The correct answer is: d) Periyar.
Periyar, also known as E. V. Ramasamy, was a social reformer and independence activist who led the Salt Satyagraha of 1930 in Tamil Nadu. The Salt Satyagraha was a major turning point in the Indian independence movement, and it had a significant impact on Tamil Nadu.
Periyar was born in 1879 in Erode, Tamil Nadu. He was a lawyer by training, but he became involved in social reform after witnessing the discrimination faced by lower castes and women. He founded the Self-Respect Movement in 1925, which campaigned for social equality and women’s rights.
In 1930, Periyar led the Salt Satyagraha in Tamil Nadu. The Salt Satyagraha was a nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly. The British government had a monopoly on the production of salt, and they taxed it heavily. This made it difficult for poor people to afford salt, which is a basic necessity.
Periyar and his followers marched to the coastal town of Vedaranyam, where they made salt from seawater in defiance of the British law. The Salt Satyagraha was a major success, and it helped to galvanize support for the Indian independence movement.
Periyar continued to be a leading figure in the Indian independence movement, and he played a key role in the formation of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party in 1949. The DMK is a regional political party in Tamil Nadu, and it is one of the major parties in the Indian National Congress.
Periyar died in 1973, but his legacy continues to live on. He is remembered as a great social reformer and independence activist. He is also remembered as a controversial figure, due to his views on caste and religion. However, there is no doubt that he was a major figure in the history of Tamil Nadu and India.