Joseph Estrada vs Periyar E. V. Ramasamy

Joseph Estrada was elected Mayor of San Juan, a municipality in Metro Manila. He served for 17 years, transforming the town into a city and building a political base.

Joseph Estrada was elected Vice President of the Philippines under President Fidel V. Ramos. He used the position to build a national political profile and prepare for a presidential run.

Joseph Estrada was elected President of the Philippines in a landslide victory, winning 39.9% of the vote. He campaigned on a pro-poor platform, promising to help the masses.

Joseph Estrada was ousted from the presidency after mass protests (EDSA II) following allegations of corruption and a failed impeachment trial. He was replaced by Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Joseph Estrada was convicted of plunder by the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was later pardoned by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2007.

Periyar E. V. Ramasamy led the Vaikom Satyagraha in Travancore, a non-violent protest demanding the right of lower-caste Hindus to use the road around the Vaikom temple. He was arrested twice, and the movement gained national attention.

Periyar founded the Self-Respect Movement in Tamil Nadu, advocating for the rationalism, atheism, and the destruction of caste hierarchy. The movement rejected Brahminical dominance and promoted Dravidian identity.

Periyar led protests against the introduction of Hindi as a compulsory subject in Tamil Nadu schools. The agitations forced the government to withdraw the policy, and Periyar became a symbol of Tamil linguistic pride.

Periyar took over leadership of the Justice Party, which later evolved into the Dravidar Kazhagam. He used the party to campaign for Dravidian nationalism, anti-Hindi policies, and the abolition of caste-based discrimination.