With reference to the Vaikom Satyagraha, consider the following state...
- The Kerala Provincial Congress Committee (KPCC) took up the eradication of untouchability as an urgent issue.
- While carrying on a massive propaganda campaign against untouchability and for the Harijans' educational and social upliftment, it was decided to launch an immediate movement to open Hindu temples and all public roads to the avarnas or Harijans.
- This, it was felt, would give a decisive blow to the notion of untouchability, since it was basically religious in character and the avarnas’ exclusion from the temples was symbolic of their degradation and oppression.
- A beginning was made in Vaikom, a village in Travancore. There was a major temple whose four walls were surrounded by roads that could not be used by avarnas like Ezhavas and Pulayas.
With reference to the Vaikom Satyagraha, consider the following state...
Vaikom Satyagraha:
The Vaikom Satyagraha was a movement that took place in 1924-25 in the princely state of Travancore, in present-day Kerala, India. It was a struggle for the right of the lower castes, particularly the untouchables, to enter the temple at Vaikom.
Prominent Leader:
E.V. Ramaswami Naicker, also known as Periyar, was one of the prominent leaders of the Vaikom Satyagraha. He was a social activist and politician who fought for the rights of the lower castes and worked towards the eradication of the caste system in India.
Demand of the Movement:
The main demand of the Vaikom Satyagraha was to seek entry to the temple for avarnas, or the depressed classes. The temple at Vaikom had been restricted only to the upper castes, and the lower castes were not allowed to enter.
Outcome of the Movement:
The Vaikom Satyagraha was successful in achieving its main objective, as the temple authorities agreed to allow the lower castes to enter the temple. The movement also had a significant impact on the Indian independence movement and the struggle for social justice in India.
Conclusion:
Therefore, both the given statements are correct. E.V. Ramaswami Naicker was a prominent leader of the Vaikom Satyagraha, and the movement's demand was to seek entry to the temple for the lower castes.