Ayyankali will be remembered forever for becoming one of the most prominent social reformers in the country, despite several odds, including his lack of formal education, Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes A.K. Balan has said.
Speaking after paying floral tributes to Ayyankali before his statue at Vellayambalam on the occasion of the social reformer’s 155th birth anniversary on Tuesday, Mr. Balan said that he was an architect of the resurgence of the Dalit community.
He was a beacon of hope and inspiration for the marginalised section at a time when they were ostracised by society and denied freedom in all respects.
Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran said that Ayyankali’s efforts in the State’s development were viewed with utmost reverence. He pointed out that while observances in honour of Ayyankali were usually held with much fanfare, the government opted for a simple function this time in the aftermath of the floods that wreaked havoc in the State.
Deputy Speaker V. Sasi, B. Sathyan, MLA, and Scheduled Castes Development Director P.M. Ali Asgar Pasha were present.