Vaikom Satyagraha
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Vaikom Satyagraha (1924–25) was a
satyagraha (movement) in
Travancore,
India (now part of
Kerala) against
untouchability in
Hindu society. The movement was centered at the
Shiva temple at
Vaikom, near
Kottayam.The
Satyagraha aimed at securing freedom of movement for all sections of
society through the public roads leading to the Sri Mahadevar Temple at
Vaikom.
Introduction
The
Vaikom Satyagraha was the first systematically organized
agitation in Kerala against orthodoxy to secure the rights of the
depressed classes. For the first time in history, the agitation brought
forward the question of civil rights of the low caste people into the
forefront of Indian politics. No mass agitation in Kerala acquired so
much all-India attention and significance in the twentieth century as
the
Vaikom Satyagraha. Vaikom is a small temple town in Central Travancore on the eastern banks of the backwaters of
Vembanad Lake.
The town is famous for its Shiva temple, which in the early twentieth
century was the citadel of orthodoxy and casteism. As was the custom
prevalent in those days, the Avarnas were not allowed to enter the
temples. But at Vaikom, they were not permitted even to use the public
roads around the temple. Notice boards were put up at different spots
prohibiting the entry of Avarnas reminding them of their social
inferiority. All the more unbearable to them were the fact that a
Christian or a
Muslim
was freely allowed on these roads. An Avarna had to walk through a
circuitous route, two to three miles longer to avoid the road beside the
temple. It seems that when
Ayyankali, a
Dalit leader and member of
Pulaya
caste, had to travel through this road, he was asked to get down from
his bullock cart, and walk through the circuitous route and his bullock
cart without him was allowed to pass through the road.
[citation needed]
Why Vaikom was selected for the agitation
Historical background
During 1865 the Government of Travancore had published a notification
that all public roads in the state were open to all castes of people
alike. In July 1884, the Government by a fresh notification reaffirmed
the policy laid down in the previous order and enjoined that any
violation of these orders would be visited with the severest displeasure
of the Government. This notification came up for a judicial review
before the High Court. The High Court then considered it expedient to
draw a distinction between
Raja Veedhis (King's Highways) and
grama veedhis
(village roads). The court decided that the public roads mentioned in
the notification of the Government were intended to mean only the
Raja veedhis and not
grama veedhis. The roads around Vaikom Temple were considered ‘
grama veedhis and consequently even after 65 years of Government proclamation, they were barred to the
Avarnas and a unit of police (consisting of
Savarnas) was stationed in the vicinity to enforce the custom.
Other probable reasons
About two hundred years ago at Vaikom, there was an attempt at temple entry and a gruesome end to it.
Balarama Varma was the king of Travancore and
Kunchukutti Pillai was the
Diwan (Dalawa).
[citation needed] About two hundred
Ezhava
young men, in and around Vaikom decided to enter the temple and
worship. A date was fixed. Those who were in charge of the temple
carried the news to the king and the authorities and the king promised
to take necessary action. On the day of the proposed temple entry one
messenger from the king came to Vaikom, and met the temple authorities.
They wondered how this single man would stop 200 able-bodied young men.
The young men organized themselves into a procession from Iruvelikkunnu
on
Kottayam
Road . Their plan was to enter the temple from the eastern road. As
they were nearing the temple the King's messenger along with a large
number of armed personnels started attacking the unarmed civilians. The
dead bodies were collected and buried in the pond at the northeastern
side of the temple. It seems
Dalawa Kunchukutti Pillai had ordered the massacre; hence the pond came to be known as
Dalawa Kulam. The pond is no longer there. It is filled in and the present private bus stand is constructed there.
There was another crucial incident, which triggered the action.
Sree Narayana Guru himself was prohibited from passing through the roads around the temple.
Sri Bhargavan Vaidyar mentions this in the golden Jubilee Souvenir of Neyyattinkara S N D P Union. The editorial of the
Malayala Manorama on 29 March 1924 (the day before the starting of the Satyagraha) mentions,
If a venerable sage like Sree Narayana Guru and his disciple Mahakavi Kumaran Asan
were driven away from the road around the temple by a drunken upper
caste buffoon in the name of caste, can their people take it lying down?
If they rise up in revolt can any authority stop them by force?
The famous Malayalam poet
Muloor S.Padmanabha Panicker wrote
Long ago on the streets of Vaikom in a rickshaw, The great sage Sree Narayana was going, An idiot born as god on earth, Came up and ordered the rickshaw to withdraw
.
If this is the truth,
T. K. Madhavan, the favorite disciple of
Sree Narayana Guru, must have taken an inner pledge to annihilate the tradition, which insulted his Guru, and the result was the
Satyagraha at Vaikom .
Protests by Ezhavas
The
Ezhavas
first took up issue in 1905. The Ezhava representatives in the
Travancore Legislature (Kochu Kunjan Channar, Kunju Panicker and
Kumaran Asan) raised the question of use of the public roads around the temples by
avarnas.
The authorities remained adamant and refused to take up the matter even
for discussion as it was considered a religious question. In 1920-21,
representative Asan also raised the question and it was decided to shift
the notice boards a little, so that some parts of the roads would be
accessible to the avarnas.
T. K. Madhavan, the organizing secretary of the
SNDP,
became a member of the Travancore Legislature, and felt that Asan and
the others has accepted a humiliating compromise. Madhavan wanted to
demand outright temple entry, but he was denied permission to even
introduce the resolution in the Legislature. Madhavan met the then
Divan
Raghaviah at his residence and requested him to reconsider his
decision. The Divan refused; Madhavan then requested for permission to
make a representation to the
Maharaja himself which was denied. Frustrated and enraged, Madhavan raised his voice of protest before the Divan, proclaiming
We
are denied the right to present our problems to the legislatures, and
we are denied permission to represent to the Maharaja. How are we to
resolve our problems? Are we to leave Travancore? The Divan retorted,
You may leave Travancore to solve your problems.
While Madhavan's main objective was to achieve unconditional temple
entry, he understood that the right to use the public roads around the
temples was the first step. He already had the idea of launching an
agitation at Vaikom against the forbidding of roads around the temple,
as an activity of the SNDP Yogam. He discussed the matter in detail with
Sardar K.M.Panikkar. Panikkar told that the Ezhavas, under the
leadership of
Sree Narayana Guru,
"had united and uplifted themselves, and have become a formidable force
in the socio-economic-political atmosphere of Kerala." Although the
SNDP has become a mouthpiece for all downtrodden people and the standard
bearer of social revolution, the issue at Vaikom needs handling at a
higher and wider level. Instead of being just a fight for gaining access
to road, Panikkar suggested making it a symbolic battle against
atrocities in the name of caste, giving it a national and cosmopolitan
look to gain the attention of the entire world. To do that, it was
necessary to include it as an activity of the
Indian National Congress, and get
Mahatma Gandhi to approve it.
Involvement of the Indian National Congress
T. K. Madhavan met
Mahatma Gandhi at
Tirunelveli
on 23 September 1921 and apprised him of the conditions of the Ezhavas
and their achievements through the SNDP. Because they had already
achieved admission to school, Mahatmaji agreed that the time was ripe
for temple entry. Mahatmaji promised to write to the State Congress
Committee to take up the issue.
Madhavan attended the
Kakinada AICC meet (1923) in the company of Sardar Panikkar and K. P. Kesava Menon. Madhavan got a pamphlet printed:
A request to the Indian National Congress on behalf of the untouchables of India.
Madhavan tried with all his might to convince the members of the need
to eradicate untouchability. The Congress agreed to include the
eradication of untouchability in their
constructive programs
and resolved to lend full support to the Vaikom Movement, and
authorized the Kerala Provincial Congress Committee (KPCC) to undertake
the task.
In accordance with the
Kakinada Congress resolution, the KPCC met at
Ernakulam
on 24 January 1924 and formed an Untouchability Abolition Committee
(UAC) consisting of K. Kelappan (convener), T. K. Madhavan, Kurur
Nilakantan Namboothiri, T.R. Krishna Swami Iyer, and K. Velayudha Menon.
A Publicity Committee of five members including T. K. Madhavan was also
formed.
The KPCC, the UAC and the Publicity Committee reached Vaikom on 28
February 1924. There was a huge public meeting. Madhavan made a public
request to the UAC to get the prohibitory notice boards removed from the
roads around the temple. The Committee resolved to take procession of
Avarnas through the roads on the very next day of the Pulaya Mahasabha
meeting.
The news of the decision reached far and wide. It evoked mixed reactions. The caste
Hindus
who tolerated the speeches at the meeting could not digest the idea of a
procession as proposed by the KPCC and the UAC. They along with the
local
Magistrate, the
Police Inspector, and the
Tahsildar,
met the congress leaders at their camp, and suggested a postponement.
They promised that they would try to prevent communal tensions, and make
the procession a success, if they were given time. The congress also
realized the situation. They could also make use of the time to plan and
prepare properly for launching the agitation. The date was fixed as 30
March 1924, and the idea was to take out a procession. Meanwhile, the
local Magistrate fearing communal tensions issued prohibitory orders
against the procession. Hence the UAC changed its tactics. It was
decided to send only three volunteers every day instead of a procession.
Volunteers were selected from all castes.
A Satyagraha Ashram was set up about one furlong south of the temple.
The Ashram was packed with volunteers who came from different parts of
the country. The venue of Satyagraha was decided to be on the western
road where a prohibitory board announced:
"Ezhavas and other low castes are prohibited through this road"
Hundred of policemen armed with lethal weapons, ready to meet any
eventuality, were on the vigil round the clock at the spot where the
Satyagraha was to begin.
On the morning of 30 March a bugle call for action was sounded. The
first batch of volunteers selected to offer Satyagraha were Kunjappy (
Pulayan), Bahuleyan (Ezhava) and Venniyil Govinda Panicker (
Nair).
Before leaving the ashram, they were strictly instructed not to offer
any resistance and remain calm against all provocations. The
Satyagrahis, wearing khadi and Gandhi caps and garlands, marched forward
with the Congress flag fluttering before them. All the volunteers
followed them shouting "Satyagraha ki jai, Mahatma Gandhi ki jai." All
of them would stop at a distance of fifty feet from the notice board,
and only the selected three would walk to the point where the
prohibition board hung. The police would stop them and ask them their
caste. The police would pronounce that the low-caste men would not be
allowed to pass; only the
Savarnas
could. The upper-caste men would insist that their companions should go
with them. The police would prevent them. The Satyagrahis would wait
there patiently until they were arrested just before noon. When they
were produced before the court, invariably they were convicted and
sentenced to jail and fined. They refused to pay the fine, and courted
extra imprisonment. In the evening there would be a procession and
public meeting, protesting against the arrest. The meetings were given
wide publicity and people thronged in from all directions. They
returned, rejuvenated by the inspiring speeches of the leaders to come
back again next morning to start the routine.
The Satyagraha was temporarily stopped for two days on 5 and 6 April
to try for a compromise between caste Hindu leaders and the Congress.
All talks failed and Satyagraha was resumed. T. K. Madhavan and K. P.
Kesava Menon (KPCC president) volunteered on 7 April and courted arrest.
Soon after this the Maharajah of Travancore,
Moolam Thirunal died on 7 August 1924 and his niece Maharani
Sethu Lakshmi Bayi
came to power. As part of her installation durbar, she released all the
prisoners. The Maharani would come to play an important role towards
the end of the Vaikom Satyagraha after meeting
Mahatma Gandhi.
The struggle continued like this up to 10 April, when the police
adopted the new tactics of barricading the roads and thus tried to
prevent the Satyagrahis from reaching the disputed roads. The police
also decided not to arrest the Satyagrahis, and they responded with
fasting. But Gandhiji disapproved of fasting as it went against his
theory of Satyagraha. The police who were watching the progress of the
agitation were convinced that their policy of not arresting the
Satyagrahis was not very effective. So they wanted to use strong-arm
tactics to crush the agitation. The conservatives joined the police, and
in due course, the conservatives took over and the police became silent
witnesses to the atrocities committed on the volunteers by the
conservatives. When the Satyagraha started the ruling Maharaja of
Travancore was
Sree Moolam Thirunal.
He and his minister ivan Bahadur T. Raghavaiah were golden props of
extreme orthodoxy. They wanted to keep old customs in-toto. Divan
Raghvaiah made a speech in the Travancore legislature strongly defending
the Savarnas and denouncing the Satyagraha.
Meanwhile hundreds of letters were sent to Gandhiji to suspend the agitation. Two advocate brothers from
Kerala,
Sivarama Iyer and Vancheeswara Iyer met Mahatmaji and argued that the
roads around Vaikom temple are private property and hence the Satyagraha
was irrelevant.
All newspapers in India flashed headlines about the Satyagraha. Money flowed from different states to Vaikom. The
Akalis of
Punjab
came to Vaikom to open a free kitchen for the Satyagrahis. Non-Hindus
like barrister George Joseph, Bhajematharam Mathunni and Abdul Rahman
(the Editor-in-Chief of The Young India) came forward to offer
Satyagraha. But Gandhiji did not accept any of these. Gandhiji wrote in
the Young India on April 24, 1924, and May 1, 1924 against accepting
outside aid.
"As for accepting assistance from Hindus from outside, such
acceptance would betray un readiness on the part of the local Hindus for
the reform. If the Satyagrahis have the sympathy of the local Hindus,
they must get locally all the money they need."
Gandhiji wrote to George Joseph on April 6, 1924:
"As to Vaikom, I think you shall let the Hindus
do the work. It is they who have to purify themselves. You can help by
your sympathy and your pen, but not by organizing the Movement and
certainly not by offering Satyagraha. If you refer to the Congress
resolution of Nagpur,
it calls upon the Hindu Members to remove the curse of untouchability.
Untouchability is the sin of the Hindus. They must suffer for it; they
must pay the debt they owe to their suppressed brothers and sisters.
Theirs is the shame and theirs must be the glory when they have purged
themselves of the black sin. The silent loving suffering of one pure
Hindu as such will be enough to melt the hearts of millions of Hindus,
but the sufferings of thousands of non-Hindus on behalf of the
untouchables will leave the Hindus unmoved. Their blind eyes will not be
opened by outside interference, however well intentioned and generous
it may be, for it will not bring home to them their sense of guilt. On
the contrary, they would probably hug the sin, all the more, for such
interference. All reforms to be sincere and lasting must come from
within."
Before George Joseph received this letter, he offered Satyagraha and was arrested. The
Akalis also withdrew on Gandhiji's word.
There were more than 200 volunteers in the camp. After some time, it
became difficult to maintain the camp. It was brought to the notice of
Gandhiji at the
Belgaum
Congress and the Congress records show that an amount of Rs, 1000 per
month was sanctioned from the Congress funds for the Vaikom Movement.
Important people like
Vinoba Bhave and Swami Shraddhananda visited the spot and gave mental support for the Movement.
Involvement of Periyar
E. V. Ramasami (affectionately called
Periyar by the
Tamilians) came with his wife Nagamma and a group of followers and offered Satyagraha on April 14. As the head of the
Satyagraha,
Periyar was imprisoned twice. Gandhi, who was also present on the
Vaikom scene, was disturbed about the whole affair but seemingly unable
to stop it. His concern grew when other religious groups became
involved. Thus the
Sikh
community offered to meet expenses. Money was also said to have come in
from Burma, Singapore, and Malaysia, from non-Brahmin immigrants,
Muslims and Christians. Gandhi tried under the circumstances to keep the
whole thing an inter-Hindu affair. However, in the end a compromise was
reached. The streets in the temple area were opened to
Harijans or
Untouchables. In 1936, they were allowed to enter the temple. The
Satyagraha paved the way for subsequent Temple Entry Act.
[1][2]
Vaikom had been chosen as a place for
Satyagraha organized by
the heads of the Congress Party. Periyar who was touring Madurai
district received "a private letter" asking him to join in the
Satyagraha.
He immediately proceeded to Vaikom where he violated the order not to
address public meetings and was imprisoned for one month. a light
punishment on order of the Raja. Gandhi became more and more troubled as
the
Satyagraha took a turn of communal riot because of
conversions to Islam taking place. Vain efforts were made to return
Periyar to Madras state. After his first release from prison Periyar was
advised to stay away from Vaikom which he did not do. His second
imprisonment was more severe, six months in the Central Jail Trivandrum.
Meanwhile Nakammai, Periyar's first wife, organized women's
campaigning.
[1]
Nagamma with Mrs. Joseph, Mrs. T. K. Madhavan and Mrs. Govindan
Channar, among others formed a Women's committee to persuade the women
of the villages and get them ready to participate in the Satyagraha.
They went around villages explaining to the women, the meaning and
purpose of this Satyagraha and collecting from them, handfuls of rice
and small changes to maintain the volunteers' needs. The women started
to offer Satyagraha on May 20, 1924. Nagamma was arrested along with
Mrs. T.K. Madhavan and later released. Nagamma's leadership induced
courage and solidarity in the women.
When the Raja unexpectedly died Periyar was released from the
Trivandrum prison because additional trouble was feared, since the death
of the Raja somehow connected with Periyar's imprisonment as a bad
omen. Later, on the order of the Government, Periyar was, for breaking
public laws sent to prison again in Madras to be kept out of the way.
The compromise to open the streets in the temple areas was the outcome
of the negotiations between Gandhi and the two Ranis. Gandhi had
unsuccessfully done everything to keep Periyar out of Vaikom. Periyar on
his side had to accept that the
Vaikom Satyagraha ended in a compromise.
[1] In 1925, the Madras Presidency (Tamil Nadu) Congress passed a resolution unanimously praising Periyar's contribution to the
Vaikom Satyagraha and hailing him as the
Vaikom Veerar (Vaikom Hero) in the Kanchipuram Session.
[3]
The role of Sree Narayana Guru in Vaikom Satyagraha
Sree Narayana Guru, who had never shown any interest in the activities of the
Indian National Congress,
involved himself with the Vaikom Satyagraha and extended much
co-operation. The reason is quiet evident. The Vaikom Satyagraha was not
an agitation for political freedom, it was a movement to purify the
Hindu society of its blemishes, and this was what Guru also attempted
through his actions and messages.
But somehow, a small misunderstanding arose between
Mahatma Gandhi
and Sree Narayana Guru, regarding the modus operandi of the Satyagraha.
One of Guru's dialogues with the General Secretary of the SNDP was
misinterpreted in such a way that it led to believe that the ideals of
Gandhiji and Guru clashed. There was a stage when someone suggested to
Gandhiji to withdraw the support for the Satyagraha because the
spiritual leader of the
Thiyyas was urging his followers to use violence, which is against the principles of Satyagraha.
The Guru had thorough discussions with his favorite disciple
T. K. Madhavan,
about the Vaikom Movement, even before T. K. Madhavan met Gandhiji
about the issue. The Guru had another discussion with K. M. Kesavan, the
then General Secretary of the SNDP when the Satyagraha was launched.
Kesavan:
Gandhiji wants to win over the other side and the
Government by sympathy, by self-inflicted suffering. That is how they
gain their end.
Guru:
The will to suffer and sacrifice should be there. But there
is no need to get drenched or starved. Enter where entry is banned and
face the consequences, Take blows without giving them. If a fence is
raised in your path , don't turn back, jump over it. Don't stop with
walking through the road, enter the temple, every temple, every day,
everybody. If the offering of pudding is ready, take it. Go to the place
where free food is served in the temple; and sit along with others. Let
the Government be informed of what you intend to do. One should not
fight shy of laying down one's life. Those who think another's touch
pollutes him should not be left unmolested in their so called
cleanliness. That is my view…. Give publicity to all these in the
papers. Let people know that I subscribe to their views. But let there
be no violence or show of force. Don't be perturbed by coercion.
Kesavan:
Temple entry is the ultimate goal of Satyagraha. That is postponed to the next year.
Guru:
Why? Isn't it too late even now?
This view was given wide publicity and the newspaper cutting containing it reached Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhiji wrote in the
Young India on June 19, 1924.
His Holiness Sree Narayana Guru, the spiritual leader of the Thiyyas
is reported to have disapproved of the present methods of Satyagraha at
Vaikom. He suggests that volunteers should advance along barricaded
roads and scale the barricades. They should enter temples and sit with
others to dine. Now the action proposed is not Satyagraha. For scaling
barricades is open violence. If you may scale barricades, why not break
open temple doors and even pierce temple walls? How are the volunteers
pierce through a row of policemen except by using force?. If the Thiyyas
are strong and willing to die in sufficient numbers, they can gain
their point. All I submit is that they will have gained it by some thing
the reverse of Satyagraha. And then too, they would not have converted
the orthodox to their views, but would have imposed it on them by force.
He wrote:
A friend who has sent me the press cutting suggests that by reason of the violent advice of the guru,
I should ask the local Congress Committee to call off the Satyagraha. I
feel that would mean want of faith in one's means and surrender to
violence. If Congressmen connected with the Vaikom movement entertain
the suggestions said to be favored by the Thiyyas' spiritual leader,
there would be case for penance, and therefore suspension, but not
otherwise. I would therefore urge the organizers at Vaikom to make
redoubled effort and at the same time, keep stricter watch on the
conduct of those who take part in the movement. Whether it takes a long
or short time to reach the goal, the way is the way of peaceful
conversion of the orthodox, by self-suffering and self purification and
none other'
Careful analyses of both the statements reveal that there was no essential difference. The major objectives of both
Gandhi and
Sree Narayana Guru were the same, the eradication of untouchability, and the acceptance of human equality. And the immediate objective of the
Vaikom Satyagraha was the establishment of a simple primary human right to make use of the public road around the temple. Both Gandhiji and the
Guru
agreed in this matter. What Gandhiji suggested is gain access to the
road, and then try for temple entry. What Guru proposed is to go ahead
without stopping until temple entry was achieved.
Don't stop with walking through the roads, but enter the temple
At one point Gandhiji thought that Sree Narayana Guru had suggested to the volunteers to adopt open violence.
He
suggested that the volunteers should advance along barricaded roads and
scale the barricades…For scaling barricades is open violence. Let a
humble question be raised. What happened at Vaikom ? The volunteers
were made to stand in the hot sun, drenched in the rain till mid-day,
and then arrested. If they had followed what the Guru has suggested,
tried to cross the fence, probably they would have received more blows,
but would have arrested early, for defying orders. What Narayana Guru
suggested was only to intensify the struggle or speed up the process in
the Gandhian way. If the Guru's suggestion to the volunteers to scale
the barricades was
open violence, then Gandhiji's exhortation to the people to prepare salt at
Dandi
defying government orders is also equivalent to open violence. Attempt
to scale the barricades is only open defiance, not open violence.
Sree Narayana Guru's exhortations were in unison with Gandhiji's
idealism and practical wisdom. The Guru's words are clear indicators –
The will to suffer and sacrifice should be there.
Take blows without giving them
Let the government be informed of what you intend to do
Let there be no violence or show of force
Why did Gandhiji miss or ignore these words and interpret the guru's
suggestion as an exhortation to violence and made blatant statements
that the spiritual leader of the
Thiyyas is reported to have disapproved of the present methods of Satyagraha at Vaikom ? It is for posterity to decide.
Any way, the Guru did not issue any statement to counter Gandhiji's writings in Young India.
It was never the Guru's technique to argue and win. He expressed through actions what he had to say.
He offered his
Vellore Mutt near Vaikom for the use of the
Satyagrahis and Head Office was set up there. He made a personal
contribution of Rs.1000.00 (a very big amount in those days) to the
struggle fund, and set up a special collection box at
Sivagiri[disambiguation needed]. Two of his favorite disciples,
Swami Sathyavrathan and Kottukoikal Velayudhan were deputed to work for the Satyagraha .
When the
Satyagraha
was at its peak, on September 27, 1924, the Guru visited the venue. He
reached Vaikom by boat. Thousands were waiting at the jetty to receive
him. He was welcomed with a multicolored garland of khadi yarn. He was
also presented with the second khadi towel woven at the Satyagraha
Ashram, the first one was sent to Mahatma Gandhi. The Guru jokingly
offered to wear khadi garland and volunteer Satyagraha.
On the next day, he presided over a public meeting convened to pray for the good health and wellbeing of
Mahatma Gandhi. Swami Satyavrathan remarked that it was a good fortune to have the Guru along with them. Suddenly, the Guru got up and said,
I am here not just to participate, I am here to pray.
He stood in meditation for a few minutes while the whole crowd waited.
This was the single occasion when Guru had ever prayed in public.
The Guru stayed in the Ashram for two days, went around and saw all
arrangements and joined the community meal. The volunteers felt, not the
presence of a formal visitor, but the presence of an intimate advisor
and an elderly leader. His presence and appreciation gave them renewed
spirit and sense of commitment. The Guru was extremely happy to see a
Pulaya boy in the kitchen to help the cooks. He was glad the seeds sown by him were proliferating and bearing fruit. The
SNDP had most willingly taken over the task of supplying manpower for the endeavor, and continued to support until the
Satyagraha
was withdrawn. Later after getting the freedom a school was built in
the place of that ashram as the memory of this great fight. The school
is named as Sathyagraha Memorial Sree Narayana Higher Secondary School
(S M S N H S S).The school is managed by S N D P.
During March 1925, when Gandhiji came to the Satyagraha site, he visited the Guru at
Sivagiri[disambiguation needed]. A part of their conversation is relevant here.
Gandhiji:
Is there any difference of opinion for Swamiji about the
Satyagraha started at Vaikom ? Does Swamiji think of adding or altering
anything to the Movement?
Guru:
My knowledge is that it is going smoothly and I am not of any opinion of making any alterations.
Gandhiji:
Some are of the opinion that nonviolent Satyagraha is of
no use, and to establish right, violence is necessary. What is
Swamiji's opinion?
Guru:
I do not think that violence is good.
The Savarna Processeion
In the meanwhile, Mahatmaji felt that the support of the
Savarnas was essential for the success of the
Vaikom Movement.
So he suggested to the leaders at Vaikom, that a procession consisting
of only Savarnas should march to Trivandrum, the capital, to register
their solidarity with the Avarnas and lend their full support to the
cause. The Savarna procession of about 500 men set out from Vaikom on
November 1, 1924 under the leadership of
Mannathu Padmanabhan, the unquestioned leader of the
Nair Service Society.
There was spontaneous welcome to the procession at every place they
passed. On their way, the procession swelled as people joined. They
halted at
Sivagiri, paid homage to
Sree Narayana Guru, and received his blessings. When the procession reached
Trivandrum
on November 12, 1924, with the jubilation of a conquering army, it had
gathered nearly 5000 men. A similar procession of about a thousand men
from
Suchindram under the leadership of
Perumal Naidu also reached Trivandrum on the same day. A mammoth public meeting was held.
Final actions
On November 13, 1924, a delegation headed by
Changanasseri Parameswaran Pillai waited on the
Regent Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi and submitted a memorandum signed by more than 25,000
Savarnas,
We
the undersigned members of the deputation, loyally and respectfully beg
leave to approach your Gracious Highness with the humble prayer that
the roads around the Vaikom temple walls, and all other roads similarly
situated in other parts of the State may be thrown open to all classes
of Your Gracious Highness' subjects, without distinction of caste or
creed
Though the memorandum was submitted with much optimism, reaction was not that favorable. The
Maharani
expressed that the issue had to be decided in the legislature. The
resolution was moved in the legislature on February 7, 1925, by the then
SNDP Secretary
N. Kumaran (Later he became High Court Judge). The text of the resolution was
All roads around the temple at Vaikom, and similar roads all over the state of Travancore
must be open for traveling for people of all castes and creeds .The
resolution was defeated by 22 votes against 21. (It is understood that
Dr. Palpu's brother who was expecting favors from the Government voted against the resolution. He was a close associate of the Narayana Guru at Aruvippuram, but he turned Judas.
He was haunted by the community and he fled from places to place to
save his life. He became a social outcaste and met with an ignoble
death.)
The defeat of the resolution severely affected the morale of the
Satyagrahis and boosted the high-handedness of the Orthodox Hindus.
While Gandhiji tried to lift the sinking morale through exhortations to
remain patient and peaceful,
Indanthuruthil Namboothiri, the
leader of orthodoxy, arranged for hirelings to beat up the Satyagrahis .
They were thrown into neck deep waters. Lime mixed with other strong
irritants was poured into their eyes. The police stood silently watching
as they were secretly instructed not to interfere. Gandhiji wrote in
Young India,
The Travancore authorities may, however, be respectfully told that the Congress
cannot watch barbarity with indifference. The letting loose of the
goondas on the devoted heads of the Satyagrahis, is bound to gather the
Satyagrahis, the full weight of all-India public opinion.
As a protest against atrocities, statewide agitation began. Big
Savarna temples were boycotted, bringing down their revenue. The
Savarna Mahajana Sabha organized meetings at their strongholds, against the
Satyagraha.
Tension was mounting, and it was time that something was to be done.
There were even reactions among the volunteers that the slow passive
method of Satyagraha was ineffective in the face of violence and
goondaism.
It became imminent for Gandhiji to visit the place where his
principle of Satyagraha was being tested. So he came down to Vaikom on
March 10, 1925. His secretary
Mahadev Desai, his son
Ramdas Gandhi,
Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer, and
C. Rajagopalachari came with him.
Gandhiji stayed in the Ashram and spoke to the volunteers. He tried
to boost up their morale, by explaining to them the principle of
Satyagraha and the role of scarifies and suffering in it, and the need
for extreme patience. He tried to reach a compromise with the orthodoxy
and for this; he had to meet the Savarna leaders. His secretary sent a
note of invitation to the Savarna leader
Idanthuruthil Devan Neelakandan Namboothiri to come over to the camp. The haughty
Namboothiri
not only refused to accept the invitation, but also said that those who
wanted to see him must go over to his house. So it was that Gandhiji
and his party reached the Indanthuruthil Mana (a Namboothiri household)
on the next day noon. They were made to sit in the portico of the house,
while the Namboothiri and his Savarna comrades occupied the inner room.
The Namboothiri believed that Gandhi and his followers were polluted by
the touch of untouchables, and could not be admitted into the pure
interior of an orthodox
Mana.
Their dialogue continued for nearly three hours. Gandhiji made three practical proposals:
• The unapproachability that is practiced at Vaikom is not found in any Hindu scriptures. The orthodoxy contended that Adi
Sankaracharya
laid down the custom. In that case, Gandhiji proposed that an impartial
Hindu Pundit must scrutinize Adi Shankara's Smirithis, and if this
custom is not mentioned then it has to be withdrawn.
• The second proposal was that a referendum was to be taken from
Savarnas. If the majority of Savarnas were willing to allow the roads to
be opened to the Avarnas, it should be accepted.
Third proposal was that of arbitration. The orthodoxy appoints a
Pandit, Gandhiji would appoint a Pandit on behalf of the Satyagrahis . The
Divan of Travancore would act as an
umpire. All must accept the winner's decision.
None of these was acceptable to the orthodoxy, who believed that the Avarnas are suffering because of their
Karma
(result of actions in their previous births). So Gandhiji left without a
compromise and the Satyagraha continued, and the atrocities on them
multiplied beyond words.
Final settlement
Gandhiji had to do something about it. He wrote to
W. H. Pitt, the then
Police Commissioner of
Travancore
to put an end to goondaism . Pit being a European, was in a better
position to intervene and bring an honorable settlement between
Government and Gandhiji. Pitt agreed to influence the Government to
remove all barricades and withdraw the prohibitory orders, on condition
that Gandhiji instructed the Satyagrahis not to cross the point where
the prohibitory board was. However the police would remain at the spot
until all the terms of the agreement were implemented. An agreement was
reached through correspondence.
Government agreed to withdraw the prohibitory orders passed in
February 1924, and Gandhiji agreed to withdraw the Satyagraha.
Government let the roads on three sides of the temple (north, south and
west) open for public but the eastern approach road, and the two roads
leading to it from the north and south remained reserved to the Savarnas
only.
Gates were to be put up at three places: • At a short distance from
the eastern gopuram on the eastern approach road. • At the north and
south ends of the eastern road. These three gates were to be open only
at the time of worship to admit those who had the right to enter the
temple. It was also declared the portion of the road enclosed by the
three gates would remain closed to Christians and Muslims as well as
Avarna Hindus who have no right to enter the temple. A new road was to
be constructed joining the eastern approach road to the northern road,
for the convenience of the public.
C. Rajagopalachari conveyed the details to Gandhiji through a letter and Gandhiji issued orders on October 8, 1925 to the Secretary of the
Satyagraha Ashram to withdraw the Satyagraha. But action continued till November 1925 until all the conditions were implemented in Toto.
One view is that it was only a partial success for non-caste Hindus
(Avarnas) as they gained access only to the roads on three sides of the
temple. The fourth and most important eastern road remained inaccessible
to them. It was really a blow to the Christians and Muslims as they
lost their previously enjoyed freedom to have complete access on all the
roads around the temple. Now the eastern road was blocked to them.
Because of the gates, which remained closed the members of the Devaswam
Board and the inmates of the temple who used the eastern road as
thoroughfare were denied the opportunity. Anyway it was a great
opportunity for the
Indian National Congress party to grow in
Kerala. Before this agitation, the Congress in Kerala was only a limited number of
Upper Caste and
Upper class people of
Malabar (which was under
British Rule).
The Avarnas did not bother about the Congress, as the Congress leaders
did not show any enthusiasm for the eradication of social inequalities.
But when the party undertook to lead the agitation at Vaikom, the
Avarnas underwent a sea of changes. At the exhortation of
T. K. Madhavan, they joined the Congress en masse.
The Congress swelled from being a class party to a mass party.
Another achievement of
Vaikom agitation is certainly communal harmony. Progressive minded
Savarnas and
Avarnas came together with Christians, Muslims and even
Sikhs. It is to be remembered that many Savarnas played the role of active leaders, till the withdrawal of the
Satyagraha, and this has demonstrated the basic unity of the people.
Above all, the Vaikom Satyagraha was a testing ground for the Gandhian principles of
Satyagraha. It was tested and proved as the most effective means for the first time.
