CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday announced a year-long celebration to commemorate Vaikom Satyagraha, the historical struggle against untouchability in which Periyar EV Ramasamy played a vital role and got imprisoned for spearheading the protests.
Announcing the assembly under rule 110, the CM said he would join the Vaikom Satyagraha centenary celebrations on April 1, at Vaikom in Kerala.
On that day, the Malayalam translation of the Tamil research work Vaikom Porattam authored by Pazha Adhiyaman would be released. The Telugu, Kannada, and English translations of the work will also be released soon.
On November 29, the Tamil Nadu government will organise a grand function to commemorate the satyagraha in which personalities from various places and CMs of Tamil Nadu and Kerala would take part.
Stalin also said Vaikom Award would be presented on September 17 every year to personalities or organisations working for the welfare of oppressed sections of society in other states.
The CM also announced that the Periyar memorial in Vaikom in Kerala would be renovated for Rs 8.14 crore. Efforts would be taken to establish a new memorial for Periyar at Aruvikutty village in Kerala where he was imprisoned for taking part in the satyagraha. Steps would also be taken to release a commemorative postal stamp on Vaikom Satyagraha, the CM said.
“Seminars will be conducted in universities and colleges about Vaikom Satyagraha and oratorical competitions, essay contests, and quiz programmes will be organised for school students. A 64-page book will be released to create awareness about the struggle. The book will also be released as an ‘audio book’ in Tamil and English,” Stalin said.
Vaikom satyagraha was precursor to all temple entry struggle, says Stalin
“A souvenir containing special articles on Vaikom struggle will also be released,” the CM said. “Periyar does not just belong to Tamil Nadu. He transcends the barriers of language and countries and he had proved that by his actions. Self-respect, rationalism, equality, and social justice are global ideologies. So, Periyar’s ideologies remain the basis for past struggles, present efforts, and future development. This Dravidian model government will continue to march on the path of self-respect,” the CM said.
Giving a detailed account of the Vaikom Satyagraha, Stalin said it began on March 30, 1924, and it was the precursor for all the struggles organised to ensure temple entry of people from oppressed classes. The struggle was launched by TK Mahadevan against a ban that prohibited people from oppressed classes from walking on streets around the Mahadeva temple in Vaikom.
Within a few days, all Congress leaders in the locality were arrested and Periyar, the then president of the TNCC, reached there and led that struggle for 67 days.
Periyar spoke about the issue among people and he was arrested twice during the struggle. He underwent one-month imprisonment in Aruvikutty village at the police station. Later, he underwent four months of rigorous imprisonment in Thiruvananthapuram prison. While others were treated as political prisoners, Periyar was treated like an ordinary prisoner.
Stalin also said Mahatma Gandhi who held talks with the then rulers took Periyar along with him. BR Ambedkar, who launched the Mahar struggle in 1929, said the Vaikom Satyagraha had inspired him, Stalin said, and added that the struggle lasted for one and half years and ended on November 23, 1925.
Later, a victory ceremony was held on November 29, 1925, chaired by Periyar. Tamil scholar Thiru. Vi Kalyanasundaranar described Periyar as Vaikom Veerar and late leader Rajaji hailed Periyar for his role in the struggle.