பாரதிதாசன் கவிதைகளில் தந்தை பெரியாரின் பெண்ணுரிமைச் சிந்தனைகள்: ஒரு விரிவான சமூக-இலக்கிய ஆய்வு

Thanthai Periyar’s Thoughts on Women’s Rights in Bharathidasan’s Poetry: A Comprehensive Socio-Literary Study

Abstract

Revolutionary Poet Bharathidasan brought about a monumental transformation in the 20th-century Tamil literary sphere. The primary catalyst for the social reformist ideas that surged through his poetic journey was Thanthai Periyar E.V. Ramasamy. Specifically, Periyar’s radical principles—aimed at uprooting the enslavement of women and establishing women’s rights—found their poetic expression in Bharathidasan’s verses.

This article provides an extensive analysis of how Periyar’s thoughts on women’s rights intertwine throughout Bharathidasan’s works. By comparing these ideas with the literary backgrounds of the Sangam and Medieval periods, this study maps the evolution of modern feminist thought. The research focuses on themes such as the new definition of chastity, the eradication of the miseries of widowhood, women’s education, economic independence, and the critique of patriarchal structures. Key works such as Kudumba Vilakku (The Family Lamp), Iranda Veedu (The Dark House), Puratchikavi (The Revolutionary Poet), and Sanjeevi Parvathathin Saaral are analyzed through a feminist lens.