The government and the Opposition are vying with each other to resurrect the reformatory power of the iconic Vaikom temple entry movement as an electoral strategy to counter the “Hindu majoritarian nationalism” of the Sangh Parivar-backed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre.
They also seek to use the centenary year celebrations of the Vaikom Satyagraha commencing on April 1 to broadcast a distinctive socio-political message to the electorate as the drumbeats of the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign grow louder.
The opposing alliances have sought to cast the occasion as the beginning of a second struggle between reactionary and resistance forces unfolding against the backdrop of the rise of “Hindu right-wing fascism under the aegis of the BJP-led Central government”.
Stalin to be present
The government seeks to advance its aspiration for a broader electoral understanding between non-BJP-ruled States and regional political powers, especially in South India, by inviting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to inaugurate the centenary alongside his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan.
It has showcased Mr. Stalin’s presence as a tribute to the political legacy of Periyar E.V. Ramasamy, the founder of the Dravidian movement who played a stellar role in the temple entry movement and was jailed by the erstwhile princely State of Travancore for his involvement in the historical struggle.
Mr. Stalin’s presence at the centenary celebrations of the keystone historical movement that seized Kerala and altered its political landscape is a sequel to Mr. Vijayan’s attendance at the 200th anniversary of the momentous struggle of Nadar women for the right to cover themselves up. It also indicates that Kerala and Tamil Nadu are politically positioning themselves as the linchpins of a broader electoral strategy against the BJP at the national level.
Congress event
The Congress is also attempting to revive its legacy of fighting right-wing revanchism by showcasing the historical role of Mahatma Gandhi, Periyar, T.K. Madhavan and Mannathu Padmanabhan in fighting caste segregation and social injustice.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge will inaugurate the centenary celebrations at Vaikom on March 30. The Congress has also used the renaissance imagery of Sree Narayana Guru, Ayyankali, Mannathu Padmanabhan and other social reformers to portray the party as the true inheritors of the progressive movement.
Notably, the BJP is yet to announce any programme concerning the Vaikom Satyagraha centenary.
