Precisely a century ago, Kerala’s Vaikom town which was then in the princely state of Travancore became the epicentre of a historic non-violent movement against untouchability and caste discrimination.
Vaikom Satyagraha that lasted for 604 days (20 months) from March 30, 1924 to November 23, 1925 marked the dawn of temple entry movements across India.
It was led by visionary leaders like T.K. Madhavan, K.P. Kesava Menon, and K. Kelappan. The Satyagraha attracted national attention and many prominent leaders came to participate in the protest, including Periyar, who came to Vaikom at the request of barrister George Joseph, who had already been jailed for leading the movement.
