Vaikkom Satyagraha: CM Stalin announces yearlong celebrations

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday announced yearlong celebrations to commemorate the centenary of the famous Vaikkom Satyagraha, a part of which was led by ‘Thanthai’ Periyar early last century.

Making a statement under Rule 110 of State Assembly, Stalin said that the government of Tamil Nadu would commence the centenary celebrations of Vaikkom protest from March 30, the day the protest began in 1924, to pay tribute to Periyar, who transcended boundaries and successfully led a revolution for the lay people and to lay emphasis on social justice principles.

Announcing that the centenary celebrations would go on for a year from March 30, 2023, the Chief Minister said that several initiatives would be taken to educate the people, particularly students about the historicity of the protest, its intention and success.

Declaring that he would participate as special guest along with Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan in the Vaikkom Satyagraha centenary celebrations organised by Kerala government there on April 1 and also pay tributes to the memorial pillar being raised by TN government in Vaikkom, CM Stalin said, a Malayalam translation of the Tamil book “Vaikkom Protest” authored by one of the leading researchers of Tamil Nadu, Pazha Athiyaman would be released and its Telugu, Kannada and English versions would be released soon.

Vaikkom Award for people/institutions engineering changes in lives of oppressed

Informing the House that the two state Chief Ministers besides leading personalities would participate in a major event to be organised by Tamil Nadu government on November 29 this year, CM Stalin said that the state government would distribute “Vaikkom Award” every year on September 17, Social Justice Day, to personalities or organisations engineering significant changes in the lives of the oppressed people in other states. The CM also proposed to allocate Rs 8.14 crore to renovate Periyar Memorial in Kerala and exhibit more objects related to him there.

New memorial for Periyar in Aruvikutti

The Chief Minister has also announced that a new memorial would be constructed for Periyar in Aruvikutti village where he was first imprisoned in connection with the protest nearly a century ago. Assuring that his government would take steps to release a special commemorative stamp for the centenary of Vaikkom protest, Stalin said that special conferences on the protest would be organised in major universities.