E. V. R. Maniammai

Erode Venkatappa Ramasami Maniammai was a Dravidian social activist and politician. She was the second wife of Periyar and succeeded him as the president of the Dravidar Kazhagam upon his death in 1973.

Biography

Maniammai was born as Kanthimathi to Kanagasabai Mudaliar, who was a member of the Justice [Party |Justice Party]. Soon after her father's death, she joined the Dravidar Kazhagam founded by Periyar in 1942–1943. Sources close to Periyar had indicated that Maniyammai, being a woman, could not be named his heir. So he took to the recourse of marrying her so that she could become his legal heir. His marriage with a much younger Maniammai and his appointment of her as his successor shocked many of his party leaders.