K. Veeramani
Encyclopedia
Krishnasamy Veeramani was born on December 2, 1933 in Cuddalore
, Cuddalore District, Tamilnadu.He is referred as Aasiriyar K.Veeramani. He is the President of the Dravidar Kazhagam
, an Indian organization centered in Tamil Nadu
, opposed to the caste system and dedicated to the welfare of non-Brahmins since 1978.He is the third President of the Dravidar Kazhagam
and Chancellor of Periyar Maniammai University
. He is a well known Atheist.
, South Arcot District, Tamil Nadu. He had his primary education at Cuddalore and entered Annamalai University
for higher education. He obtained his masters degree in Economics
in 1956 with a Gold medal
for being the top scorer in his class. He received his Bachelor of Law degree from Madras University in 1960. He married his wife Mohana in 1958 and has two sons and two daughters. The fact that Mohana is not from his caste
is considered by his followers as a symbol of caste denial. And an additional information is Mrs.Mohana's parents were inter caste marriaged pair (caste denial marriage).
Salem conference in 1944.He was introduced as "Saint Gnanasambandar" by Annadurai
. Apart from one year in which he practiced as a lawyer
in Cuddalore, his career has been as a social worker. He began working with Periyar in 1956, and assisted Periyar in editing Viduthalai, the rationalist daily of Dravidar Kazhagam.In 1962 he was made the Executive Editor of Viduthalai and since 1978 has been the Editor. He was active in the social campaigns and agitations launched by Periyar for support of "Tamil nationalism", and was incarcerated forty times for his activities. He continues to support LTTE.He was jailed under MISA
for a year in 1976 for opposing Emergency
.He was again jailed in 1978 for showing Black flags against Indira Gandhi
for imposing Emergency while in power and he was jailed.His father C.S.Krishnasamy died while he was in jail.
conferred the Doctor of Law
on him (Honoris Causa) on April 4, 2003. Periyar International Inc., (USA) gives an annual award for outstanding contributions to Social Justice, which is named his honor. Mr. V. P. Singh
, former Prime Minister of India, was the first recipient of the award. K.Veeramani is an Honorary Associate of Rationalist International
Cuddalore
Cuddalore is a fast growing industrial city and headquarter of Cuddalore district in the Tamil Nadu state of southern India. Located south of Pondicherry on the coast of Bay of Bengal, Cuddalore has a large number of industries which employ a great deal of the city's population.Cuddalore is known...
, Cuddalore District, Tamilnadu.He is referred as Aasiriyar K.Veeramani. He is the President of the Dravidar Kazhagam
Dravidar Kazhagam
Dravidar Kazhagam or Dravida Kazhagam was the first fully Dravidian party in India. It was a radical party formed by E. V. Ramaswamy, also called Thanthai Periyar of erstwhile Madras Presidency...
, an Indian organization centered in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, opposed to the caste system and dedicated to the welfare of non-Brahmins since 1978.He is the third President of the Dravidar Kazhagam
Dravidar Kazhagam
Dravidar Kazhagam or Dravida Kazhagam was the first fully Dravidian party in India. It was a radical party formed by E. V. Ramaswamy, also called Thanthai Periyar of erstwhile Madras Presidency...
and Chancellor of Periyar Maniammai University
Periyar Maniammai University
Periyar Maniammai University is a university in the town of Vallam Thanjavur, Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India.-External links:*...
. He is a well known Atheist.
Personal life
Veeramani was born in a middle class family in CuddaloreCuddalore
Cuddalore is a fast growing industrial city and headquarter of Cuddalore district in the Tamil Nadu state of southern India. Located south of Pondicherry on the coast of Bay of Bengal, Cuddalore has a large number of industries which employ a great deal of the city's population.Cuddalore is known...
, South Arcot District, Tamil Nadu. He had his primary education at Cuddalore and entered Annamalai University
Annamalai University
Annamalai University is a Public University located in Annamalai Nagar, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. The university offers courses of higher education in arts, sciences and engineering.The university also provides around 380 courses under distance mode...
for higher education. He obtained his masters degree in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
in 1956 with a Gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
for being the top scorer in his class. He received his Bachelor of Law degree from Madras University in 1960. He married his wife Mohana in 1958 and has two sons and two daughters. The fact that Mohana is not from his caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
is considered by his followers as a symbol of caste denial. And an additional information is Mrs.Mohana's parents were inter caste marriaged pair (caste denial marriage).
Public Life
K.Veeramani came into limelight when as a boy of just 10 he was allowed address the gathering in the Justice PartyJustice Party (India)
The Justice Party , officially known as South Indian Liberal Federation, was a political party in the Madras Presidency of British India. The party was established in 1917 by T. M. Nair and Theagaroya Chetty as a result of a series of non-Brahmin conferences and meetings in the presidency...
Salem conference in 1944.He was introduced as "Saint Gnanasambandar" by Annadurai
Annadurai
Annadurai can refer to:* C. N. Annadurai, an Indian politician* Mylswamy Annadurai, an Indian scientist...
. Apart from one year in which he practiced as a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in Cuddalore, his career has been as a social worker. He began working with Periyar in 1956, and assisted Periyar in editing Viduthalai, the rationalist daily of Dravidar Kazhagam.In 1962 he was made the Executive Editor of Viduthalai and since 1978 has been the Editor. He was active in the social campaigns and agitations launched by Periyar for support of "Tamil nationalism", and was incarcerated forty times for his activities. He continues to support LTTE.He was jailed under MISA
Misa
Misa is a Japanese feminine given name or a Spanish surname. It may refer to:-People:* Two Japanese actresses**Misa Uehara in The Hidden Fortress and Storm Over the Pacific**Misa Uehara -Fictional characters:...
for a year in 1976 for opposing Emergency
Emergency
An emergency is a situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or environment. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening of the situation, although in some situations, mitigation may not be possible and agencies may only be able to offer palliative...
.He was again jailed in 1978 for showing Black flags against Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
for imposing Emergency while in power and he was jailed.His father C.S.Krishnasamy died while he was in jail.
Awards
Alagappa UniversityAlagappa University
Alagappa University is located on about in the business town of Karaikudi in Sivaganga District in Tamil Nadu, India. Karaikudi is 400 km south of Madras on the Madras–Rameswaram line and is accessible from Tiruchirappalli and Madurai in about 2 hours by road and rail. This seat of higher...
conferred the Doctor of Law
Doctor of law
Doctor of Law or Doctor of Laws is a doctoral degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country, and includes degrees such as the LL.D., Ph.D., J.D., J.S.D., and Dr. iur.-Argentina:...
on him (Honoris Causa) on April 4, 2003. Periyar International Inc., (USA) gives an annual award for outstanding contributions to Social Justice, which is named his honor. Mr. V. P. Singh
V. P. Singh
Vishwanath Pratap Singh was the seventh Prime Minister of India and the 41st Raja Bahadur of Manda.-Early life:...
, former Prime Minister of India, was the first recipient of the award. K.Veeramani is an Honorary Associate of Rationalist International
List of K.Veeramani Awardees for Social Justice
- 1st award to Hon.Vishwanath Pratap Singh.former Prime MinisterPrime ministerA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... - 2nd award to Hon.Chandarajit Yadav.
- 3rd award to Sitaram Kesari
- 4th award to Hon.MayawatiMayawatiMayawati is the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, India. She heads the Bahujan Samaj Party, which represents the Bahujans or Dalits, the weakest strata of Indian society. This is her fourth term as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh...
, Uttar PradeshUttar PradeshUttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
Chief MinisterChief MinisterA Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government... - 5th award to Moorthy of Singapore.
- 6th award was posthumously presented to Karuppaiah Mooppanar
- 7th award to Veera Munusamy of Yangoon, MyanmarMyanmarBurma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
- 8th award to Hon. B.S.A. SwamyB.S.A. SwamyBokka Sri Atchuthananda Swamy , well known as B.S.A. Swamy, was an Indian judge and social justice activist who spent his life striving for the upliftment of downtrodden sections of Andhra Pradesh people, particularly Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes through social justice...
,Retired Justice of Andhra PradeshAndhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
High CourtHigh Courts of IndiaIndia's unitary judicial system is made up of the Supreme Court of India at the national level, for the entire country and the 21 High Courts at the State level. These courts have jurisdiction over a state, a union territory or a group of states and union territories...
in Hyderabad. - 9th award to Hon. Dr. Sudarsana Natchiyappan
- 10th award to Hon. Dr. Kalaingar Karunanidhi, Tamilnadu Chief MinisterChief MinisterA Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
- 11 th award to Mr Ravivarmakumar, High Court and Supreme Court Attorney,Bangaluru
- 12th award to Mr Chellaperumal,Social worker, Kuwait
- 13th award to Mr Ko. Karunanithi, General Secretory, AIOBC.
External links
- Periyar - Official homepage of Periyar
- Dravidar Kazhagam - Official homepage of Dravidar Kazhagam
- Rationalist International