Periyar E. V. Ramasamy
Periyar was born in Erode, Madras Presidency in a rich family. At a young age, he witnessed many incidents of racial, caste and gender discrimination. Periyar married when he was 19 and had a daughter who lived for only 5 months. His first wife, Nagammai, died in 1933. He always protested against young women getting married to much older people. Periyar, when he was 72, married for a second time, Maniammai who was 32 at the time in July 1948. His second wife, Maniammai, continued Periyar's social work after his death in 1973, but Dravidar Kazhagam was still spreading his thoughts and ideas.