Moovalur Ramamirtham (1883–1962) was a

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

social reformer, author, and political activist of the

Dravidian Movement Dravidian politics is the main political ideology in Tamil Nadu that seeks to safeguard the rights of the Dravidian peoples. Dravidian politics started in British India with the formation of the Justice Party on 20 November 1916 in Victoria ...

, who worked for the abolition of the ''Devadasi'' system in the

Madras Presidency The Madras Presidency or Madras Province, officially called the Presidency of Fort St. George until 1937, was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India and later the Dominion of India. At its greatest extent, the presidency i ...

Early life

Ramamirtham was born in 1883 in

Thiruvarur Thiruvarur () also spelt as Tiruvarur is a municipality in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Thiruvarur district and Thiruvarur taluk. The temple chariot of the Thyagaraja t ...

, and was brought up at Moovalur, a village near

Mayuram Mayiladuthurai (formerly known as Mayavaram or Mayuram) is a Special Grade Municipality and district headquarters of Mayiladuthurai district in Tamil Nadu, India. The town is located at a distance of from the state capital, Chennai. Mayiladuth ...

(now Mayiladhuthurai).

Activism

Originally a supporter of the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

(INC), she became a member of 'Periyar' E. V. Ramasamy's

Self-Respect Movement The Self-Respect Movement is a popular human rights movement originating in South India aimed at achieving social equality for those oppressed by the Indian caste system, advocating for lower castes to develop self-respect. It was founded in ...

after the latter left the Congress in 1925. In 1930, she supported

Muthulakshmi Reddi Muthulakshmi Reddy (also spelled Reddi in some British Indian sources; 30 July 1886 – 22 July 1968) was an Indian medical practitioner, social reformer and Padma Bhushan award recipient. Muthulakshmi Reddy was appointed to the Madras Legisl ...

's failed attempt to abolish the Devadasi system in the Presidency through legislation. In 1936, she authored a novel ''Dasigalin Mosavalai alladhu madhi pettra minor'' (lit. ''The'' '' Dasis' Web of Deceit, or The

Playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...

Grown Wise'') which exposed the plight of the

Devadasis In India, a devadasi is a female artist who is dedicated to the worship and service of a deity or a temple for the rest of her life. The dedication takes place in a ceremony that is somewhat similar to a marriage ceremony. In addition to taki ...

. She took part in the Anti-Hindi agitations of 1937-40 and in November 1938, was jailed for six weeks for participating in the agitations. In 1949, she parted ways with Periyar, and became a supporter of the

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; ; DMK) is an Indian political party based in the state of Tamil Nadu, where it is currently the ruling party, and the union territory of Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry, where it is currently the main ...

(DMK) party started by Periyar's protégé

C. N. Annadurai Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai (15 September 19093 February 1969), also known as Perarignar, was an Indian politician who was the founder and first general-secretary of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). He served as the fourth and last chi ...

. She remained a DMK supporter till her death in 1962.

Legacy

The public awareness created by her novel and her continuous campaign to abolish the Devadasi system, were instrumental in the passage of the Madras Devadasi (Prevention of Dedication) Act or the Devadasi Abolition Bill, which outlawed the practice in 1947. In her memory, the

Government of Tamil Nadu The Government of Tamil Nadu () is the administrative body responsible for the governance of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the capital of the state and houses the state executive, legislature and head of judiciary. Under the Const ...

in 1989 instituted the "Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammal Ninaivu Marriage Assistance Scheme," a social welfare scheme to provide financial assistance to poor women.

In popular culture

Ramamirtham is portrayed by

Vennira Aadai Nirmala Vennira Aadai Nirmala (born as A. B. Shanthi in Kumbakonam) is an Indian actress who has appeared in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films. She was a prominent lead actress from 1960s and 70s. She is credited as Ushakumari in Malayalam film indust ...

in the biopic ''Periyar'' (2007).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramamirtham, Moovalur 1883 births 1962 deaths Dravidian movement Tamil activists Tamil-language writers Women in Tamil Nadu politics 20th-century Indian women politicians 20th-century Indian politicians 19th-century Indian women writers Women writers from Tamil Nadu Indian social reformers Indian women activists Indian National Congress politicians from Tamil Nadu 20th-century Indian women writers 20th-century Indian writers Indian women's rights activists Activists from Tamil Nadu