Read the statements (A) and (B) and choose the correct option :
(A) Veerasalingam Pantulu formed an association for widow remarriage in Madras Presidency.
(B) Swami Dayanand Saraswati, founded the reform association called ‘Arya Samaj” also supported widow remarriage.
Options :

Correct option is A

Correct Answer: A. Both(A) and (B) are true.
Explanation:
Statement (A): Veerasalingam Pantulu formed an association for widow remarriage in Madras Presidency.
True -Veerasalingam Pantulu was a prominent social reformer in South India, particularly in the Madras Presidency (modern-day Tamil Nadu). He is credited with taking significant steps for widow remarriage and women's rights in the 19th century.
In 1878, he formed the Widow Remarriage Association in the Madras Presidency, which advocated for the remarriage of widows, a social reform that was highly controversial at the time. Pantulu’s efforts led to the eventual legal recognition of widow remarriage through the Widow Remarriage Act of 1856.
Statement (B): Swami Dayanand Saraswati, founder of the reform association called ‘Arya Samaj’, also supported widow remarriage.
True - Swami Dayanand Saraswati was a key figure in Hindu reform movements during the 19th century. He founded the Arya Samaj in 1875, which aimed to promote Vedic values and reform Hindu society by eliminating social practices that he considered harmful or outdated.
Swami Dayanand strongly advocated for widow remarriage as part of his broader agenda to reform Hindu society. He believed that widowhood should not be a source of social stigma and supported the rights of widows to remarry, rejecting the traditional practice of forcing widows to lead a life of austerity or isolation.