No, UNESCO did not confer any award on Hinduphobic Periyar aka EVR; Fake image of EVR being a social reformer built by Dravida Kazhagam stands demolished

Thanks to efforts of Hindu organisations, the concocted image of EV Ramaswamy Naicker alias Periyar using false claims is falling apart. One such false claim made by Dravidian chauvinists and Dravida Kazhagam (DK) over EVR was that of a ‘Socrates of South Asia’ award given to Periyar by UNESCO. Using the claim, they portrayed Periyar as father as self-respect movement and against superstition. DK has been fooling the people for the past 30 years about the UNESCO award which has now turned out to be white lie.

It was claimed all this while that in 1970, EVR was honoured by UNESCO with an award, the citation of which reads “Periyar, the prophet of a New Age, Socrates of South Asia, Father of the Social Reform Movement, Enemy of Ignorance, Superstitions, meaningless customs and base manners”. The then Union Minister Triguna Sen and former CM M Karunanidhi presented this award to him in Chennai. Probe has now revealed that it was manufactured by the Dravidar Kazhagam and its patrons. They spread it through articles in all leading Tamil magazines, citations in several Tamil Books, biographies of EV Ramaswamy.

DK general secretary K Veeramani even wrote a book over this fake propaganda titled “Thanthai Periyar from the sight of UNESCO (Father Periyar in the eyes of UNESCO). Following objection by Jagannathan Srinivasan in his Facebook page with proof, Wikipedia has removed the reference on ‘UNESCO Mandram’ from the page of EV Ramaswamy. But the same still exists in its Tamil version. It debunked DK’s claim that Periyar was internationally recognised by the UNESCO. The false propaganda is still in being made by DK and its affiliates.

The expose is considered as a death blow to the Dravidar Kazhagam. It has sent a strong signal to the party that it can no longer sell Periyar as a rationalist, or as a reformer, or as someone who fought for women liberation, or even as a Tamil activist. It traded these fake ideologies all these years unopposed through its control over cinema, social, visual and print mediums. Oratory skills of Dravidian leaders espoused its ideologies for political gains. Based on the contrived built up image, lessons on Periyar were included in TN school and College Syllabus.

Social Media commentator Maridhas said DK has redirected its website Viduthalai.in to conceal the truth. He said DK had redirected all Karuppar Kootam’s derogatory messages, videos after their anti-Hindu narrative was exposed. “I demand that the police arrest Veeramani who was the prime person in the attack on Hindus and their gods through the Karuppar Kootam Videos. It had brainwashed the students by this fake UNESCO award and propagated their ideologies.”

Another white lie of Periyarites was about the Vikom movement. In 1973, the ‘Periyar statue committee’ was set up with government funds for a private entity which installed statues of the Hinduhobic EVR all over the state and in Vaikom in a land bought by the government. “Periyar was not part of the famous Vaikom movement against untouchability. It was a movement by Narayana guru, T K Madhavan, K Kelappan and others”, Maridhas said.

Maridhas further says that DK had fooled the nation by misusing the UNESCO and wrongly took credit for Vaikom movement. It is a big fraud. Periyar wanted a separate state for non-Brahmins and even wrote a letter to Jinnah. Jinnah replied “I have always had much sympathy for the people of Madras 90 percent of whom are Non-Brahmins and if they desire to establish their own Dravidasthan is entirely for your people to decide on this matter. I can say no more and I can’t speak on your behalf. This has proved his showed his separatist mind set”, says Maridhas.

Another claim by DK that Yale University conferred a doctorate on C N Annadurai is also a lie, says Maridhas.

A mass campaign has started in Tamil Nadu whose aim is to remove all fake news related to Periyar from text books. Demands have also increased to remove his statues from all across the state.