Madras high court

CHENNAI: Followers of social reformer Periyar E V Ramaswamy and members of the Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) have a fundamental right to disagree with the existence of God and religion, just as others have the right to express their views on these issues, the Madras HC ruled.

Refusing to order the removal of Periyar’s atheist views — those who believe in God are fools and barbarians engraved on the pedestal of his statue in Trichy, a division bench said: “If the petitioner has a constitutional right under Article 19 to express his views on religion and existence of God, in the light of the decision of the Supreme Court in Lalai Singh Yadav’s case, we are of the view that the DK and the members of the party or followers of Thanthai Periyar, in exercise of the rights under Article 19, have the right to disagree with the same.”

‘Thanthai Periyar had advocated both atheism and self-respect’

The division bench comprising Justice S Manikumar and Justice Subramonium Prasad, rejecting the contention of M Deivanayagam that Periyar never called believers barbarians and that those words were engraved after his lifetime by the DK, said, “We are of the view that it is an undisputed fact that Thanthai Periyar, in all his speeches, publications, from 1928 had declared that there is no God; God doesn't exist; One who has created is a fool.”

The statue was unveiled on September 17, 1967, when Periyar was alive, at Trichy bus stand by the then chief minister C N Annadurai, in the presence of former chief minister K Kamaraj.

On its pedestal, the phrase ‘There is no God, God doesn't exist, one who created God is a fool, one who has propagated God is a scoundrel and one who worships God is barbaric’ was inscribed.

It was Deivanayagam’s contention that the inscription was offensive and that Periyar had addressed thousands of meetings where he had never uttered such words.

DK president K Veeramani, who had been impleaded in the case, however, described it as ‘publicity interest litigation’ and filed a counter-affidavit saying the inscriptions were made only at the instance of Periyar.

He said, “Thanthai Periyar had foreseen the situation that if there is no such inscription in the statues, then these statues will also be made as a God and people will start worship after some years. Therefore, Thanthai Periyar had made the above statements.”

Agreeing with his submissions, the bench said, “Contention of the petitioner that Thanthai Periyar had not advocated atheism, but only self-respect and humanism, is not correct. Thanthai Periyar had advocated both atheism and selfrespect. Speeches, writings, essays, which we have extracted from the summary fortify our views.”

Reading of the materials reflect Thanthai Periyar's thought and expression on god, religion, caste and such other issues. Thanthai Periyar was known for aethism, said the judges.

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