On Sunday, 24th December, the Congress and its ecosystem marked the death anniversary of anti-Hindu Dravidian leader EV Ramasamy Periyar.
On this note, The Print shared one of its old reports on X. The post on its X handle dated 24th December read, “Periyar, the ‘South Indian Socrates’ who smashed Brahminical patriarchy.”
Periyar, the ‘South Indian Socrates’ who smashed Brahminical patriarchy
— ThePrintIndia (@ThePrintIndia) December 24, 2023
On his death anniversary, read #ThePrintProfile by Aananth Daksnamurthy @aananth95https://t.co/Bsb6GbKLuT
Notably, the DMK had reportedly stated in the past that Periyar was awarded the title ‘Socrates of South India’ by UNESCO. This was challenged by a petitioner in the Madras High Court in 2021.
The Print in its X post has tried to peddle the same old lie once again which was, notably, also printed in Class 9th Tamil textbooks and in college textbooks.
In 2021, the Madras High Court reportedly directed the Tamil Nadu government to consider the petition which demanded the removal of the false information in the Class 9th Tamil Samacheer Kalvi book.
The information claimed that UNESCO had bestowed the “Socrates of South Asia” title on Periyar. State secretary of Tamil Nadu BJP, Dr SG Suryah in 2019 accused the DMK of spreading fake news over the same.
Dravidar Kazhagam & DMK are the beginners of #FakeNews
— Dr.SG Suryah (@SuryahSG) May 1, 2019
They shamelessly keep claiming UNESCO awarded EV Ramasamy with "Socrates of South East Asia Award" while there are no such records at all anywhere.
All their Dravidian ideology theories are similarly fake & concocted lies.
Suryah wrote on X that no such records exist anywhere. He also shared an image of the said award. The text on the so-called award says it was presented by then Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanithi.
The award also mentions UNESCO Mandram whereas no such office of the global body exists except for its India office in New Delhi.
“Lol! This is that #FakeAward that was apparently conferred to EV Ramasamy by UNESCO it seems! Funny thing is there’s no such office in Chennai at all for UNESCO but only in Delhi 😂! & look who presented this #FakeAward to EVR??, it’s Karunanithi.😂! Now, 100% confirmed its fake!” Suryah wrote on X in 2019.
Netizens had a field day pointing out how The Print and its columnist Dilip Mandal were reviving the fake news against court orders in order to hail the Hindu-hating leader has some global icon and intellectual.
A user wrote, “Dravidian Parties literally taught lies in School Text books in Tamil Nadu that Periyar was given title of Socrates of South India by UNESCO & were told by Madras High Court to remove it. Now Print peddling similar lies.”
Dravidian Parties literally taught lies in School Text books in Tamil Nadu that Periyar was given title of Socrates of South India by UNESCO & were told by Madras High Court to remove it. Now Print peddling similar lies@Iyervval @rahulroushan @Sanjay_Dixit https://t.co/JPuMxadhlV pic.twitter.com/qjFOLfhzVa
— Niratanka 🇮🇳 (@Niratanka_) December 25, 2023
Moreover, a book titled “Father Periyar in the eyes of UNESCO” was also authored by DK President K Veeramani using the same fake news. Veeramani and his party Dravidar Kazhagam’s patrons have been accused of manufacturing the lie and spreading it through leading Tamil magazines, citations in Tamil books and biographies of Periyar.
Similarly, in February 2021, another such lie glorifying Periyar was busted. Dravidian followers claimed that Periyar was conferred with the Tamrapatra award for his contribution to the Indian freedom movement.
However, in reply to an RTI, the Central Government said that no such record has been found. “Distribution of the first batch of Tamrapatras was done on 15th August, 1972 at a ceremony at the Red Fort to which 1000 freedom fighters were specially invited. Thereafter it was decided that the tampatras should be distributed at State level functions and the State Government were requested to complete this work. As far as Shri E.V. Ramasamy Naicker is concerned his name is not found in the available record of Tamra patra awardees from Tamil Nadu,” the reply read.
As per reports, Periyarists used to show that Periyar was a recepient of Tamrapatra award but it is unclear who conferred it if not the Centre.
