Context:
100 years of Vaikom Satyagraha
Vaikom Satyagraha:
- Vaikom Satyagraha – Movement against the exclusion of “lower caste” Hindus from accessing the Vaikom Mahadeva temple and its surrounding roads
- Occurred in – Princely state of Travancore (now in Kerala)
- Background –
- 1st highlighted by Ezhava leader T.K. Madhavan in in his paper, Deshabhimani.
- In the 1923 Indian National Congress session in Kakinada, Kerala Provincial Congress Committee passed a resolution to prioritize the anti-untouchability cause.
- Course of Satyagraha – Advocated non-violent protests to ensure equal access to public spaces for all castes.
- Key leaders – T.K. Madhavan, K. Kelappan (also known as Kerala Gandhi), K.P. Kesava Menon, and George Joseph.
- Mahatma Gandhi, C. Rajagopalachari, and E.V. Ramasamy (Periyar) visited Vaikom to express their support.
- Impact – In 1936, the Maharaja of Travancore issued a Temple Entry Proclamation, granting access to marginalized castes
Source: The Indian Express
Previous Year Question
The Vital-Vidhwansak, the first monthly journal to have the untouchable people as its target audience, was published by:
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2020 Prelims]
(a) Gopal Baba Walangkar
(b) Jyotiba Phule
(c) Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
(d) Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar
Answer: (a)
