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• • Periyar sent a telegram to Ambedkar from Paris advising him not to give up his demand for separate electorates for untouchables for Gandhi's intimidation.
  • Periyar said that he didn't learn anything new in Russia and in England.
  • Churchill who was the leader of the opposite party in England condemned that Gandhi ceding India to Brahminical hands would be a great threat to India.

Part 3: Why Did Socialist Revolution Emerge First in Russia, But Not in India?

MCPI(U) Marxist party has given a controversial statement that Marxists in Tamil Nadu did not perceive Periyarism properly. Following this, the party has announced its policies, and it cites that “the party has felt the complete need of Periyar and Ambedkar significantly in the present where caste and religious divisions are strengthening.” This symposium was organized based on this. The discourse of Kolathur Mani is as follows:

Periyar participated and criticized the labor party in the conference organized by the labor party in England. Followed by England, Periyar went to Paris. Gandhi underwent fast unto death against Ambedkar's struggle for separate electorates for India's vast population of 'oppressed classes' or 'untouchables', when Periyar was in France. Periyar, on learning the news, sent a telegram to Ambedkar. "Gandhi’s life is not greater than the lives of seven crores oppressed class of our country, so be determined and never back out from your decision”, stated Periyar in that telegram.

Periyar said that ‘If Gandhi’s death can bring good fortune for seven crore people, let him die if he wants to. Gandhi’s life is not sacred enough than the rights of these people. So, be determined and never give up on your decision even if Gandhi backs out’. Periyar sent this message from France in telegram.

Periyar returned to Tamil Nadu through Sri Lanka. Periyar’s notion can be studied after he visited all the communist countries and conversed with socialist parties in those countries.

In Sri Lanka, youths belonging to Sinhala communist associations welcomed Periyar while he was returning to Tamil Nadu. They welcomed Periyar first in Columbo, and then Periyar visited the area of Tamilians, and he stayed there for a week and then he returned to India.

Periyar shared his conception after visiting England and Russia in one of his speech in Sri Lanka. “In our country, we have differences like rich and poor, upper class and lower class, employee and employer, King and citizens. These discriminations are being continued generation after generations. What is the reason for this difference?”

Periyar urged people to think whether it is because of the administration of foreign government or because of not having self-government or as a result of not having altruistic government, rule of incarnation and rule of God. Periyar expressed that if we think without any bias, God, religion, casteism, patriotism would be the foremost reasons for the existence of these differences. People were being mesmerized in the name of these four attributes and made human society ignorant and enslaved.

By prioritizing their selfishness, they are ruling us being sloths. There might not be any reason other than this.

Periyar never changed his conception, and he strongly believed that capitalists are using casteism and religion as instruments to restrain people from the feeling of upraising.

The scenario might be different in other countries, but this is what happens here. Periyar told about brahmins that ‘Being affluent upper class, they were living idle without straining their body and enjoying pleasures by tormenting others’. In order to retain this luxurious state of life, they are using the propaganda of God, religion, patriotism and the nation as armour.

‘Communism cannot be achieved as such until we try to break this. Even if we cannot break this, we should at least try to moderate its effect’. This is the conception of Periyar even after visiting all the communist countries for nearly ten months. Periyar had the same notion in 1931, and it didn’t change even in 1933 after visiting all the communist countries.

In Erode, Periyar was invited by the Truth seekers society to speak about his journey to European countries. Periyar, in that discourse, expressed that ‘he did not learn anything new in Russia and England rather, he learnt that what we are talking here is right’.

Periyar spoke in Kottar Self-respect Society before going to Russia in 1931. He said that ‘if the wealth of rich people was ceased and given to poor, what would that poor do tomorrow? They would perform rituals like Gaya Shraddha rites, Madurai veeran Pooja, kavadi, anointing and lose all the money sitting in their home. As a result, all the crooked fellows and Purohits would become rich again’. This was told by Periyar before going to European countries.

Later in 1944, Periyar wrote an article under the topic ‘Communism or common rights’. He discussed many details in that article like there is no casteism in European countries, but they do have a class system. But that doesn’t affect people much. But what is happening in our country. He put forward a question that why Indian brahmins and communist people have joined hands? What is the reason behind this? Periyar also expressed how the Indian minister laughed at this question in England parliament.

Several political changes happened after Gandhi – Irwin pact in 1931. Winston Churchill spoke in a meeting held in Albert hall on the topic ‘Our Duty in India’ before the second round table conference. He was the leader of the opposite party in England. He said that India would be granted dominion status as the British have decided to grant dominion status to countries like Canada, Kenya etc. But Churchill strongly opposed the idea of granting dominion status to India and blamed the British government that they did not perceive Gandhi well. He stated that Gandhi is working to replace ‘B’ in British with another B.

Churchill expressed that Gandhi’s objective of freedom struggle is to substitute Brahmins in place of British. ‘If dominion status was given to India, sixty million people would be overruled and destroyed in the name of the downtrodden, and this would result in the destruction of a large portion of people. So, independence to India is not the need of the hour’. The gist of his speech was that dominion status could be given to Canada and even to Kenya but not to India.

Churchill, time and again, stressed that brahmin dominance must not be undervalued. Churchill addressed Gandhi as a half-naked pauper and urged not to grant dominion status to India, believing Gandhi, as it would be disastrous for the downtrodden people in India and Brahmins, would regain their dominance and take power in their hands. This was the conception of Churchill.

Periyar, in 1932 Stated the reason for the onset of the Russian revolution in one of his speech. He said that there was an Extortionism called Tolstoyism like Gandhism in our country. And the revolution started when Tolstoyism was destroyed, and he also said that revolution would break out in our country only when Gandhism destroyed.

In order to perceive communism and understand why communists currently in India didn’t not have complete insight into communism, it is essential to know about the conception of communist thinkers and Marx. Indian leaders in the communist party were aware of the problems in casteism.

We would have heard of M.N. Roy. He started a communist party in Mexico. He participates in the Third International Communist conference as a representative of Mexico’s communist party. Followed by this, he was sent to build a communist party in India. Then he restrained himself because of the difference of thoughts. He also opposed the dominance of brahmins.

He wrote a book called ‘Fascism’ in 1933. The book chiefly speaks about how the difference between Fascism and Brahminism is not properly understood. Many communists had such thinking.

(to be continued)

- Kolathur Mani, the leader of Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam

Translated by Maruvarthini P.

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