Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday inaugurated the renovated memorial of Tamil reformist E V Ramasamy Naicker, fondly known as Thanthai Periyar, at Vailkom in Kerala’s Kottayam district in the presence of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Stalin inaugurated the Thanthai Periyar Memorial and Periyar Library, established in honour of Dravidar Kazhagam founder E V Ramasamy Naicker   at Vaikam after paying floral tributes at the site. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan joined Stalin for the inaugural ceremony.

The programme marks the valedictory function of the centenary celebrations of the Vaikom Satyagraha, one of India’s earliest and most successful non-violent movements against untouchability, in which Periyar E V Ramasamy Naicker actively participated.

The memorial, owned by the Tamil Nadu government, was renovated at a cost of Rs 8.5 crore by Tamil Nadu government to honour EV Ramasamy Periyar, a social reformer and Dravidian ideology known for his relentless struggle for social justice.

After the inauguration,  addressing the people at Vaikam, Stalin said this is a historic day that should be inscribed in gold.

“Now we build a memorial to Periyar at the same place where he was once prohibited to enter. Once, Periyar was arrested and jailed in Vaikom, and now both the Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments are jointly celebrating this event at the same site. This is Periyar‘s success.” Stalin said.

Speaking on the occasion,Kerala Chief Minister  Pinarayi Vijayan recalled Periyar‘s memory and said Periyar gave selfless leadership to Vaikom struggles. He also emphasised the importance of mentioning Annai EVR Nagammai, the wife of Periyar,  who visited Vaikam  and participated  in the satyagraha while Periyar was in jail.

The outcome of the Vaikom Satyagraha, one of India’s earliest and most successful non-violent movements against untouchability, might have been different had  EV Ramasamy Naicker not stepped in to lead it during a critical period.

It  was EV Ramasamy Naicker , fondly called Periyar or Thanthai Periyar, who revitalised the Vaikam  Satyagraha  during a time of crisis. ’ Periyar’s dedication and leadership played a crucial role in the movement’s success, cementing his legacy as a key figure in Kerala’s renaissance.

As the father of the Dravidian Movement in Tamil Nadu, Periyar stepped in to lead the satyagraha when it was on the verge of collapse following the arrest of almost all its leaders.

Launched on 30th March 1924, the satyagraha began to lose momentum within two weeks due to the arrest of its key leaders.  Barrister George Joseph and KP Kesava Menon ,  leaders   of the movement, wrote to Periyar from jail seeking his support for the satyagraha.

At the time, Periyar was serving as the president of the Tamil Pradesh Congress Committee. Despite his commitments, he handed over his responsibilities to C. Rajagopalachari and arrived in Vaikom on 13th April 1924 and took up  the leadership of the Vaikom Satyagraha.

.Sree Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma, the then king of Travancore, offered to host a grand reception for Periyar upon his arrival. However, Periyar declined the offer and immediately joined the satyagraha. He focused on spreading awareness and encouraging more people to participate, delivering powerful speeches that inspired many to join the cause.

Fearing growing support for the satyagraha under Periyar’s leadership, authorities banned him from entering Kottayam. Periyar defied the ban, leading to his arrest by the Travancore police on 21st May 1924. After a month of simple imprisonment, he returned to Vaikom and resumed mobilising people. He was arrested again and sentenced to four months of rigorous imprisonment, sparking widespread protests across south India.

While Periyar was in jail, his wife, Nagamma, and sister, Kannammal, reached Vaikom to continue participating in the protest. Following a change in Travancore’s leadership, Periyar was released. However, he was later arrested in Erode on charges of sedition, preventing him from rejoining the satyagraha.

In 1985, Tamil Nadu’s then Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran decided to honour Periyar’s contributions by erecting a statue on 84 cents of land provided by the Kerala government at Vaikom. The foundation stone was laid by his cabinet colleague, V.R. Nedumchezhiyan, and the memorial was opened to the public in 1994.

During his visit to Vaikom last year, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK. Stalin announced plans to renovate the memorial to commemorate the satyagraha’s centenary. The Tamil Nadu government has renovated the site at a cost of Rs.8.5 crore.