For the upliftment of the oppressed communities, Sree Narayana Guru did not limit himself to forming social organizations and reforming customs; he also tried to reclaim the freedom that was denied to them. The Vaikom Satyagraha was a struggle aimed at securing freedom of movement and temple entry for the backward communities. The main objective of this struggle was the eradication of untouchability.
19th-century Kerala was a region where untouchability was structured, dividing people into many groups. The then-ruling powers, which centered around religion, cruelly oppressed the backward classes and denied them justice. At that time, temples had become centers of irrational customs. A Hindu believer of the backward caste had no right to enter the temple or offer worship. They were even denied the freedom to walk on the public roads near the temples. However, people from backward communities who converted to other religions, and people of other faiths, faced no such restrictions on movement. The Vaikom Satyagraha was a struggle against this denial of justice.
The struggle to gain the right to walk on the public roads around the Vaikom temple lasted for twenty months. It began in March 1924 and ended in November 1925 under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. T.K. Madhavan, a disciple of Narayana Guru and a Congress leader, was at the forefront of the struggle. K.P. Kesava Menon, K. Kelappan, Mannath Padmanabhan, and others also led the movement.
T.K. Madhavan, who was convinced of Guru’s efforts was pivotal in garnering the support of Gandhi and the Congress for the movement. Periyar E.V. Ramasamy Naicker actively participated in the Satyagraha. Shiromani Akali Dal workers from Punjab also arrived in Kerala to support the struggle. Finally, permission was granted for backward communities to enter the three roads surrounding the Vaikom temple. The role of Sree Narayana Guru, his disciples, and the SNDP in the Vaikom Satyagraha was immense. The Guru's intervention was decisive in achieving the freedom of the oppressed communities.
