Maniammai Periyar

• Maniammai was born on 10^th March 1920 at Vellore and her original name was Gandhimathi.
• Her father Kanaga Sabai’s friend as well as a special Tamil loyalist Ku.Mu.Annal Thango named Gandhimathi as ‘Arasiyal Mani’.
• She was a member of the Justice Party, which was renamed Dravidar Kazhagam in 1944 at Salem.
• She had been a student of the Self-Respect movement since her childhood, and a great admirer of Periyar.
• Over the next few years, Maniammai grew to be one of Periyar’s most trusted followers.
• Maniammai was essentially Periyar’s caretaker. She accompanied him on all his tours.
• In 1946, Periayar appointed Maniammai as the publisher of ‘Viduthalai’ newspaper.
• She wrote articles about many issues ranging from samasthanam to Siddhar songs.
• The first part of her article 'Kandapuranamum Ramayanamum Ondre' was published in 1944 and the second part was released in the kudiyarasu magazine in 1947.
• Despite the government banned the anti-Hindi protests in 1948, Maniammai protested against it and was arrested in Kumbakonam.

• When judges in court enquired about religion and caste of Maniammai, she answered that she doesn’t have any religion and that she belongs to “Dravidian Caste”. She was awarded imprisonment for answering in the radical way.
• She was also arrested for participating in protest against ‘Bramanaal Café’ (Brahmin’s café) restaurant.
• Strong trust in her commitment to the organisation led to Periyar’s decision to make Maniammai his legal heir.
• In 1949, he announced the Maniammai (Not yet his wife) would be his political heir. He said that he planned to make her the trustee of the party funds too.

• By 1949, Periyar and Maniammai had a registered marriage. Many members of the party were repulsed by this marriage, probably due to the age difference.
• At that time, women were not given right to property. So, Periyar could not give his properties to Maniammai if she was his adopted child. Therefore, to validate her share in his property in legal terms, Periyar married Maniammai.
• Periyar also said “This wedding is to give legal validity to Maniammai not in the normal terms. It doesn’t mean she is my lifetime slave”.
• Already C.N.Annadurai had strained relationship with Periyar over multiple issues like wearing black shirt, debating if independence day is a day to be happy or grieve, Periyar’s interest over election centric politics. So, when Periyar married Maniammai, Annadurai announced his exit from Dravidar Kazhagam.
• After that C.N.Annadurai started DMK on September 17, 1949. He announced beginning of the party in a meeting held at Robinson park in Royapuram (Chennai).
• When the Tamils were attacked by Shiv Sena in Bombay in 1967, Periyar created the Shiv Sena Resistance Committee, in which she was also a member of the Committee.
• After Periyar’s death, Maniammai became the leader of the Dravidar Kazhagam for five years until her own death in 1978.
• Many regards her as Tamil Nadu’s first woman political leader.
• She began to tour around the state and consolidate the party at a time when many members were looking to shift to the Congress or the DMK.
• In 1974 she presided over Ravana Leela which creating evoking response from the masses as well as the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
• On 30th October 1977 she shown black flag to then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and was arrested and ordered imprisonment for six months.
• Maniammai also played a big role in carrying out Periyar’s welfare measures.
• Periyar had started homes of poor women and orphanages for girls, which he handed over to Maniammai to look after. Until today, the trust he started runs over 40 institutions in the state.
• Prior to her death, she created a Trust on Education activities and transferred all her personal wealth into the Trust.
• This trust, created in 1974, has today running nearly 40 educational institutions mostly for women.
• Bharathidasan referred her as Annai, which means “mother” in Tamil even though he was over 20 years senior to her.
• Burning of “Manu smirudhi” the sanadhana dharma agitation exclusively by Dravidar Kazhagam Women wing to be held all over Tamilnadu at 10 places on march 10^th the birth day of Maniammai, the only women who lead the rationalistic Dravidar Kazhagam party.
• Maniammai handed over the Periyar's home in Erode to create memorial house to then Karunanidhi led DMK government, which was named as “Thanthai Periyar- anna memorial”.
• On September 21^st 1975, Maniammai unveiled a statue for Karunanidhi – the closest aide of Anna.
• She headed the world largest atheist movement.
• Maniammai passed away in 16^th March, 1978.
• She was succeeded by K Veeramani.
• The centenary celebration of this historic dignity begins this year.

• Tamil Nadu government announced a E.V.R. Maniammai Ninaivu Poor Widow Daughter’s Marriage Assistance Scheme to provide assistance to poor parents in getting their daughters married and to promote the educational status of poor girls in the year 1981-1982.

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