Periyar and the Emerald Dove
Periyar was South India's fierce champion of social justice and equality, challenging Brahmin hegemony over the Dravidian peoples. Though a staunch atheist, he fought for Dalit-Bahujan entry into temples previously reserved for the “upper” oppressor castes, and encouraged religious people to base their beliefs in morality, human compassion, and rational thought instead of blind, uncritical belief. (And of course, he did not hesitate to openly insult beliefs he deemed immoral or oppressive!) Thus, Periyar has always grounded me in my relationship with religion, giving me a critical perspective whenever I get carried away or forget the bigger picture (that is, to always be good and just to the fellow man).
Here, Periyar imparts his wise lessons to the emerald dove, the state bird of Tamil Nadu, serving in this painting as its symbolic insert.
*Only available in letter size (8.5x11).
Periyar was South India's fierce champion of social justice and equality, challenging Brahmin hegemony over the Dravidian peoples. Though a staunch atheist, he fought for Dalit-Bahujan entry into temples previously reserved for the “upper” oppressor castes, and encouraged religious people to base their beliefs in morality, human compassion, and rational thought instead of blind, uncritical belief. (And of course, he did not hesitate to openly insult beliefs he deemed immoral or oppressive!) Thus, Periyar has always grounded me in my relationship with religion, giving me a critical perspective whenever I get carried away or forget the bigger picture (that is, to always be good and just to the fellow man).
Here, Periyar imparts his wise lessons to the emerald dove, the state bird of Tamil Nadu, serving in this painting as its symbolic insert.
*Only available in letter size (8.5x11).
Periyar was South India's fierce champion of social justice and equality, challenging Brahmin hegemony over the Dravidian peoples. Though a staunch atheist, he fought for Dalit-Bahujan entry into temples previously reserved for the “upper” oppressor castes, and encouraged religious people to base their beliefs in morality, human compassion, and rational thought instead of blind, uncritical belief. (And of course, he did not hesitate to openly insult beliefs he deemed immoral or oppressive!) Thus, Periyar has always grounded me in my relationship with religion, giving me a critical perspective whenever I get carried away or forget the bigger picture (that is, to always be good and just to the fellow man).
Here, Periyar imparts his wise lessons to the emerald dove, the state bird of Tamil Nadu, serving in this painting as its symbolic insert.