E.V. Ramasamy, revered by the world as 'Periyar' (The Great One), was born on September 17, 1879, in Erode, Tamil Nadu. Hailed as the "Messiah of the Modern Age" and the "Socrates of South-East Asia," Periyar's life was a relentless crusade against superstition, caste oppression, and social injustice. However, the fire of rationalism that burned within him was ignited by a single, searing incident of humiliation in the holy city of Varanasi (Kashi), an event that forever altered the course of his life and Indian social reform.

The Kashi Incident: A Nightmare of Hunger and Humiliation

The year was 1904. A 25-year-old Periyar, then still Ramasamy, embarked on a pilgrimage to Kashi, a city revered by Hindus. Driven by faith, he arrived in the city only to have his beliefs shattered in the most brutal way possible.

Overcome by hunger, he sought a meal at a free feeding dharmashala (charity rest house). His request for food was coldly denied. The reason? He was not a Brahmin. He was informed that the facility served only the "highest varna," and all other Hindu castes were excluded from this basic act of charity.

After starving for days, a desperate Periyar devised a plan. He disguised himself as a Brahmin, draped a sacred thread (janeyu) over his shoulder, and attempted to enter the dharmashala once more. But his moustache gave him away. The gatekeeper not only barred his entry but shoved him onto the street with contempt.

By then, the meal inside had ended. Leftover food on leaf plates was being thrown onto the street. Parched with hunger, the young Ramasamy was forced to do the unthinkable. He scavenged for scraps of leftover food from those discarded plates, eating alongside stray dogs who were doing the same. A human being was reduced to competing with animals for sustenance.

The Inscription That Revealed the Bitter Truth

As he ate in this state of utter degradation, his eyes fell on an inscription on the dharmashala wall. It stated that the facility was built by a rich Dravidian (Tamil) merchant but was reserved exclusively for Brahmins.

This revelation triggered a storm of questions in his mind:

• "If a Dravidian merchant funded this dharmashala, how can Brahmins prohibit other Dravidians from eating here?"

• "Why is the Brahminical class so cruel that it would rather let people starve than share a meal?"

• "How does this caste system have the power to take a person's life through hunger?"

He found no satisfactory answers. The humiliation inflicted by the Brahmin priests of Kashi left deep, festering wounds in Periyar's heart. The incident planted a seed of deep revulsion towards the Aryan race and its pantheon of gods, whom he saw as tools of this oppressive system.

Furthermore, his time in Kashi revealed a stark contrast between its "holiness" and the rampant unethical activities, prostitution, fraud, and begging he witnessed. His disillusionment with the so-called sacred city was complete, leading him to eventually renounce his brief stint with asceticism and return to family life.

From a Successful Businessman to 'Periyar'

Upon returning to Erode, his father handed over the family business to him. He became a successful industrialist, naming his premier establishment 'E.V. Ramasamy Naicker Mandi'. But his heart lay in social service.

His character was tested during a plague outbreak in Erode. While hundreds died and thousands fled, Periyar did not abandon his city like other wealthy merchants. He personally carried the bodies abandoned by their terrified families to the cremation grounds, ensuring they received a dignified final rites, a radical act that defied caste taboos.

He was a respected figure among Erode's business community, known for his impartiality and skill in resolving disputes. During this time, he was profoundly influenced by the Tamil scholar and anti-caste activist, Ayothidas Pandithar, who criticised caste and Brahminical Hinduism using rational arguments and Buddhist principles.

"Sachchi Ramayana" and the Attack on Brahminical Hegemony

Periyar came to believe that Hinduism and its caste system were cleverly engineered by Brahmins specifically to subjugate the Dravidian race. His most famous work, "The True Ramayana" (originally Ramayana Paadiyangal), was a product of this belief.

He argued that the Ramayana was not a religious text but a political manifesto. He asserted it was written by Brahmins to justify the Aryan conquest and domination over the indigenous Dravidians of the south. It was, in his view, a tool to establish the supremacy of Brahmins over non-Brahmins and of men over women.

To uncover this "true" narrative, Periyar spent nearly four decades studying various versions of the epic, including Valmiki's Ramayana, Kamban's Ramayanam, Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, and the Buddhist and Jain adaptations. His seminal work, published in Tamil in 1944 and later translated into Hindi as "Sachchi Ramayan" (The True Ramayana), remains a cornerstone of Dravidian ideology.

Periyar passed away on December 24, 1973, but his ideas continue to inspire millions. The incident in Kashi was not just a personal turning point; it was the catalyst for a powerful movement for social justice and rationalism in India. During his birth month, remembering Periyar's struggle and his unwavering questions is more relevant than ever.