THE INDIAN EXPRESS : Must Read Headlines of the Day

THE HINDU : Must Read Headlines of the Day

?Vaikom Satyagraha

It took place near the Shiva Temple at Vaikom, Kottayam district, Kerala during 1924-25. Vaikom was at that time a part of the princely state of Travancore.
The princely state of Travancore had a feudal, militaristic, and ruthless system of custom-ridden government, some of the most rigid, refined and ruthless social norms and customs were seen in Travancore.
Lower castes like the Ezhavas and Pulayas were considered polluting and various rules were in place to distance them from upper castes.
These included a prohibition, not just on temple entry, but even on walking on the roads surrounding temples.
Madhavan, K.P. Kesava Menon who was the then secretary of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee and Congress leader and educationist K. Kelappan (also known as Kerala Gandhi) are considered the pioneers of the Vaikom Satyagraha movement.In 1923, Madhavan presented the issue as a resolution at the Kakinada meet of All India Congress Committee. Subsequently ,it was taken up by the Congress Untouchability Committee formed by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee in January 1924
Gandhi arrived at Vaikom in March 1925, held a series of discussions with leaders of various caste groups and met Maharani Regent at her Varkala camp.
The Vaikom Satyagraha was officially withdrawn on November 30, 1925 after consultations between Gandhi and W.H. Pitt (police commissioner of Travancore).

The participation of women, especially those from the families of Satyagrahi leaders including Periyar’s wife Nagammai and sister Kannammal, empowered womenfolk to play an unprecedented role in the fight. The Congressmen at Vaikom reached out to their brethren in Madras Presidency, who contributed money and men.

The non-violent movement gained widespread attention, with the Akalis (Sikhs) from Punjab extending support by opening a community kitchen (langar) for the volunteers. However, it was soon closed down following a directive from Mahatma Gandhi who wanted the agitation to be a “Hindu affair”.

In November 1936, almost a decade after the conclusion of the Satyagraha, the historic Temple Entry Proclamation was signed by the Maharaja of Travancore which removed the age-old ban on the entry of marginalised castes into the temples of Travancore.

Large-scale participation of women was witnessed for the first time during the Satyagraha, marking the passage of women into the socio-political consciousness of the country

Sanchara resolution
It is a resolution for free entry to the streets around the temple.
The resolution was supported by higher cates in the assembly.
But, it was defeated by a single vote in the Assembly by the open support of the traditionalists and the indirect pressure of the government

Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy, revered as Periyar was an Indian social activist and politician who started the Self-Respect Movement and Dravidar Kazhagam.
He is known as the 'Father of the Dravidian movement'.
He rebelled against gender and caste inequality in Tamil Nadu.
Since 2021, the Indian state of Tamil Nadu celebrates his birth anniversary as 'Social Justice Day'.
Contemporary historians have argued that the Vaikom Satyagraha was only a partial success and some major setbacks in the movement were caused by Gandhi himself, by his peculiar resolutions

“Gandhiji insisted that this struggle should be seen and addressed only as an internal problem of the Hindus. So, he kept out all the non-Hindu participants in the satyagraha.

Narayana Guru is one of the most revered social reformers of South India. He belonged to the Ezhava caste.

*♦️POLITY NOTES :* CLICK HERE TO JOIN

Telegram

UPSC INDIAN POLITY

***🛑***Order of Precedence 1. President  2. Vice-President  3. Prime Minister  4. Governors of States (within their respective states) 5. Former Presidents *Deputy Prime Minister  6. Chief Justice  Speaker of the Lok Sabha  7. Cabinet Ministers of the…

THE INDIAN EXPRESS : Must Read Headlines of the Day

THE INDIAN EXPRESS : Must Read Headlines of the Day

THE HINDU : Must Read Headlines of the Day

THE HINDU : Must Read Headlines of the Day

THE INDIAN EXPRESS : Must Read Headlines of the Day

THE HINDU : Must Read Headlines of the Day