Nirmala Lakshman recalls Periyar’s contribution to Vaikom Satyagraha

Vaikom Satyagraha turned 100 2 years ago. It remains 1 of the astir important movements that shaped modern Kerala and its progressive thinking. Periyar E.V. Ramasamy’s publication to the non-violent combat against untouchability was significant.

Author Nirmala Lakshman, during a league connected the inaugural time of the Kerala Literature Festival connected Kozhikode Beach connected Wednesday, spoke astir however outraged Periyar was astir untouchability and however helium became portion of the Vaikom Satyagraha.

“Caste becomes profoundly entrenched with each succeeding generation, but initially it had to bash with the professions that you practised, but subsequently the rigidity acceptable successful from adjacent the Pallava property and it came to the constituent that favoritism was profoundly entrenched,” she said during her speech with writer Thamizhachi Thangapandian.

“I deliberation ideologues and reformers similar Periyar were very, precise instrumental successful wherever the nationalist question was going on, the Gandhian conflict was going on,” she said.

Ms. Lakshman, the chairperson of The Hindu Group and the writer of The Tamils: A Portrait of a Community, said Periyar felt deeper issues needed to beryllium addressed.

“Whether it was successful Tamil Nadu oregon successful Kerala wherever precocious castes took implicit places specified arsenic temples, and successful information present successful Kerala I deliberation adjacent the Vaikom temple definite castes were not allowed,” she said. “Only higher castes were allowed to usage the streets astir the temple and this was an outrage evidently to Periyar and different reformists similar him. He came present and done the archetypal non-violent conflict determination was an overlap betwixt the Dravidian question and this astatine that point. But subsequently the Dravidian question was precise powerfully informed of the request to code these caste issues and I deliberation that became 1 of his superior agendas,” she said.

Ms. Lakshman besides spoke of however aboriginal Tamils understood the narration betwixt interior beingness and nationalist life.

“I deliberation 1 of the cardinal principles of past Tamil was, arsenic (K.A). Nilakanta Sastri, the historian, said was a joyous religion successful bully living,” she said. “Aham is the interior beingness and puram is the outer life. So whether it is to bash with emotion oregon grief, each of it flows into the extracurricular landscape. I deliberation that is 1 of the cornerstones of Sangam poetry.”

Ms. Lakshman besides spoke of however accommodating Tamils person been, astir the Tamil Muslim, and however anecdotes helped successful telling past successful an engaging way. Questions from a funny audience, which you could often find astatine the KLF, made the league livelier.