Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by NaanAvanlllai (talk | contribs) at 13:21, 7 January 2025 (Article creation). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

S. Gurusamy (23 April 1906 – 11 October 1965), commonly known as Kuthoosi Gurusamy, was an Indian writer and journalist closely associated with the Self-Respect Movement led by Periyar E.V. Ramasamy.

Life

Gurusamy was born on 23 April 1906 in Kuruvikkarambai, Madras Presidency, British India, to Saminathan and Kuppu Ammaiyar. He completed his undergraduate studies at National College, Trichy.

Gurusamy became involved in the Self-Respect Movement through Kudiyarasu, a magazine founded by Periyar. In 1928, after meeting Periyar, he formally joined the movement. His contributions included articles and editorials advocating rationalism, social equality, and opposition to caste-based discrimination and superstition. He later served as editor-in-chief of Viduthalai, a prominent publication associated with the movement. Gurusamy also worked with Revolt, an English magazine founded by Periyar, and contributed to Tamil publications such as Puduvai Murasu, Dravidan, and Pagutharivu, facilitating the dissemination of the movement's principles.

Gurusamy presided over the first Self-Respect Volunteers Conference held in Pattukkottai on 25 May 1929. In December 1929, his marriage to Kunjitham, a fellow advocate of the Self-Respect Movement, became the first recorded self-respect marriage conducted without Hindu rituals. The ceremony, presided over by Periyar, marked a significant departure from traditional practices. Gurusamy also advocated ending the centuries-old practice of barring people from lower castes from entering temples.

Gurusamy's contributions to Tamil literature included translations and original works. He translated Bertrand Russell's Why I Am Not a Christian into Tamil, introducing readers to rationalist thought, and Jean Meslier's Testament as Marana Sasanam. Under the pseudonym Kuttusi, he wrote satirical columns, some of which were published as Palasarakku Moottai and Puthiya Kuthoosi Thogupu.

S. Gurusamy died on 11 October 1965.

References

1. ^ "குத்தூசி குருசாமி: சுயமரியாதையின் அடையாளம்!". Hindu Tamil Thisai (in Tamil). 2017-04-25. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
2. ^ "கொள்கைவேள் - நாத்திகச் செம்மல் தோழர் குத்தூசி குருசாமி". www.keetru.com (in Tamil). Retrieved 2025-01-07.
3. ^ Vēlu, Kuruvikkarampai Cu (1991). Kuttūci Kurucāmi (in Tamil). Vaḷavan̲ Patippakam.
4. migrator (2019-06-03). "Viduthalai daily hailed for spreading Periyar's ideology for past 85 years". www.dtnext.in. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
5. Rājaturai, Es Vi; Kītā, Va (2008). Revolt-a Radical Weekly in Colonial Madras. Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam. p. 9.
6. More, J. B. P. (2022-10-06). Towards Freedom in Pondicherry: Society, Economy and Politics under French Rule (1816-1962). Taylor & Francis. p. 15. ISBN 978-1-000-78245-5.
7. Jeevasundari, B. (2024-02-16). The Life and Work of Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar. Zubaan. ISBN 978-93-90514-86-1.
8. Rajendran, Sowmya (2018-02-01). "No thaali, no priest: Meet the couples who rejected rituals at their wedding". The News Minute. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
9. Kabirdoss, Yogesh. "77 yrs after Madurai victory, temples still shut for Dalits". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
10. Kītā, Va; Rājaturai, Es Vi (1998). Towards a Non-Brahmin Millennium: From Iyothee Thass to Periyar. Samya. p. 428. ISBN 978-81-85604-37-4.

• 1906 births
• 1965 deaths
• Tamil-language writers