Consider the following statements about Periyar E. V. Ramaswamy: 1. He was a politician, social activist and an important figure in the Dravidian movement in South India. 2. He championed the cause of caste upliftment, nationalism and the rights of women, 3. He was contemporary of the Maharashtran anti-caste reformer, Jyotiba Phule. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Periyar E. V. Ramaswamy (1879–1973) was a pivotal politician and social activist who founded the Self-Respect Movement and led the Dravidian movement in South India [2]. While he was a staunch advocate for caste upliftment and women's rights, he was not a champion of Indian nationalism [1]. Instead, he often opposed upper-caste Hindu nationalism, viewing it as a tool for Brahminical dominance, and eventually advocated for an independent Dravida Nadu. Furthermore, Periyar was not a contemporary of Jyotirao Phule; Phule lived from 1827 to 1890, passing away when Periyar was only eleven years old [3]. Although both are celebrated as anti-caste reformers, their active periods of social reform did not overlap [3]. Therefore, only statement 1 is correct.

Sources

1. [1] Politics in India since Independence, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: Regional Aspirations > Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh > p. 116
2. [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periyar_and_women%27s_rights
3. [3] Democratic Politics-II. Political Science-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Gender, Religion and Caste > Caste inequalities > p. 38