Category: Revolt

Marriage in Russia Mr. Harindranath Chattopadhyaya writes in “The People”: “Even that most superstitious institution of all, namely, Marriage, has been done away with. Those who have been taught priest obeisance and church worship would naturally imagine this to be a calamity. But let them not imagine that Marriage in Russia being abolished, chaos and immorality reign in its place. On the contrary there is a more sensible law that binds man and woman together than the stupid enforced law of legalized prostitution which we politely call marriage in India and elsewhere! It is the law of freedom – and...

Amanullah’s Afghanistan: Advance Afghanistan! India is watching with sympathy and hope the progress of the reform movement inaugurated across her borders by King Amanulla. A great deal has already has been said about the rapid strides made by Afghanistan in industrial organisation. Ambitious schemes for the development of roads, railway, motor and air transports are being pushed through at a terrific pace. Machinery has been planted and is worked by electric power for the manufacture of matches, sugar and other necessaries so as to make Afghanistan a self-supporting Nation. It is genuine economic progress and not mere splendour that is...

The Conference of Gods (Miss Gnanam) The chief Gods and the prophets of the world meet in conference at the Atmosphere Hall in Vacancy. After much discussion, Mr. Christ is voted to the chair. There is a large gathering of Rishis, prophets, avatars, Nayanars, Alwars and other deities of both sexes. The conference begins exactly at no time, and amidst loud cheers that Christ rises to deliver his presidential address: Goddesses, Gods, avatars and prophets, I feel it my duty of being the youngest of avatars and prophets, the gods present here to express my gratefulness to you for electing...

Itihasas (Adapted from the “Kudi Arasu” [1]) (By S. Guruswami) Excerpts Rama a youth of sixteen with the help of his brother Lakshmana kills on old woman. First Rama cuts away her hands, and then his brother chops off her ears and nose: and lastly Rama kills her with an arrow. What courage! What chivalry! What manliness! Two stalwart youths kill an old woman. We are asked to admire the disgusting details of the episode. The Tamil poets put the following words in the mouth of Kooni: “when Rama with the strong bow killed Tataka, a woman, he cast a...

Religious Education Mr. E. Maud Simon writes in the Literary Guide:- The president of the Rationalist Press Association has contributed to the correspondence in The Times on “Religious Education” but in those columns no reference could be made to the crux of such education at the present day, whether given in the school or the home. This lies largely in the question as to how far the supernatural origin and incidents of Christianity, the offshoot of Judaism, as recorded in a pre-scientific age when literary and historical accuracy are still to be taught to the young as accredited facts? If...

Debating Atheism and Nationalism: Spirituality Mr. Adam Gowans Whyte writing in the “Rationalist Annual” for 1928 says the following glowing tribute to the Hindu religion. “No one will dispute the high status of the Hindu religion. It is ancient – so ancient that Christianity is in comparison but a cult of yesterday. It has a mythology more elaborate, more fantastic, than that of any other faith. It controls the daily lives of over two hundred millions of people; and above all, its pilgrims have advanced further along the path of mysticism than the most ambitious adepts of Western religion can...

The Self-respect movement comprised a substantial number of atheists and freethinkers. They subjected religious dogma, the power of priests and the prevalence of obscurantist customs in the practice of all faiths to a penetrative social and political critique. Their atheism possessed an energetic and satiric charge: trained as it was against faith that appeared a travesty of reason as well as of human decency. Thus, the self-respecters objected as much to the use of religion to retain and legitimize hierarchies of caste, class and privilege, as they did to its irrationality. Atheist arguments were utilized in several contexts: to advance...

Mr. Gandhi’s Wavering Reply Our readers may have read Mr. Gandhi’s reply to a correspondent who seeks his advice on the steps to be taken about his miserable sister driven out from her debaucherous (sic) and dissipated husband (see above pp. 419-421). The poor girl is said to have been “whipped and ill-treated by the rake who has no sense of honour. She was tied to a post to compel her to witness his debaucheries”. The correspondent concludes his pathetic letter with a painful but pertinent remark on Hinduism. He says, “this is one of the most shameful aspects of...

Advance Sisters! The Annual Report of the Queen Mary’s College for the year 1928-29 gives the following figures of students: Europeans 19; Anglo-Indians 24; Indian Christians 49; Brahmins 86; Non-Brahmins 48; Mohammedans 8; and Parse 1. Though the total number of students may not be appreciably great, due to the causes referred to by the principal, we feel it our duty to point out the overbearing importance of the number of students from each community. We are glad beyond measure that there are eight students from the Muhammadian community in spite of the rigorous rules of pardha. We long to...

The Brothels Bill The Select Committee on the Brothels Bill has met during the last week, and several witnesses have been examined. We understand that the Committee will meet again in July or August in order to consider the Bill in the light of the evidence gathered. Almost all the witnesses, have dwelt, in the first place, upon the imperative necessity of some sort of legislation in this matter. There are only differences in methods of the “Suppression of brothels and immoral traffic”. Though we cannot be sanguine about the success of completely rooting out this vicious practice, we are...

Marriage or Consent Dr. Gour and Mr. Sarda are moving the legislature to liberalise the law governing the relationship of the sexes in our country. The one attempts to prevent the undue exercise of parental authority blasting the happiness of the young. The other seeks to raise the age of consent and protect womankind from being utilized by the stronger sex as the vehicle for lustful expression. Children are considered to be merely property meant to gratify the parental craving for domination. Women are but utensils intended to pander to men’s sensuous proclivities. Dr. Gour’s is a fight against the...

The Case for Hindu Law Reform: Women’s Rights in Hindu Law Mr. Jayakar said in the course of his presidential address to the 41 session of the Indian National Social Conference held at Calcutta on the 25th December last:- If the law had stood where the Mitakshara (ancient and influential treatise on the Hindu law of inheritance– editors) had molded it, or even if it had been allowed to develop on the progressive lines of interpretation adopted by the later Maratha author of the Vyavahara Mayukha (a 17th century law digest whose rulings prevailed in western India – editors), there...

Poverty and Birth Control (By B.G.) The need for birth control especially in a country like India, is an accepted factor and what is wanted now is a vigorous propaganda among the masses on the healthier ways and means reducing of birth. Of all the evils which oppress mankind, poverty is said to be the most appalling. Pestilences last their appointed season, and then leave us, but poverty the grim tyrant of our race, abides with us through all ages and in all circumstances. For every victim that war and pestilence have slain, poverty has slain millions and not slain...

Appalling Figures We give the following figures of the number of widows in India and the Madras Presidency according to the census of 1921. Let orthodoxy ponder over them, and say whether any religion has wrought such great havoc in any country. No. of Widows in India (under 20 years) 1 Year – 197 1-2 – 494 2-3 – 1257 3-4 – 2837 4-5 – 6707 5-10 – 85037 10-15 – 232147 15-20 – 17420820 Total   17,749,796 No. of Widows in the Madras Presidency. Women population – 19,246,104 Total No. of widows – 3,713,695 Widows under 30 years.  ...

The Marriage Question Mr Murugappa’s Marriage The success or failure of a movement depends more upon the results achieved, than upon the empty noise made by its followers. The marriage of Srimati Maragathavalli with Mr. S. Murugappa, Editor of ‘Kumaran’ following as it does, closely upon the heels of the Pattukkottai Self-respect Volunteers Conference, is a unique one in many respects. In the first place it is a love marriage, unlike other marriages among Hindus, which are mostly business transactions undertaken by the parents of the couple. It is again an inter-caste marriage which is very rare especially among rich...

Double Moral Standard (By Mrs. Muthulakshmi Reddy, M.L.C.) “Of all the laws, rules and regulations which down the centuries have helped to place women in a position of inferiority none has been so very powerful in creating in the minds of men and people a sentiment of scorn and contempt for women as the degrading idea of the double standard of morals.” It is from this there has sprung that worst attack on women’s dignity, that safety-valve theory that a certain number of women should exist, should sacrifice their self-respect, their honour, their comforts, their health and happiness to satisfy...

The Self-respect movement’s manner of resolving the women’s question in early twentieth century India was both unique and radical. Taking its cues from a variety of influences, including particular campaigns to do with birth control, law reform and reform of marriage practices, the movement advanced a critique of existing gender arrangements that threatened to turn them on their head. The history of the movement’s engagement with gender concerns is yet to be fully mapped. The pages of Revolt are important in this respect, for they chronicle the making of this radicalism, even as it was being articulated. The years 1928-29...

Varnashrma Dharma Vivisected (P. Krishna Iyer, B.A,) This South India seems to be a fertile place for every species of madness and quackery. And of all the fads and mischievous insanities that abound here, Varnashrma Dharma is the insanest and most mischievous, since it is the oldest fad practiced. It will die hard; It may not die without a kick. “A theory lives long after its brains have been knocked of it” said Leslie Stephen. Varanshrma Dharma theory continues without its brains crushing and mangling its victims like a juggernaut. Every sane man knows that this Varnashrama Dharma is midsummer...

Understanding Varna and Caste: Slavish Mentality (By B.G.) There is no doubt that the Non-Brahmins as a rule are wanting in Self Respect. The very word “Swami” with which any Brahmin is being addressed without any consideration of the status or age of the Brahmin shows the mentality of the Non-Brahmins. A small incident in a Brahmin hotel may interest our readers as to how far Brahmins arrogate to themselves a higher status in society. As soon as I entered a Brahmin hotel, with which I am familiar, I addressed a Brahmin boy of about 12 years, as “adai”. The...

The Saivaites Meet Tinnevelly has witnessed the august gathering of the Saivaites of the province. For the last three months, there was such a great fuss about the conference that we were spending sleepless nights as to what would result from a congregation of the great savants of Saivism. We were also one of those who were anxiously expecting some good results from the assemblage of the great Tamil scholars of our province. We thought that the Saivaites have begun to take a sincere interest in the idea of reforming their religion according to the present standards of society. We...

The Question of Temple Entry We understand that in pursuance of the resolutions passed by the Erode Devasthanam Committee (an official committee that presided over temple affairs – editors); some people of the depressed classes went to worship god in the Siva temple on Thursday the 4th instant. It seems the priest of the temple closed the doors and went away immediately. The worshippers then are said to have sat down throughout the night with the hope of worshipping god. The doors were not opened till morning. When the worshippers went out, the outer doors of the two temples were...

Travancore Government We understand from reliable sources that the Travancore Government have proscribed the Urdu journal. “Kranti”, which is published at Lahore. If what is reported is a fact we are sorry for the repressive attitude of the Government. The “Kranti”, the organ of the Jat Pat Torak Mandal is doing yeoman’s service in the sphere of social reconstruction. Its chief work, the breaking of caste distinction, by means of inter-caste marriages and inter dining is sure to be of immense benefit to the Hindu community. The mandal through its organ, is rendering such a great service to our caste-ridden...

A Bulletin (By Agasthya) Whereas a solitary Miss Mayo came from arose the seas and gave a fragmentary and wholly inadequate description of the ailments of Mother India, Whereas such inadequate diagnosis and consequent indifferent treatment has led to an intensification of the disease and have increased the sufferings of the holy Mother, Whereas the hold of orthodoxy has been thereby strengthened and the horrid “sacrifices” to Mother Kali have increased and embittered her, Whereas the immoral Code of Manu is still enforced as the law of the land, Whereas the obscene stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are...

Deepavali – A Drain A few lines on this heading appears to be necessary as the festival is to come off early in the next week. We chanced to come across in a certain English weekly that the “national festivals are a source of great inspiration and knowledge”, and hence people should “make them international and interreligious”. It is a pity that this amusing remark should find a place in a journal intended for the modern youths instead of adorning the pages of the “Punch” or the “Tit-Bits”. The writer has suggested a sure way for the attainment of knowledge....

Perverted Charities (By B. G.) Ignorance and disease are the main causes of human poverty. Attempts to eradicate ignorance and diseases are the best charities. Such humanitarian gifts as the building of educational institutions and hospitals are the real needs of the people but not the temples. The proverbial Dharidra Narayana wants bread and not stories. What do the half-starving and half-naked care whether Siva had a consort or Rama’s wife was abducted or Vivekananda excelled others in Chicago on Laws of Karma? Statistics show millions of cases of infant mortality and it is attributed to ignorance. Epidemics have come...

The Idea of Karma : A Spell Here is a paradox: A vast country interspersed with high mountains and wide valleys. Huge rivers encircle the land, fertilise and irrigate miles and miles of the plains. A long coastline borders the deep oceans. There are direct lines of communications with the very ends of the earth. The mines are rich with the mineral treasures. The fields serve as the granaries for the whole world. There is infinite scope for industrial and agricultural expansion. The people are hard-working, intelligent and brave. Indeed, all the contributory factors of prosperity and civilization are present...

The Lahore Letter (Lahore 21st June 1929) Dear Sir, The “Revolt” has interested us greatly. Its articles represent the true spirit of Self-respect, which the Non-Brahmins and others, the victims of the iniquities of caste system should imbibe in them. We are especially glad to note that the Self- respect movement is a veritable crusade against the present day institution of Varnashram or caste system as we call it in the North. We have been giving currency to your articles in the “Kranti,” and you will find one or two articles translated into “Urdu” and inserted in the next issue...

Self Respect Conference, Chittegain, Nasik : Dr. Ambedkar’s Presidential Address The first session of the Maharashtra Self-respect Conference was held under the auspices of the Samaj Samata Sangh (Social Equality League), at Chitegain on Sunday the 26th May 1929. The President elect Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, M.A. Ph.D., Bar-at-law with distinguished guests arrived at Khairwadi Station on Sunday morning. He was accorded a grand reception and was taken in a procession to the village where the Conference met. The Conference was attended by over five thousand people including ladies. Most of the gathering belonged to the depressed classes who have been...

The SNDP Yogam and the Self-Respecters: The S.N.D.P. Session We are publishing elsewhere in this issue a somewhat long account of the 26th anniversary of Sri Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam held at Kottayam on the 6th, 7th and 8th instants. The Travancore State has a population of about 40 lakhs, of which the Hindus count about 21 lakhs. Of the Hindu population, all the depressed communities number about 13 lakhs. Of this big figure, the Ezhava community alone has a population of not less than 7 ½ lakhs, which is more than one third of the Hindu population. The S.N.D.P....

Communal Conference Pseudo patriots and pseudo nationalists very often condemn communal conferences as being anti-national. The answer has been effectively given by the Nadars’ Conference recently held at Porayar. Those who have read the proceedings and the resolutions of the Conference will know how far the community has advanced in recent years. We suppose the resolutions of the Nadars will come as a surprise to the orthodox section of our people. The community which has been more particular about wearing the ‘holy’ thread, than the Brahmins themselves, has today passed a resolution for discarding it. The community which was set...

What Substantial Work? The Anti-Untouchability Sub-Committee of the Indian National Congress has issued a message to the Associated Press, where it has very cleverly stated, that “in spite of the fact that a good deal of substantial work has been done during recent years, much remains yet to be done for the removal of the disabilities of the so called untouchables”. We know the Indian National Congress, in its untiring work for these forty years and more, has done a substantial work in removing the untouchability, that the very pillars of the Congress Mr. Gandhi and Mr. Lala Lajapatrai have...

The Crime of Untouchability: The Curse of Hinduism We reproduce elsewhere in this issue one of the reports of the Adi Dravidas of Tamil Nadu before the Simon Commission. The grievances of the community are represented in a clear manner and the report gives a good idea of the inhuman treatment accorded to them on the caste Hindus. The position of depressed classes in Hindu society is nothing but a sugar-coated slavery. Hinduism boasts of its antiquity or its subtle philosophy but the curse of untouchability is enough to hasten its well-deserved ruin. The report the Adi Dravidas brings painful...

The Non-brahmin-Self-respect movement’s tireless opposition to the caste order and varnadharma is legion. Its radicalism is not without its debts, though and the pages of Revolt demonstrate its making. Periyar Ramasami was resolutely opposed to varnadharma and even while a member of the Indian National Congress spoke out against discrimination and the role played by faith and belief in obscuring and worse legitimizing it. When he dissociated himself from Congress, and began the Self-respect movement, he displayed a rare anger and courage in taking on what he habitually termed ‘political brahminism’, and which eventually came to be opposed by several...

What does the “Revolt” Revolt Against? (By Pothi)   The Revolt revolts against the tyranny of authority in all the spheres of life.   It revolts against scriptural suppression of Reason and sacredotal exploitation of ignorance.   It revolts against the baseless assertion of superiority by birth or sex, by caste, creed or colour.   It revolts against the inferiority complex of the Non-Brahmin as much against the assumption of superiority of the Brahmin.   It revolts against the bended knee and the upraised hand.   It revolts against Imperialism, earthly as well as heavenly, human as well as divine,...

Separate Electorates Mr. E. V. Ramasami Naicker has issued the following statement to the press: I am surprised to read the statement that Mr A. Ramasami Mudaliar has issued on the question of separate electorate. The statement is obviously made by Mr.Mudaliar in his personal capacity and not as a representative of the Non Brahmin party, though the “Hindu” and other Madras journals have utilized it under such headlines as “Non-Brahmin Leader’s views”. Communal representation in all matters is still the creed of the Non Brahmin party. The party was nourished and brought up on this principle. The party has...

The Raja Saheb of Panagal: Leader of the Non-Brahmins  A Life-Sketch of Public Activities:  Early life and education Raja Ramarayaningar came from an ancient Kshatriya family long domiciled in South India. A scion of a noble family with great traditions of learning and culture the Raja Saheb gave early promise of the greatness that he was to achieve later in life. His ancestors were Velamas who claimed to be the earliest Kshatriyas to come to the South and settle in the Telugu country. Born in 1866, he like other members of his family was taught Telugu and Sanskrit, in which...

The Non-brahmin as Citizen Reform ( By S. Uthanda Nadar) Social reform is one of the pressing topics of modern times that engage the serious attention of bonafide well wishers of Indian Nation. There were days, when a sincere social reformer, anxious to see a better order of things prevail in society, was beset with violent opposition of vested interests, as well as innate conservatism of people. But now, it is rejoicing, that happy signs of growing tendency on the part of masses, towards eradicating pernicious evils and flagrant abuses of society, are visible in many quarters. It has become...

Book Review: Bolshevism and the West by Bertrand Russell and Scott Nearing, published by George. Allen and Unwin, price 2sh. This is an account of a debate between two of the leading thinkers of the world on the subject “Is the Soviet form of government applicable to Western civilization?” Mr. Scott Nearing presents the affirmative of the proposition in three stages. Firstly, he maintains that the form of any government corresponds with the stage in social development attained by the people concerned. For instance, under the agricultural civilization of the feudal ages when one part of the population owned the...

Duties of a Revolutionary (1) (Periyar E.V. Ramasami) It would have been more appropriate if you could have chosen as your president one who is a firm believer in social reform. I am fast losing my faith in social reform as an agency for the regeneration of our country. The advancement of the country can only be through social revolution born of invincible courage and undaunted boldness. I have arrived at this conclusion after long and patient deliberations. I beg to tell you that I am endeavouring to serve the country by destroying the useless and harmful undergrowth that is...

Self-respecters and their Movement – Self-respect and the Elections “A general election is at hand”, says The Freethinker of London, “and this affords to all lovers of freedom of thought an opportunity to use their personal influence in the fight to secure that public administration shall be based upon justice to all citizens, independent of religious or other opinions.” This should be the motto of the Self-respecters also, as regards the coming elections in our country. The strength of any movement lies for the most part, in its success at the polls. Generally speaking, the result of the elections is the...

Khaddar (By Jeejay ) (1) Wilson’s Fourteen points were unlucky for him and disastrous to the Germans who built on them (the reference is to US President Woodrow Wilson’s speech in 1918; the so-called 14 points he defined became the basis for the German surrender in World War I – editors). Let us hope that Anil Baran Ray will have better luck with the fourteen articles of his indictment against Khaddar. But as it happens, Anil Baran Babu, has, to use an expressive vulgarism, got hold of the right end of the stick. Somebody had to speak the unvarnished and...

Poor Mr.Nehru! (By Politicus) A leader who does not know his followers must necessarily come a cropper. And that is what has evidently happened in the case of Pandit Motilal Nehru. Not only has the Pandit’s authority and popularity vanished all of a sudden, he is fast becoming the most hated person in the very camp of which he was the accredited leader till but a few weeks ago. To the thoughtful mind and the discerning eye, there is perhaps, nothing much to be surprised at in this unexpected turn of the wheel. In the very nature of things, there...