Vaikom—two states, two leaders, reform story

• The Vaikom Struggle was a mass movement against the prohibition of backward caste Hindus from walking near the Vaikom Mahadeva temple.

• The movement gained momentum with the entry of Periyar E.V. Ramasamy in 1924.

• The movement shifted towards social justice in 1925 when restrictions to walk on the streets were lifted.

Progress of Religious Reforms

• The Legislative Assembly introduced a Bill for temple entry in 1932, followed by the Travancore Temple Entry Proclamation in 1936 and the Malabar Temple Entry Bill in 1938.

• The entry of backward castes in the Madurai Meenakshi Sundarareswarar Temple and the Thanjavur Brihadeeswara Temple in 1939.

• The Madras Temple Entry Authorization Act 1947 allowed Hindus of all castes to enter and offer worship in all temples within the Madras Presidency.

State and the Issue of Regulation

• The state’s intervention in temples and religion is seen as ensuring equality and access.

• The Madras Hindu Religious Endowments Act 1927 to the present-day Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act 1959 show legislative intent to manage religious affairs in consonance with public order and morality.

• Governments of Kerala and Tamil Nadu have appointed hundreds of trained archakas, Odhuvaars, and Bhattacharyas from non-Brahmin castes, but these have faced resistance.

Current State of Reforms

• The push for reforms is stronger than before, with a compelling moral consensus emerging.

• The Governments of Tamil Nadu and Kerala are commemorating the centenary of the Vaikom Struggle on December 12, 2024, and celebrating the start of a social reform trajectory.