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Vaikom Satyagraha (1924 - 25) was a satyagraha (non-violent resistance movement) in Travancore, now part of the state of Kerala, India. The objective was to remove casteism from Hindu society. The movement was centered at the ancient Shiva temple at Vaikom, near the town of Kottayam. The satyagraha focused on securing for all citizens the right to traverse the public roads around the Sri Mahadevar Temple at Vaikom. At the time, lower-caste Hindus were denied the privilege of using them.

The leaders of the Vaikom Satyagraha were T.K.Madhavan, an Ezhava, and Mannathu Padmanabhan, a Nair. T. K. Madhavan was a close aide of the saint and reformer Sri Narayana Guru. On March 30, 1924, T. K. Madhavan, Congress leader K. P. Kesava Menon, and other Nair, Pulaya and Ezhava volunteers attempted to walk on the road near the temple and were arrested. Later Kelappan, a Congress leader from Malabar was also arrested. The movement continued for a few more days until all the leaders were arrested. Later Periyar who was the President of the Madras Presidency (Tamil Nadu) Congress Committee, also arrived at Vaikom, but he did not have a significant role. The satyagraha gained strength and national attention. Mahatma Gandhi, on an invitation from Rajaji, went to Vaikom and began talks with the Travancore royal family. 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. Gandhi was reluctant to make the struggle more intense at that point in time.. The right to enter temples was granted to all Hindus later, on November 12th, 1936 by the Maharajah of Travancore who issued the epoch-making Temple Entry Proclamation

References

External links

• http://www.kerala.cc/keralahistory/index25.htm

1. http://www.expressindia.com/ie/daily/19990331/iex31073p.html
2. http://www.media-watch.org/articles/0499/65.html
3. http://www.expressindia.com/ie/daily/19990331/iex31073p.html
4. http://pib.nic.in/feature/feyr98/fe0798/PIBF0707981.html

• Indian caste system
• Hindu law
• Hindu temples
• Kingdom of Travancore
• History of Kerala
• Nonviolent resistance movements
• Hindu movements and organizations
• Religious faiths, traditions, and movements