Dravidar Kazhagam (The Self-Respect Movement)

The Self Respect Movement was founded in 1925 by E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker (also known as Periyar), a Balija Naidu. The movement's goal was to reject the brahmanical religion and culture, which Naicker saw as the primary tool of exploitation of the lower castes. It was an egalitarian movement that advocated for the abolition of Brahminical hegemony, equal rights for backward classes and women in society, and the revitalization of Dravidian languages such as Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam. Depressed castes organized numerous satyagraha movements across India to protest the ban on their entry into temples and other such restrictions. This article will discuss the Self Respect Movement, its objectives, and the impact it left behind.The Self Respect Movement was founded in 1925 by E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker (also known as Periyar), a Balija Naidu. The movement's goal was to reject the brahmanical religion and culture, which Naicker saw as the primary tool of exploitation of the lower castes. It was an egalitarian movement that advocated for the abolition of Brahminical hegemony, equal rights for backward classes and women in society, and the revitalization of Dravidian languages such as Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam. Depressed castes organized numerous satyagraha movements across India to protest the ban on their entry into temples and other such restrictions. This article will discuss the Self Respect Movement, its objectives, and the impact it left behind.