Prime Minister Indira Gandhi unveiling a plaque at Vaikom on April 20, 1975 | Photo Credit: The Hindu Photo Archives
The word ‘Vaikom’ has many associations – in Kerala, one thinks of writer Vaikom Mohammed Basheer, singer Vaikom Vijayalakshmi and Vaikothappan, the deity of the Vaikom temple. Many Indians would associate Vaikom with Mahatma Gandhi, while in Tamil Nadu it conjures up the name and image of Periyar.
But there is much more to it in terms of the social movement of consequence. March 30 was an important day for Vaikom, a quiet town in Kottayam, Kerala. The date also marks the beginning of the centenary year of the Vaikom temple road entry movement launched in 1924 and a milestone in temple entry movements in India. This non-violent movement was to end the restriction imposed on backward communities to use the roads around Vaikom Mahadev Temple.
This was a prelude to the Kerala Temple Entry Proclamation in 1936. The movement started by leaders like TK Madhavan, KP Kesava Menon and George Joseph on the advice of Mahatma Gandhi was sustained and successfully carried on by Periyar EV Ramasamy. The then President of the Tamil Nadu Congress between 1924 and 1925 and others.
Periyar’s Admission, Conditions
Backed by the Kerala Congress, the Committee Against Untouchability launched a protest on March 30, 1924, where three persons from different communities were prevented from entering the temple streets and a Satyagraha was to be flagged off. The protests continued for more than a year and a half, leading to many arrests and jailing of satyagrahis. The government suddenly stopped these arrests after 9 April. Instead, the police were now directed against the leaders of the protest and those from Kerala who had camped in Vaikom. His arrest created a vacuum as there was no leader to lead the protest.
This led to leaders such as Neelakandan Nampoothiri and George Joseph requesting Periyar to lead the protest. Didn’t look back. As a mark of appreciation, Thiru, editor and scholar of the Tamil magazine Navasakthi. V. Kalyanasundaram, or Thiru.V.Ka. Periyar was given the title of Vaikom Veerar (Hero of Vaikom).
The Vaikom movement was of many hues – day-to-day protests, arrests, interrogations, jail terms and agitations and attacks by orthodox Hindu traditionalists even the Akalis of Punjab traveled to Vaikom to supply food to the protestors. There was also support from the upper castes for the 13-day march to the capital, Sanchar (free entry to the streets around the temple), a resolution in the Assembly in support of its defeat and the arrival of Mahatma Gandhi in talks between the government, protesters and orthodox Hindus. to do.
Since Mahatma Gandhi insisted that it should be a local protest, the request to make it an all-India movement failed. With the support of the government and the administration, the conservatives staged a series of troubles for the satyagrahis, including counter rallies marked by violence. With the open support of the conservatives and indirect pressure from the government, the proposal for the right of communication failed in the assembly. But the Satyagrahis overcame the odds. Tamils who participated in the protest helped Keralites favor temple entry for all communities.
tamil role
Tamil Nadu played an important role in the Vaikom Satyagraha, which symbolized the struggle by the “untouchables”. Periyar and firebrand leader Kovai Ayyamuthu worked closely with leaders in Kerala. But he had to face repressive action. There was a rally by upper castes in Vaikom led by Mannathu Padmanabhan in favor of the protesters and another in the south in support of the temple entry led by Emperumal Naidu of Nagercoil. Sivathanu Pillai, a leader from Nagercoil (which was a part of Travancore) spoke at the meeting, which ended at the Trivandrum beach. Arrests also took place. The names of Tamils who participated in the movement are published in my book Vaikom Porattam (Vaikom Struggle).
more than 603 days
Therefore, an important temple road entry movement that began on March 30, 1924 ended on November 23, 1925. In these 603 days, many important events took place. In view of the accession of the new young king, 19 leaders including Periyar, Keshav Menon and TK Madhavan were released on 30 August 1924. The upper caste rally which started on 1st November reached Trivandrum on 13th November. Handing over the memorandum to the Queen.
The communication resolution which was put to vote in the Assembly in February 1925 was defeated by one vote. Mahatma Gandhi, who was in Kerala, held talks with the Queen of Travancore, social reformer Narayana Guru, conservatives and Police Commissioner W H Pitt. On 17 November the satyagrahis announced their decision to withdraw their protest. On 23 November, the government of the princely state of Travancore announced that people could enter three of the four roads around the Vaikom temple, thus ending the protest. The victory festival was celebrated on November 29, 1925 under the chairmanship of Periyar.
The Kerala government has now decided to celebrate the movement by organizing various cultural programmes. Tamil Nadu is also observing the occasion, as announced by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin in the assembly session. A word about the memorial to the Government of Kerala. It’s not the same as what I saw in 2008, as the constant upgrades make clear. A memorial to Periyar, being built by the Tamil Nadu government since 1994, may be the only structure in Tamil Nadu for people to understand what happened. Tamil Nadu also has a practice of naming children after Vaikom – which started in the 1930s.
Read this also |The Satyagraha that ushered in modernity in Kerala
Vaikom is not just the name of a city. It is a symbol of social justice and a symbol of the abolition of caste barriers. It is one that still shines bright in history and the social justice movement.
Pazha Athiyaman is a writer, researcher and author of ‘Vaikom Porattam’