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Religion, Practice and Science of Non-Violence
completely inert, when suddenly faced with the political awakening, produced such a tremendous amount of energy that sparks flew hither and thither. Gandhi's 'Himalayan miscalculation,' as he called it, lay largely in his failure to anticipate the overwhelming response among the masses which his appeal invoked.
Vykom Temple Road Satyagraha 1924-1925: This satyagraha was undertaken from spring 1924 to autumn 1925 in the village Vykom, in the state of Travancore, at the southern tip of India.
A highway runs through the low-lying country around Vykom and through this village and close by, were the Brahmin quarters and a temple. For centuries, the Brahmins had refused to permit any low-caste untouchable to use this road. This was a serious disability inasmuch as it required untouchable to take a long circuitous route to reach their dwellings.
To help the untouchables get rid of this restriction imposed upon them by the Brahmins and the State, some of the social workers familiar with Gandhi's technique of satyagraha decided to take the matter in their hands. Gandhi was ill, many hundred miles away, but the young leaders came north to consult him.
Before the start of the campaign every effort was made to negotiate a settlement with the Brahmins as well as with the state authorities, but they proved fruitless. Efforts were then made to attract public attention and win sympathy for the Vykom untouchables. A camp was set up and the participants in the campaign had a thorough coaching in the principles underlying satyagraha. Prayer meetings were held daily. The volunteers in the camp were instructed to become self-sufficient; hand-spinning was part of that duty.
The satyagrahis started the struggle by taking several of their untouchable friends with them along the forbidden road. They were immediately beaten by the Brahmins, and one was seriously hurt. But the young satyagrahis offered no violence in return. The police arrested several of these young men for trespassing and they were imprisoned for different periods of time. As news of the satyagraha spread, volunteers came pouring in from all parts of the country to take the place of those arrested. The state could not manage to arrest all of them, hence it ordered the police to prevent any more of the
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