Vaikom Award
- A award given in recognition of contributions to social justice, equality and humanity.
- This award is given in memory of Vaikom hero Periyar E.V. Ramasamy for his social work.
- The year of inception of this award is 2022
It was introduced by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. - It is usually given during the events of Periyar’s birthday (September 17).
- The Vaikom Award consists of a cheque for Rs. 5 lakh, a certificate of appreciation and a gold-plated medallion.
Purpose of the award - To honour individuals who have made outstanding contributions in the fields of social justice,
equality, secularism, self-respect and human rights. - The main purpose of this award is to remind us of the values of the Vaikam struggle, namely anticasteism and equality.
The person selected - Thenmozhi Soundararajan from the United States has been selected for the Vaikam Award of the Tamil Nadu Government.
- She is an American rights activist and writer for the oppressed people. She actively campaigns for the rights of those marginalized by structural caste.
- She is the founder of Equality Labs, a civil rights organization for the oppressed people of the United States and around the world
- Thenmozhi Soundararajan from the United States has been selected for the Vaikam Award for her work against caste discrimination in the United States and India and for her contributions to media and technological justice.
