Vaikom Satyagraha

Why in news?

• The year 2024 marks the centenary of the Vaikom Satyagraha.

About Vaikom Satyagraha:

• Background: Vaikom was a temple town in the princely state of Travancore. The low-caste Hindus were not allowed to enter into the temples.
• The issue of temple entry was first raised by Ezhava leader T KMadhavan in a 1917 editorial in his paper Deshabhimani.
• In the 1923 session of the INC in Kakinada, a resolution was passed by the Kerala Provincial Congress Committee to take up anti-untouchability as a key issue.
• Vaikom, with its revered Shiva temple, was chosen as the location for the very first satyagraha.
• Vaikom Satyagraha was the first among temple entry movements in India. It lasted for 604 days (20 months) from March 30, 1924 to November 23, 1925
• Reasons: The princely state of Travancore had a “feudal, militaristic, and ruthless system of custom-ridden government.
• The idea of caste pollution worked not only on the basis of touch but also sight — lower castes were forbidden entry to any “pure” place, such as temples and the roads surrounding them.
• Prominent Leaders : The movement, led by TK Madhavan, EVR Periyar, MK Gandhi, and Narayana Guru.
• Temple Entry Proclamation : In November 1936, the Maharaja of Travancore signed the historic Temple Entry Proclamation which removed the age-old ban on the entry of marginalised castes into the temples of the state.

Impacts of the Vaikom Satyagraha:

• Vaikom Satyagraha was a testing ground for the Gandhian Principles of Satyagraha.
• In 1925, Gandhiji wrote to W. H. Pitt, then Police Commissioner of Travancore to resolve the ongoing matter. Thus, Pitt intervened and a settlement was signed between the Government and Gandhiji.
• The Vaikom Satyagraha proclaimed its significance almost a decade later when in November 1936, the historic Temple Entry Proclamation was passed, which lifted the age-old orthodox ban on the entry of marginalized depressed castes into the temples of Travancore.
• It was also a great opportunity for the Indian National Congress Party to Grow in Kerala.
• It became the first struggle for human rights in India.
• The Vaikom Satyagraha had a significant impact on Indian society and politics. It led to the formation of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP), a social reform organization that worked for the upliftment of the lower castes in Kerala.

Conclusion:

• The Vaikom Satyagraha was a pivotal moment in the Indian independence movement that brought attention to the injustices of the caste system and the need for social reform.
• The Kerala government, in July 2014, announced the establishment of Vaikom Satyagraha Memorial Museum and Mahatma Gandhi statue at Vaikom.

Fukushima Water Issue

Why in news?

• Japanese and Chinese Experts held talks to assuage concerns over the discharge of treated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea.

About

• The discharges have been opposed by fishing groups and neighboring countries, especially China, which banned all imports of Japanese seafood.
• China’s move has largely affected Japanese scallop growers and exporters to China.

What is the Fukushima Water Issue?

• In 2021, Japan’s government announced plans to release over one million tonnes of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea over the next 30 years.
• The wastewater is a byproduct of the catastrophic 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which disabled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, leading to the release of radioactive materials.
• After more than a decade of storing this wastewater, Japan says they are running out of storage space, and allege that the now treated water is safe for release.

Nuclear Disasters:

• A nuclear and radiation accident is an event that has led to significant consequences to people, the environment or the facility.
• Examples include lethal effects to individuals, large radioactivity release to the environment, or reactor core melt.
• Worldwide there have been 99 accidents at nuclear power plants.
• Fifty-seven accidents have occurred since the Chernobyl disaster, and 57% of all nuclear-related accidents have occurred in the USA.
• Serious nuclear power plant accidents include the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster (2011), Chernobyl disaster (1986), Three Mile Island accident (1979), and the SL-1 accident (1961).

Concerns Over the Fukushima Water Release:

• Tritium and Carbon-14: Fukushima water is filtered through Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), which reduces most radioactive substances to acceptable safety standards, apart from tritium and carbon-14.
• Both emit very low levels of radiation, but can pose a risk if consumed in large quantities.
• Lack of Study: The scientists say it requires more studies on how it would affect the ocean bed and marine life.
• The Pacific Islands Forum regional group has called the plan “another major nuclear contamination disaster”, as several of its members are still dealing with the consequences of US nuclear testing.