyan — to resolve their differences. She wrote: ‘How will Ayya react to all this. I am not trying to fill his shoes, but since I have dedicated myself to his work, we are doing what he would if he was here,” he said.
