Thread by @we_r_indigenous

#MONOPOLY_OF_BRAHMINS

When are we to get into the right path of devotion to god? When I ask this, the Brahmins dub us as atheists. Believing these Brahmins and their hirelings, the ignorant people raise the cry against us that god is in danger, religion is in danger! Is behaving

in this barbarous way, theism or atheism? Whatever it be, we will not be cowed down by their hindering activities.
Whatever we feel right, we will boldly say. We say Hindu religion and gods are dreadful diseases. Unless they are effaced out of existence our people cannot and

country would not prosper. We say what we feel.
It is for you to think and act. We don’t compel you to believe what all we
say as the Brahmins do. They say that if anyone believes god he will go to
heaven. If anyone does not believe he will go to hell.

When I left the Congress

party in 1925, I realized that our politics was under the monopoly of Brahmins. In the name of struggle for freedom of India it is the Brahmins who played the major role. Their struggle was not for establishing a good government for the people. There was no common cause behind

the struggle. I was for crushing the Brahmin monopoly. I realized that god, religion and castes make them strong to exploit others and lead a happy life. I started the Self-Respect Movement myself and enlisted the co-operation of others. Congress pursued a policy of concentrating

only on political reform. It neglected the social field. In the name of implementing a constructive programme, the Congress wanted to grab power and establish political domination. While my main aim was social reform and as I was doing my best to eradicate the evils in the name

of god, religion, caste,
dharma and sastras (Hindu Doctrines), I had to take steps to prevent Brahmin
domination in politics.
My public life was multi-faced. My responsibilities increased. I had to
swim against the current. My work was in fact a very tough one. If I counter the

Brahmins politically, they made a march in the social field. If I countered them in the social field, they cleverly made a march in the political field. I had to arouse the feelings of the innocent Dravidian people in both the fields.

I had to face a lot of difficulties in this

task.
With all that, there was yet another trouble to me from my own men.

Those who have become my followers attained maturity in many matters and
gained publicity among the public. They became pawns in the hands of the
enemies.
Many actually opposed me and my work. I could

only say that they did so as Prahaladan or Vibishanan did. After serving the public for 40 years I don’t find any other reason for their acts. It is for the wise people to assess the value of my service in the past 40 years.

#Collected_Works_of_PERIYAR_E_V_R #Compiled_by_Dr_K_Veeramani

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