CM Stalin in Kerala for Vaikom centenary today

Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin arrived in Kerala, ‘the land of vibrant culture, serene beauty, and progressiveness,’ to attend Thursday's centenary celebrations of the Vaikom Satyagraha, when he will be presenting the Vaikom Award to Kannada writer from Mysuru, Devanur Mahadeva.

‘Each time I come here, I am touched by the warm reception and genuine hospitality of our Dravidian siblings, it truly feels like home,’ Stalin said in his X page on Wednesday soon after he was given a rousing welcome with the Chief Minister of the State Pinayari Vijayan receiving him warmly.

‘Think about the state of our society 100 years ago. Look where have we reached now? The seeds for this change was sown at the Vaikom struggle,’ he said in a message on X and uploaded a video on famous Satyagraha, in which Dravidar Kazhagam founder E V Ramasamy took part.

The Vaikom Award, commemorating the historic satyagraha, was instituted by Stalin, who announced in the State Assembly on March 30, 2023, that it would be in memory of Periyar who crossed over to another State (the Travancore kingdom) to fight for social justice by leading the protest against the blocking of the streets around a temple for lower caste people in 1924.

Making the announcement under Rule 110, Stalin had said that the award would be presented to a leading personality or organisation that fought for social justice in other States. Based on that Devanur Mahadeva was chosen for the award for 2024.

A well-known writer and activist, Mahadeva had already won the Padma Shri and Sahitya Akademi awards but declined to receive the Nrupatunga Award, given for excellence in Kannada literature, in 2010, to protest against Kannada not having been made the primary language of instruction in schools and college in his State. That award came with a prize money of Rs 5.01,000.

The Vaikom award that Stalin would be presenting to him at Vaikom on Thursday comes with a gold plated medallion, a certificate of appreciation and a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh.

When the announcement of the Vaikom award was made, Stalin also said that the memorial of Periyar in Vaikom would be refurbished. Accordingly, the building and also the statue of Periyar have been renovated.