Visionary, rationalist, atheist, activist, social reformer, writer, doyen of Tamil politics, Father of the Dravidian Movement—E.V. Ramasamy, a.k.a. Periyar, was a man who donned many hats during his long and eventful political sojourn of nearly sixty years. Both intensely admired and hated, he fought, among other things, for abolishing the caste system and the emancipation of women. A political firebrand, he believed passionately and wholeheartedly in the ideals he upheld; through his actions, he won many supporters, as well as detractors. A depiction of the political, social and literary impact that this iconoclast’s views had and continues to have on his followers, this book is a fresh look at an extraordinary life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bala Jeyaraman started out as a software engineer, but that ended when he realized that all he wanted to do in life was stay home, read books and sleep late every day. After his engineering degree, he opted for masters’ degrees in history and English. He likes reading science fiction, fantasy, military history and books on Tamil politics. Please