KOTTAYAM: Dropping hints of a joint political move under the aegis of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, chief ministers of both the states, Pinarayi Vijayan and M K Stalin, jointly inaugurated the centenary celebrations of Vaikom Satyagraha in Vaikom on Saturday.
Stalin, who spoke first, commenced his speech by commenting on his rapport with Vijayan, stating that they share the same thoughts. “While speaking at the venue of the 200th anniversary of the ‘Thol Seelai Porattam’ (Channar revolt) in Nagercoil on March 6, I had told Vijayan about the need to convene a joint celebration of the centenary year of Vaikom Satyagraha. He apparently agreed to it and invited me to Vaikom on that stage itself. This showed that “Udal kondu vere vere ennalum, chintha kondu nammal onnanu” (even though we are separate by our bodies, we are one in our thoughts),” Stalin said.
Responding to Stalin’s comment, Pinarayi Vijayan said that the spirit of togetherness will be there in the future as well. “The Vaikom Satyagraha set a great example of standing together in a struggle, and Tamil Nadu and Kerala stood unitedly in it. The mindset of joining together will continue in the future, and it will strengthen into a great brotherhood. It will be a model before the rest of India,” Vijayan said. Stalin, who praised the contributions of Periyar E V Ramasamy, said his visions assumed significance in the current political situation prevailing in the country. “Both the states should take initiatives to impart knowledge to the young generation about the many hard struggles we have come through. We have the responsibility to do this at a time when communal and caste forces are running rampant in the country,” he said.
Commemorating the Vaikom Satyagraha, Vijayan said it stood different from other renaissance movements by combining the social reform movement and national freedom struggle. The Chief Minister also announced that the state government would construct a monument commensurate with the glory of Vaikom Satyagraha at Vaikom. He added that without the inspiration of the spirited messages of Sree Narayana guru, Chattambi swami and Ayyankali, there would not have been a progressive movement like Vaikom Satyagraha.
“Vaikom Satyagraha was a battle cry against the evil practice of Chathurvarnyam. It was the series of struggles that followed the Vaikom Satyagraha that paved the way for revival movements, including temple entry,” he said.
The chief ministers arrived at the venue after offering flowers at the statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Periyar, T K Madhavan and Mannath Padmanabhan at Valiyakavala in Vaikom, and at the specially-prepared Smriti Mandapams of Satyagrahis and reformists like Kunjappi, Bahuleyan, Govinda Panicker, Amachadi Thevan, and Raman Ilayath.
Book released
Stalin released the Malayalam and English editions of the book related to ‘Vaikom Satyagraha’, published by the Department of Information and Public Relations, on the occasion by handing it over to Pinarayi