Context: The Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Kerala will inaugurate the centenary celebrations of the Vaikom Satyagraha. On March 30th, 1924, in the princely state of Travancore, a non-violent agitation started, which marked the beginning of ‘temple entry movements’ across the country.
Introduction
- Widespread caste discrimination and untouchability across Travancore.
- Lower castes like the Ezhavas and Pulayas were considered polluting and various rules were in place to distance them from upper castes.
- Idea of caste pollution worked not only on the basis of touch but also sight.
- This was documented by travellers such as Portuguese Duarte Barbosa who wrote in his memoirs, “When (upper caste Nairs) walk along a street, they shout to the low caste folk to get out of their way … this they do and if one will not, the Nayre may kill him.”
- They were prohibited not just on temple entry, but even on walking on the roads surrounding temples.
Social context of Travancore at the dawn of the 20th century
- A number of social and political developments were leading to social change.
- Christian missionaries, supported by the East India Company, had expanded their reach and many lower castes converted to Christianity to escape the oppressive system.
- With pressure from the British Resident as well as the accession to the throne of Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal, brought many progressive reforms.
- Example: Introduction of a modern education system with free primary education for all, including lower castes.
- Forces of capitalism and western education created new social hierarchies. Certain sections among the Ezhavas emerged as an educated class, and now they were fighting for rights of their community.
- Ezhavas emerged as the most educated and organised untouchable community in Travancore. The government’s education policies were significant in this regard.
- Some Ezhavas successfully pursued education as a portal to advancement, however, due to the reservation of posts for members of the upper castes, they were not able to get the jobs at upper levels.
- Example: In 1918, out of 4000 jobs in the revenue department, 3800 were held by caste Hindus, a numerical minority in the population.
While a small Ezhava elite had begun to emerge, ritual discrimination was still prevalent. Continued discrimination sowed the seeds for agitations to come.
Vaikom Satyagraha
- Vaikom:
- Religious town located inside the Kingdom of Travancore.
- The town is famous for Vaikom Shiva Temple.
- City was known as Varanasi of the South.
- The temple did not permit lower castes to enter it and even the roads around the Vaikom Shiva temple were closed to the polluting castes.
- The issue of temple entry was first raised by Ezhava leader TK Madhavan in a 1917 editorial in his paper Deshabhimani.
- Till 1917, the Indian National Congress refused to take up social reform, but with the rise of Gandhi and increased activism within lower caste communities and untouchables, social reform soon found itself front and centre of Congress’s and Gandhi’s politics.
- In 1921, T K Madhavan met with Mahatma Gandhi at Tirunelveli to seek his advice and support for launching an agitation.
- Gandhi’s involvement in the struggle proved crucial as it mobilised the educated upper-caste Hindu opinion in favour of temple entry.
- Madhavan joined the Congress and participated in the party’s Kakinada session in 1923, where a resolution was passed for the eradication of untouchability.
- The resolution also stated that temple entry was the birth-right of all Hindus and authorised the state Congress to take charge of the struggle.
- Following which Kerala Congress formed an untouchability eradication council under the leadership of K Kelappan.
- The council arrived in Vaikom in February 1924 to take out a procession through the prohibited roads.
- March 30, 1924:
- Two untouchables and an upper caste Nair community person took the road around Vaikom Shiva temple that was closed to ‘polluting castes’.
- They were arrested and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.
- Gandhi approved the agitation and suggested civil disobedience and non-violent satyagraha.
- Between April and September, protests reached their peak. Protestors sat in front of the barricades, undertaking rigorous fasts and singing patriotic songs.
- Leaders such as Periyar, who was arrested multiple times, and C Rajagopalachari came to Vaikom to offer support and lead the protesters.
- Contribution of Periyar: Social reformer and President of Madras Congress Committee E V Ramaswamy Naicker arrived at Vaikom when some leaders of the Satyagraha leaders were jailed.
- Cross religious support: Even Christians and Sikhs supported the Vaikom Satyagraha. A group of 15 Akalis led by Lala Lal Singh and Kripal Singh opened a vegetarian mess for anyone who visited the Ashram where Satyagrahis stayed.
- Ashram of Sree Narayana Guru: Functioned as the camp for the satyagrahis.
- As volunteers and prominent leaders tried to walk through the prohibited roads, they were arrested. The arrested leaders did not seek a bail.
- On the other hand, counter-agitations raged on and protesters were often met with violence and intimidation from conservative caste Hindus.
- In August, 1924, the Maharaja of Travancore died, following which, the young Maharani Regent, Queen Sethulakshmi Bai, released all prisoners.
- But when a large group of protesters marched to the royal palace in Trivandrum, she refused to allow all castes access to temples.
- In March 1925, Gandhi began his tour of Travancore and was able to iron out a compromise:
- Gandhi organised a peaceful jatha of Hindus from Vaikom to Thiruvananthapuram and back. This jatha helped raise social consciousness against untouchability.
- Three out of the four roads surrounding the temples were opened up for everyone but the fourth, eastern road, was kept reserved for brahmins.
- This was finally implemented in November 1925, when the government completed diversionary roads that could be used by the low castes without polluting the temple.
- On November 23, 1925, the last satyagrahi was recalled from Vaikom.
The legacy and the aftermath
- Vaikom satyagraha saw previously unseen unity across caste lines.
- 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.
- It showed the effectiveness of Gandhian civil disobedience as a tool for protest.
- The satyagraha brought untouchability to the forefront of political issues in India.
About T. K. Madhavan:
- Madhavan was an Indian social reformer, journalist and revolutionary. He was involved with the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP).
About E V Ramaswamy Naicker ‘Periyar’:
- Considered to be the most distinguished leader of Dravidian movement and anti-brahmin movement in South India.
- His sharp speeches in Vaikom and other parts of Vaikom against untouchability created a big impact. Thus, he was conferred the title of ‘Hero of Vaikom’.
- He was with Justice Party of Madras.
- He led the Self-Respect Movement (opposed dominance of Brahmins in social life, especially bureaucracy) to redeem the identity and self-respect of Tamils.
About K. Kelappan (1889-1971):
- He was the lead figure the Congress during India’s Independence Movement in Kerala was known as ‘Kerala Gandhi’.
- Was the founding member & President of Nair Service Society & Kerala Kshetra Samrakshana Samiti.
- He was an important figure in lower caste struggle particularly Vaikom Satyagraha and Guruvayur Temple Entry Movement.
- Kelappan led the Guruvayur Satyagraha which was an effort for temple entry for untouchables into Guruvayur Temple. Kelappan undertook a hunger strike for 12 days when it was abandoned at the request of Mahatma Gandhi.
- He led the Salt Satyagraha in Kerala. He led a batch of Congress workers on foot from Kozhikode to the beaches of Payyanur and broke the salt laws.