‘The Life and Work of Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar’: A biography of a brave anti-caste Devadasi

In ordinary circumstances, she might have been among countless other Devadasis, perhaps resigned to a life of exploitation and misery. But Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar was no ordinary woman. Her life was a bold act of defiance. I vividly recall the excitement I felt in the early 2000s when I first discovered a newly published biography of her Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar: Vaazhvum Paniyum by B Jeevasundari.

A place in tradition

This well-researched book brought Ramamirtham Ammaiyar out of the shadows of history and into the spotlight. No longer just a name associated with a marriage assistance scheme, the book revealed her as a fiercely rebellious Dravidian leader with a rightful place in history. Almost two decades later, the book has been published in English by Zubaan, in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation (TNTB & ESC), under the Thisaidhorum Dravidam (Dravidam in Every Direction) scheme of the State government.

Translated by academician V Bharathi Harishankar, this book stands as one of the few comprehensive resources available in English for those interested in the history of Dravidian women leaders, alongside The Other Half of a Coconut: Women Writing Self Respect History – a collection of writings by women from the Dravidian movement, edited and translated by K Srilata. The book of course also complements numerous essays by feminist historians like V Geetha and S Anandhi, who have worked extensively to bridge the gap in documenting the histories of women leaders.

As Anandhi notes in her insightful introduction to the English translation, this book by Jeevasundari “occupies a prominent place in that tradition.” In her preface to the first Tamil edition, Jeevasundari effectively argues that caste hierarchy plays a significant role in relegating women like Ramamirtham Ammaiyar to the dark pages of history. She says that individuals from oppressed castes are often only reluctantly acknowledged when they overcome immense odds to achieve a respectable position. Pointing to Dr Muthulakshmi Reddy as an example of such “reluctant acceptance,” Jeevasundari notes that Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar has received even less recognition and acknowledgement than Dr Reddy.

A life of rebellion

Born into a life of poverty to a male member of the Devadasi community and sold to a Devadasi by her mother for a mere Rs 10 and a sari, Ramamirtham Ammaiyar seemed destined to become a Devadasi. But she had other plans. Defying societal norms, she married her teacher, Suyambu Pillai, at a time when it was taboo for Devadasis to marry. This bold move marked the beginning of her rebellion against the very system that sought to define her, eventually leading her into a life of political activism.

Ramamirtham Ammaiyar initially joined the Congress and participated in the freedom struggle, but soon realised that the party remained shackled by Sanatani ideals. This led her to join the Dravidian movement when Periyar launched it. Her political journey was marked by adventure and drama. In one striking incident, Sanatanis forcibly cut her hair while she was performing on stage against their beliefs. Undeterred, she continued to act, and from that moment on, she kept her hair short.

The book rightly acknowledges Ramamirtham Ammaiyar’s crucial role in the abolition of the Devadasi system and the establishment of supporting legislation – an accomplishment often solely credited to Dr Muthulakshmi Reddy.

While Ammaiyar is often associated with the abolition of the Devadasi system and the establishment of legislation against it, her contributions went much further. The book also speaks about her vigorous advocacy for self-respect marriages. She played a crucial role in arranging the first self-respect marriage after the movement's launch – between Kunjitham, from the Devadasi community, and Gurusamy, a senior Dravidian leader. She identified Kunjitham as a bride for Gurusamy at Periyar’s request.

In 1930, Ammaiyar was pivotal in facilitating another revolutionary marriage – between Sivakami and Samy Chidambaram – a widow remarriage at a time when child marriages were still common. Ammaiyar effectively utilised her knowledge of Sanskrit – a skill she was taught by her foster mother with the expectation that she would become a Devadasi. Instead, during her campaign for self-respect marriages, Ramamirtham Ammaiyar employed her Sanskrit expertise to elucidate the meanings of wedding vows and demonstrate how they degraded women. She also took active part in anti-Hindi agitations in the State.

The book includes annexures featuring Ramamirtham Ammaiyar’s literary works, such as her novel Dhasigalin Mosavalai allathu Mathipetra Minor, as well as her influential essay “Islam and the Status of Indians”, which continues to resonate deeply today.

The English translation provides a seamless experience, often effectively conveying the essence of Ramamirtham Ammaiyar with nearly the same intensity as in the original Tamil. The forewords by Dravidian researchers Chinna Kuthoosi and K Thirunavukkarasu written originally for the first and second editions of Tamil publication set the tone for the book. Chinna Kuthoosi discusses the gaps in documenting the history of the early Dravidian movement and how Jeevasundari's book seeks to address these deficiencies. Thirunavukkarasu traces the history of the Devadasi community from the Sangam period and points to the significance of a voice like Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar's.

In diligently researching and documenting the life of Ramamirtham Ammaiyar, Jeevasundari has filled a long-standing gap in the feminist history of Tamil Nadu.

The Life and Work of Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar, B Jeevasundari, translated from the Tamil by V Bharathi Harishankar, Zubaan Books.