Vaikom Satyagraha
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Vaikom Satyagraha (1924 - 25) was a satyagraha (movement) in Travancore now part of Kerala against untouchability in Hindu society. The movement was centered at the Shiva temple at Vaikom, near Kottayam.The Satyagraha aimed at securing freedom of movement for all sections of society through the public roads leading to the Sri Mahadevar Temple at Vaikom.Lower caste Hindus were not allowed. The leaders of the Vaikom Satyagraha were T. K. Madhavan - an Ezhava leader, and Mannathu Padmanabhan - a leader of the Nair Service Society.On March 30, 1924, K. P. Kesava Menon and T. K. Madhavan was a close aide of Sri Narayana Guru , accompanied by Nair, Pulaya and Ezhava volunteers, attempted to walk on the road near the temple and they were arrested.Later Kellapan a congress leader from Malabar was also arrested.The movement continued for a few more days until all Nair leaders were arrested.Later they invited Periyar who was the President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee at that time to lead the agitation.Periyar agreed and came to Vaikom in April 1924 and he was arrested but he was unrelenting and refused to leave Vaikom and continued the satyagraha it gained strength.Later Mahatma Gandhi, on an invitation from Rajaji, went to Vaikom and began talks with the Queen of Travancore where it was agreed that the police pickets would be removed and that the State police would do nothing to prevent the lower castes using the roads. Periyar refused to participate in the negotiations but he had to agree, reluctantly, to Gandhi's idea that the demand for all Hindus entering the temple be put off at least for the time being.[1] The right to enter temples was granted to untouchable Hindus only in 1936 by the Maharajah of Travancore by the Temple Entry Proclamation [2][3]
