Assertion (A): The Vaikom Satyagraha (1924-25) in Travancore witnessed active participation and coordination from Tamil Nadu leaders such as Periyar E.V. Ramasamy, who was subsequently imprisoned for spearheading the temple road entry agitation. Reason (R): The princely state of Travancore enforced rigid untouchability rules that barred lower-caste individuals from walking on public roads surrounding the Vaikom Mahadeva temple. Which of the following is correct?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Both assertion and reason are true and correctly linked because the Vaikom Satyagraha was launched to protest discriminatory prohibitory laws denying untouchables access to temple-abutting roads, drawing prominent regional leaders like E.V. Ramasamy from neighboring Madras Presidency to lead the campaign. Periyar's steadfast leadership and subsequent imprisonment earned him the honorific Vaikom Veerar. The movement marked a milestone in the struggle against social segregation in southern India.