Vaikom: The centenary of the historic Vaikom Satyagraha, which is a milestone in the struggle for access to temples for all sections of the people, is being celebrated by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Thursday. The venue of the celebration, which will also be the first function of Mallikarjun Kharge in Kerala after taking over the post of all-India Congress president, is the ‘beach’ on the banks of the Vembanad Lake.
Meanwhile, the official celebration organised by the state government will take place on Saturday which will be attended by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Tamil Nadu counterpart M K Stalin.
The KPCC has arranged a grand venue for the event and the entire lakeside is covered with the tricolour. A huge stage and temporary hall too have come up. Pictures of several freedom fighters have also been erected all over Vaikom town. Five processions from various parts of the state have arrived in Vaikom for the event and the one from Alappuzha would reach later on Thursday.
Kharge’s first visit as Congress chief
National president of the Congress Kharge, who will inaugurate the KPCC’s celebration, will be reaching Thiruvananthapuram by flight around 11.40 am on Thursday. He will be accompanied by senior party leaders K C Venugopal and Tariq Anwar.
Thiruvananthapuram district chief of the party Palode Ravi will receive Kharge at the airport for his first visit to the state as Congress president. Kharge will also attend a reception organised by the Youth Congress.
At 2.40 pm, Kharge will take a helicopter to Vaikom and open the KPCC’s Vaikom Satyagraha Centenary Meet, which is scheduled at 3.30 pm. After the function, Kharge will again fly by helicopter, to reach Kochi Airport by 5.45 pm. He will later take a flight to Bengaluru at 8 pm.
Parking spots
The organisers of the KPCC meet have announced various locations in Vaikom and nearby areas for parking of vehicles bringing Congress workers and others to attend the event.
Buses coming via Kottayam and Pathanamthitta (Thalayolaparambu) have to leave the passengers at Valiya Kavala and park at the following places: Madiyathara, Oppo Nagampoozhimana Ground, Varma’s School Ground, Udayanapuram Temple Ground, Nanadam Athurasramam School ground, near Koottummel School, Oppo Sarangiyad.
At the same time, buses and big vehicles from Ernakulam side have to be parked at the following locations after leaving the passengers at Valiya Kavala: Three grounds near Link Road, Three grounds in Pulinchuvadu – Chalapparambu, Areekulangara Temple ground, Vallakom Church ground, Elankavu Temple ground, Vadayar Mar Sleeba School ground, Thalayolaprambu Thirupuram Temple ground, Thalayolaparambu St George School ground , Thalayolaparambu BHS ground, Thalayolaparambu Church ground and Thalayolaparambu GHS School ground.
