Struggle · 30 Mar 1924 to 23 Nov 1925

Vaikom Satyagraha

Vaikom, Travancore (now Kerala)

Sources differ on some details.

They asked only to walk the roads around a temple.

From 30 March 1924 until November 1925, the Vaikom Satyagraha claimed, without violence, the right of oppressed castes to use the public roads around the Vaikom Mahadeva Temple in Travancore. Its leaders were arrested. Periyar, brought to Vaikom by George Joseph, spent 74 of his 114 days there in jail. In the end three of the roads were opened to all castes; the Regent refused to open the eastern road.

Statues of five of its leaders stand at Valiyakavala, Vaikom.

See it on the map and the timeline

What the sources record

The satyagraha was held for the right of backward communities to use the public road near the Vaikom Mahadeva Temple, in Kottayam district, and lasted 603 days (All India Radio). (1)
All India Radio dates it from 30 March 1924 to 23 November 1925. (1)
The News Minute dates it from 30 March 1924 to 29 November 1925. (2)
The Mooknayak dates its start to 31 March 1924. (3)
George Joseph, T. K. Madhavan and Keshav Menon were among the leaders arrested. (3)
Sree Narayana Guru, Mannathu Padmanabhan, E. V. Ramasamy Naicker, T. K. Madhavan, K. Kelappan and K. P. Kesava Menon were among its supporters. (1)
Periyar took part for 114 days, 74 of them in jail. (2)
George Joseph was instrumental in bringing Periyar, then president of the Madras Presidency Congress Committee, to Vaikom. (2)
After Gandhi's intervention, a compromise with Regent Sethu Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore released those arrested and opened the north, south and west roads to the temple to all castes. (1)
The Regent refused to open the eastern road. (1)
Statues of five of its leaders, Kunjappi, Bahuleyan, Govinda Panicker, Amachadi Thevan and Raman Elayath, stand at Valiyakavala, Vaikom. (2)

People in this record

T. K. Madhavan, leader; arrested
K. P. Kesava Menon, leader; arrested
George Joseph, leader; arrested; brought Periyar to Vaikom
E. V. Ramasamy (Periyar), leader; jailed
K. Kelappan, supporter (All India Radio)
Sree Narayana Guru, supporter (All India Radio)
Mannathu Padmanabhan, supporter (All India Radio)
Kunjappi, Bahuleyan, Govinda Panicker, Amachadi Thevan, Raman Elayath, leaders commemorated by statues at Valiyakavala (The News Minute)

Sources

Press. Akashvani News / News On AIR (All India Radio, Prasar Bharati). Today marks 100th year of Viakom Satyagraha. 30 Mar 2024.
Press. The News Minute (Maria Teresa Raju). 'A shared culture of resistance': Pinarayi, Stalin commemorate Vaikom Satyagraha. 2 Apr 2023.
Press. The Mooknayak (Arun Kumar Verma). [Dalit History Month Special] Vaikom Satyagraha, 1924: Challenging Caste-based Prejudices and Discrimination in India. 5 Apr 2023.

On the map at the centre of Kottayam district.