Pinarayi Vijayan
Chief Minister of Kerala
(Text of the Speech, scheduled for addressing at the celebration of Vaikom Centenary at Chennai on 28th December 2023
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Vaikkom Satyagraha is a people’s movement that is unparalleled in Indian history. We are gathered here as part of its centenary celebrations.
Both Kerala and Tamil Nadu take pride in the Vaikkom Satyagraha. This Celebration organised here in Chennai is a testament to the fact that our Tamil brothers are as proud of Keralites, when it comes to the Vaikkom Satyagraha and its heritage. Let me take this opportunity to congratulate my dear brother and comrade, the honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Thiru M K Stalin, for organising this splendid event to commemorate the Centenary of Vaikkom Satyagraha, in a befitting manner.
There are several renaissance movements that emerged in Kerala. The Maarumarakkal Samaram, Aruvippuram Prathishta, Villuvandi Samaram, Kallumala Samaram, Grurvayur Satyagraha and so on are among them. The Vaikkom Satyagraha is an important link in this long chain of renaissance movements. Yet, it is unique, it stands apart from the rest.
What makes it different from the other movements in this strand? It is the fact that the renaissance movements that focussed on social reformation and the anti colonial movement that fought for national liberation conjoined as one in the Vaikkom Satyagraha. Till then, renaissance leaders and community organisations took up reform movements on their own. But in the Vaikkom Satyagraha, they joined hands with the leaders of the national freedom struggle. This is the historical significance of Vaikkom Satyagraha.
I do not think that there has been such a struggle anywhere else against social evils, under the leadership of both reform movements and political movements. It may not have been possible for such a progressive movement to take place in Kerala, had it not been for the great humanitarian values illuminated by renaissance leaders like Sree Narayana Guru, Chattambi Swamikal and Ayyankali. Sree Narayana Guru visited Vaikkom. He even opened up his Ashram for the Satyagrahis. Even a committee was formed to abolish untouchability.
Freedom of movement is a fundamental right of the citizen. However, that was not being allowed in our country. A vast majority of the people were not allowed to walk on public roads, especially those near temples. Notions of purity and untouchability were associated with it. Vaikkom Satyagraha emerged from the realisation that this was denial of a fundamental right. It was a clarion call against the anti-human caste system, ‘Varnasrama dharma’.
It went further ahead through the Guruvayur Satyagraha. These struggles paved the way for the Temple Entry Proclamation. In that regard, Vaikkom Satyagraha was a model for the whole nation, as several struggles related to temples and access to public roads were held in several parts of the country, subsequent to it. Apart from Guruvayur, the influence of Vaikkom Satyagraha can be seen in Pune, Nashik, and so on too.
At the outset itself I made it very clear that Tamil Nadu and Kerala have many things in common, to take pride, with regard to the common heritage of Vaikkom Satyagraha. Kerala always recollect with pride the very historical fact that Periyar E V Ramasamy Naicker, who valiantly fought against the evils of Caste System, Arya dominance and Brahmanical hegemony, had come to our State to take part in this historical struggle of Vaikom.
With scant regard for his failing health, he took part in the struggle, and was imprisoned twice. It is worth recollecting that, it was after his heroic participation in Vaikkom Satyagraha, that he received the title, ‘Vaikkom Veerar’. Vaikkom Satyagraha too played a decisive and significant role among other things, in elevating his stature to that of Thanthai Periyar.
It is also to be noted that Tamil Nadu was one with us in taking renaissance movements to greater vistas and historical horizons. The glowing presence of C Rajagopalachari, Srinivasa Iyengar, Aiyyamuthu Gounder, etc. in the forefront of Vaikkom Satyagraha go a long way in establishing the solidarity, Tamil Nadu had extended to us during the period of Vaikkom Satyagraha.
Kerala and Tamil Nadu share the heritage of such glorious struggles for the people. In the coming days too, we have to go ahead in the same vein, with renewed vigour. Vaikkom Satyagraha presents a model to us, that different strands of thoughts can and should come together for a common goal, a larger purpose. Such a coming together is required in the future too, and we have to make it a big fraternal bond, with a decisive power.
Vaikkom Satyagraha presents another model too, that those who are subjected to social evils or oppression alone, shouldn’t be the ones fighting against it. Even those who may seem to enjoy the ill gotten benefits of such evils and oppression should come together to fight it. It needs to be noted that K Kelappan, K P Kesava Menon, Mannathu Padmanabhan, Kurur Neelakantan Namboodiripad,
T K Madhavan, T R Krishnaswamy Iyer, Kannanthodathu Velayudha Menon were all in the fore front of the Vaikkom Satyagraha.
The role played by the likes of T K Madhavan in linking this movement to the freedom struggle deserves special mention. In the AICC session held at Kakkinada, he introduced a resolution for the abolishment of untouchability and in favour of temple entry. Gandhiji gave his blessings to T K Madhavan. It was after seeking Sree Narayana Guru’s blessings that he went to meet Gandhiji about the Satyagraha. Gandhiji’s first visit to Kerala was in connection with the Vaikkom Satyagraha.
When Gandhiji visited Vaikkom, he was denied entry into the Indamthuruthi Mana which had administrative control over the temple, as he was an ‘avarnna’. When he requested that the public roads surrounding the temple should be open to all, the authorities of the Mana, the ‘savarnnas’, declined to do so. Today, that Mana functions as the office of a workers’ organisation, that too workers who come from a background that was considered as ‘avarnna’ in those days. This is a telling example of how history ultimately goes ahead, moves forward, in a progressive direction.
Not just the members of different castes, but even the members of different religions were part of Vaikkom Satyagraha. In that sense, it was truly a people’s movement. K Abdul Rahman kutty, Pareed Sahib, M K Abdul Rahim and so on represented the Muslim community and expressed solidarity. People like George Joseph played a lead role behind the scenes in organising the Satyagraha. Brothers of the Sikh faith even set up a ‘langar’ at Vaikkom. Thus, the Satyagraha had a truly secular character.
As far back as 1865 itself, Travancore had decided to allow all sections of the society, including the backward communities, to use public roads. Still, even six decades later, a people’s movement had to emerge for that decision to be implemented. This is a pointer to the fact that social transformation cannot be brought about by the mere implementation of better laws. To achieve that, people’s movements which can bring about progressive changes in societal attitudes and actions, will also have to emerge. Vaikkom Satyagraha underlines this.
There is a tendency to cement the argument that political movements had and have nothing to do with social movements. Vaikkom Satyagraha lays bare the hollowness of that line of thought. Most of the reform movements in India come about as the result of towering personalities. Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Periyar E V Ramasamy, Jyotibha Phule, Sree Narayana Guru and so on have certainly played a major role in bringing about social transformation in the country. However, Vaikkom Satyagraha did not revolve around a single personality. It was the joint effort of all those involved in social and political movements that ensured its victory.
It needs to be noted that the political formations that took forward the heritage of the renaissance movements that emerged in the earlier part of the 20th century, are in office in both Tamil Nadu and Kerala today. The Dravidian Movement which was led by Periyar and Anna, has been transformed in tune with the times by those like Mr.Karunanidhi. The DMK Government in Tamil Nadu is carrying forward this glorious legacy. In Kerala, the LDF Government is trying to build a Nava Keralam, by imbibing the values of our renaissance movements, like inclusivity and sustainability. It is only fitting that both these political formations and the governments led by them are coming together to commemorate the centenary of the Vaikkom Satyagraha.
Vaikkom Satyagraha was organised a 100 years back, to cater to the larger interests of the society. We live in times when we need to come together to protect our history, language, cultures, secularism, federalism, democracy and the constitution that brings it all together, for the larger interests of the country. When we commemorate a movement that brought different strands – social and political – together for the common good, it is imperative that we too strive to bring such different strands together to achieve the common good relevant to our times.
Back then the fight was against caste system, untouchability, social evils, superstitions, inhuman rituals and so on. We need to be mindful of the fact that even today there are efforts to mainstream such regressive thoughts and practices. There are efforts to divide us on the basis of religion and region as well. Though we fought and attained independence, today we are being pushed to economic ties and trade agreements that pose challenges to our sovereignty. We need to fight against all these, considering the common good. Times demand it from us, as responsible political organisations and governments.
A scathing attack has been unleashed on our Constitution and the values it upholds, the values that emerged as part of our glorious freedom struggle. I had mentioned about the secular character of Vaikkom Satyagraha. It was one of the most cherished values of our freedom struggle. It is one of the foundational principles of our Constitution. However, our secular polity is sought to be substituted by a religious state. Our Constitution is sought to be replaced by the Manusmriti. Our federal structure is being altered into a unitary structure.
We need to be conscious about all such sinister designs and fight against them, so that the basic structure of secular, socialist, democratic, independent, India is protected and strengthened.
In the past, we faced similar problems. At that point of time, we faced it and survived it, standing together. Presently too, we face similar issues and problems. We are sure, we standing hand in hand will, tide over the crisis posed by these forces at this time too. It is rather unfortunate that Gubernotorial posts are being misused for subverting the authorities of the elected Governments of States.
Under what authority and power are the Governors in this country, reserving the Bills passed by the legislature, concerning a subject in the State list, for the consideration of the President? When in our Federal polity, even the President has no power to consider the validity of a State legislation on a subject falling in the State list, by referring such bills for the consideration of the President, the Governor is, in fact, abdicating the powers vested in him under the constitution. It also amounts to an act aimed at annihilating the powers of an elected legislature.
So long as a State legislation concerning a subject falling in the concurrent list does not violate any of the provisions in the Central law touching the same subject, in other words, so long as the State legislation is not in the filed occupied by the central legislation, such bills passed by the State legislature cannot be reserved by the Governor for the consideration of the President. Even if the Governor is of opinion that there is anything contrary to the provisions of the constitution in the Bill, the proper course open to the Governor is to send back the bill to the State legislature, with his remarks on it.
In this connection, it is worthwhile to remember that the ultimate authority to decide upon the constitution, its law is vested with the constitutional courts in this country. Blissfully forgetting this fact, some persons holding the gubernatorial post in this country are encroaching upon the fields legitimately assigned to the judiciary by the constitution.
The powers properly set apart by the constitution to a democratically elected legislature, if allowed to be interfered with by a nominated authority like the Governor, then, it will only be futile to think about the prevalence of a democratic polity in the country. No Governor, functioning under the constitution in this country has any power or authority to keep the bills sent for his assent, indefinitely. This is a well established legal position, time and again reiterated in no uncertain terms by the Apex Court in this country. It is when this position in law has been reiterated by the Highest Court in this country in no unmistaken terms that the Governors, whose hidden intention is to sabotage the democratic process, have decided to effectively freeze it, by referring the Bills for the consideration of the President.
In the State of Kerala, the Governor has kept as a many as eight bills sent for his assent in abeyance, for more than two years. It was only when such inertia on the part of the Governor was challenged by the State of Kerala before the court, that the Governor gave assent to one among the said eight bills, while sending the remaining for consideration by the President. That shows, evidently the Governor was conscious of his illegal actions. Inspite of that, he did so, only shows the political vengeance on his part. Such power centers will do well to remember that the people of this Country are capable of confronting and defeating such revengeful acts of theirs, effectively.
I conclude by expressing the desire that this centenary celebration of the Vaikkom Satyagraha will serve as a source of renewed vigour and strength in this journey forward. Thank you.
