Thanthai Periyar’s visit to Malaysia

by Mukilan Murugasan

Thanthai Periyar visited Malaysia twice; the first visit was in 1929 and he second visit in 1954. During his first in 1929, his first wife Madam Nagammai accompanied him. Madam Maniammai as Thanthai Periyar’s “caretaker wife” during his old age accompanied him in the second visit in 1954.

In 1929, the then Singapore’s leading reformist A.C. Suppiah along with his friends G.G. Sarangapany, K.Thamotharan and, K.Ramalingam made preparations to bring Thanthai Periyar to Malaya to take part in the All-Malaya Tamil Conference. A total of RM20, 000 was raised for this conference. In 1929, RM20, 000 is considered a large sum and raising such a large sum is a mammoth task as most of the Tamil community is laborers with meager income. However, there was another group working behind the scenes to prevent Thanthai Periyar from visiting Malaya by labeling him as an atheist.

K. Narasima Iyangran, a Brahmin wrote in the Tamil Nesan that Thanthai Periyar is an atheist and his visit to Malaya will cause a major unrest and therefore should be sent back to Tamilnadu. The same sentiment was echoed by several other Tamil newspapers and by those who oppose Thanthai Periyar’s self-respect ideology. They distributed leaflets throughout Penang boycotting Thanthai Periyar.

When the ship ‘Rajula’ harbored at the Penang port, Thanthai Periyar and his aides were barred from leaving the ship by this group of Tamils.

After hearing news that there are groups protesting Thanthai Periyar’s visit to Malaya, the Perak Tamil Reform Association's committee members, G. Sarangapany from Singapore, A.C. Suppiah and, Govindasamy met the British authorities and assured them that the committee will assume full responsibility, should there be any untoward incident due to Thanthai Periyar’s speeches. With the help of the British authorities Thanthai Periyar was allowed to leave the ship on 10 December 1929 and continued with his tour in Malaya.

Thanthai Periyar subsequently, officiate the Perak Tamil Reform Associations conference in Ipoh and spoke for three hours touching on a variety of topics ranging from blind beliefs, caste, social justice and rationalism. Unperturbed by the opposition, Thanthai Periyar continued with his tour and spoke at functions specially arranged for him throughout Malaya in an attempt to enlighten the masses. From Penang to Singapore, Thanthai Periyar spoke at 29 public rallies in Ipoh, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Prai, Kuala Kangsar, Taiping Muar, Johor Baru, Batu Pahat, Malacca, Tampin, Kuala Kubu, Tanjong Malim, Sungai Siput, Sungai Petani, Telok Intan and Kampar before leaving to India.

                        “Why suffer the throes of casteism in a land where everyone has the chance to be the master of his own destiny?”  he had asked. “Forge ahead. Seek education. Strive for economic strength. That’s all that matters.”        

Thanthai Periyar’s speeches brought some changes among Tamils who were suppressed by their caste and those who were working for the British as coolies. Self-respect movements were established throughout Malaya to reform the Tamils. Thanthai Periyar’s visit to Malaya in 1929 created strong reformist impulses which led to the formation of Adi Dravidar Sangam in 1929 in Batu Pahat and Johor Bahru, Tamilar Sirthirutha Sangam (Tamil Self-Respect Association) in 1930, Pan Malaysian Dravidian Association and eventually Malaysian Dravidian Association in 1946. Magazines, newspapers and journals such as “Kudiarasu”, “Viduthalai”, “Puratchi”, and “Pagutharivu” published by Thanthai Periyar’s Self-Respect Movement in Tamilnadu were imported in large scale. Thanthai Periyar’s visit further led to publication of 5 Tamil and English newspapers namely Munnetram, Sirthirutham, Tamil Murasu, Reform and Indian Daily Mail. Reform and Indian Daily Mail was published in English. In Singapore, G. Sarangapany propagated Thanthai Periyar’s principles through all the above newspapers.

In 1954, the All Malaya Dravidian Association took charge of Thanthai Periyar’s visit and organized public rallies throughout Malaya. This time he visited Penang, Prai, Sungai Rumbai, Alor Star, Taiping, Kuala Kangsar, Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, Seremban, Banting, Port Dickson, Kajang, Muar and Pasir Panjang. Thanthai Periyar spoke in all the rallies and enlightened the masses on the variety of areas that they are being suppressed. In every rally Thanthai Periyar without fail reminded the Tamils to make Malaya as their home and work towards the country’s progress. He also urged them to seek education and also set up their own business instead of remaining as laborers forever.

Periyar’s visit to Malaya in 1929, led to proliferation of Tamil associations, dedicated to religious and social reform associations which were often led by teachers and journalists. The writings of C.N. Annadurai, Kalaingar M. Karunanidhi and other leaders from Dravidar Kazhagam also emancipated self-respect thoughts among the Tamils in Malaysia and contributed to the formation of self-respect associations.