Journey to the phenomenon – The name is “Thanthai Periyar”

Intro

The article is a look back of my personal journey over the years when raptor.in became inactive from 2012 to 2020. During this period I want to briefly touch upon certain highlights that renewed my perspective about life, religion, Mahatma Gandhi and India. From 2017 onwards, I got to know more about a brilliant, influential and powerful social worker named Thanthai Periyar. He worked tirelessly to uproot evil practices (caste and discrimination) and social injustice that were highly prevalent in India, during his time. Even today, those evil practice and social injustice continue to exist in different parts of India, in a varied and renewed form.

Step Back

Personalities that used to inspire me

Let me step back a bit and rush though things very fast. Right from my early childhood, I was an adherent fan of movie actor Rajinikanth. My admiration for him was build around the characters he choose to play in his movies, where he would fight against unjust by abiding good virtues. His charismatic style was an obvious attraction too. But my multi-decade admiration took a u-turn in 2017.

In my early career, I, along with friends quit our 1st job and were self-employed. 20DayOffice (now idle) was one of the outcomes during that journey. We were all young and as a company, we focused on building websites, web application and providing branding solution for companies in Chennai. It was financially a tough decision. During that phase of my life, I engaged in quite a bit soul searching. That search was on both philosophical and practical front.

Swami Vivekananda quotes and his write ups used to be a big motivations for me right from late 2006. He was one of the revered personalities that shaped my ideology about life on two fronts: motivation and spirituality. This too took a u-turn gradually after 2017.

Philosophies that used to inspire me

Right from my adolescence, spirituality and God were central theme which greatly influenced how I viewed life and world. My personality was built around this. This too obviously took a u-turn after 2017.

Unanswered questions

I had numerous question which never got answered until after 2017:

• Why some people in India, hate their father of nation? – Mahatma Gandhi
• Is Hindu religion really the most tolerant religion?
• Why do some support Nathuram Godse for his patriotism? – one who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi
• Why India doesn’t have a national language? Why Tamil Nadu is against Hindi?
• Did Tamil Nadu politicians spoil the state, after Kamarajar‘s term as Chief Minister since 1963?
• Why Tamil Nadu keeps voting for DMK and AIADMK if they are bad?
• Where does Tamil Nadu stand after 100 years of Dravidian politics? How other Indian states are doing in comparison?

Revelation

The list of questions were long and most of my questions were on the ambiguous topics which required deep understanding of historical facts and accurate information. In the end, it was ironical to realize just ONE answer was good enough to answer all my questions. On one hand, the revelation was fascinating and on the other it was gloomy. Learning about the dark sides and horrors of Hinduism and Caste system was a big transformation.

I always believed there are three side to any problem. Firstly “person A” perspective, secondly “person B” perspective and finally “person C” perspective (the listeners perspective). Like for example a coin has Head, tail and the spinning state. The spinning state is a complex state which cannot be explained easily. Thanthai Periyar had helped to freeze this state and explained the details of it. This journey with him has changed my thinking and approach towards life, for good. Hence I choose the title “Journey to the phenomenon “The name is ‘Thanthai Periyar'”.

Digressing to Science

The example of states of a coin can be used to explain lot of different things but Mark Rethana had used this example to beautifully explain the complex subject of Quantum Computing.

One of the main differences between classical computers and quantum computers is the use of the qubit. The computers, we are accustomed to use bits, which is a binary digit that can either have a value of 0 or 1. Similar to a bit, a qubit has a possible value of 0 or 1. However, in the quantum world a qubit can be in both states at once (superposition).

A great example to help explain this concept is to picture a coin being flipped vs a coin being spun. If you flip a coin it will land on either heads or tails (bit). However, while a coin is spinning you can say the coin’s state is both heads and tails at the same time (qubit)

https://medium.com/@mark.rethana/a-beginners-guide-to-the-quantum-computing-and-superposition-536e4fc040a2

The Change

Personalities that inspire me now

Digression to science was intentional and relevant because Periyar took the scientific approach of questioning everything and finding answers to everything. It helped him to identify, uproot and uncover superstitious belief and illegal practices that Hinduism stood for. He exposed the strategies that Hinduism used, to protect such beliefs and practices.

Learning about Periyar means, you will eventually stumble into big personalities like Dr. Ambedkar, Karl Marx, Gautama Buddha and Thiruvalluvar. You will also get to know the ever-ongoing battle between Aryans vs Dravidians which has been happening for centuries and it still continues even today. According to Dr. Ambedkar, this battle is at least 5000 years old.

Periyar saw everything politically and critically. It helped him and others to focus on keys issues that basically oppressed the common people in the name of religion and social practices. In many fronts he was able to address and uplift the well being of common oppressed people either directly or indirectly.

Opinionist that inspired me

I stumbled up Ve. Mathimaran an opinionist, speaker, writer, author, influencer, blogger and also a YouTuber. His speeches attracted me from the word go and I started to listen to his speeches regularly. He help me to visualize Periyar, Dr. Ambedkar, Karl Marx, Gautama Buddha in the best possible way. Mathimaran has become my biggest inspiration surpassing every other personalities, I have ever associated myself with until 2017.

My change

Through Ve. Mathimaran, I was able to see Periyar and travel with Periyar and approach life like Periyar. It has brought significant changes in me

• Am able to think critically and politically about different aspects of my life which includes both office and home.
• Am able to understand the dogmas that restrict the women. I was able to identify the dogmas that were imbibed in me, some I was able to move on but still there are some I am holding on to. On the whole, I think, I have improved to become a better son, better husband, better brother and better human being.
• Am no longer a neutral thinker (unhealthy thinker). Earlier I never had opinions, I always took a neutral stance. But now, I am open to discussion and exchanging thoughts but I take a stance.

Closing Notes

Being a human and caring for fellow human being is more divine than following a religion that would restrict an individual or a group from behaving or acting in a humane way.

Inspired quote from Movie Gypsy. This quote is shown at the end of the movie

I have restored my old blogging website raptor.in in January of 2021. I am excited to write and share my political views along with technological learning from now on.