PART: 01
SOCIAL
REFORMERS
OF KERALA
WRITTEN & ILLUSTRATED BY
ASHIK KRISHNAN
Social Reformers Of Kerala - Part: 01
Written and illustrated by
Ashik Krishnan Kangaparambil
Independently published in 2020
Copy editing: Deepak Dhruvkumar H.
Design and Layout: @untilitwasnt_
Contact:
[email protected] SOCIAL
REFORMERS
OF KERALA
PART: 01
Contents
1. Foreword 5
2. Narayana Guru 6
3. Ayyankali 10
4. Sahodaran Ayyappan 12
5. P. Krishna Pillai 15
6. About the Writer-Illustrator 18
7. Supporting this work 19
Foreword
The caste system and the associated discrimination and
oppression was the biggest of the evils that poisoned the
society of Kerala. The caste system is based on separatism; the
existence of mutually exclusive groups forbidden to
intermarry or interdine or touch, which allows for graded
inequalities between different communities.
The most impactful measures to address and eradicate such
repressive forms of discrimination in Kerala happened in the
19th and 20th centuries. This booklet seeks to look at some of
the events that shaped the history of social reforms in Kerala,
through the lives of certain individuals. Caste-based
discrimination is existent in Kerala even today, in subtle as
well as blatant forms.
Much progress towards an equitable society is yet to be
achieved, and the lives and efforts of the forerunners of these
movements give us inspiration.
5
Narayana Guru
Born: 28th August 1855 | Chempazhanthy,
Erstwhile Travancore
Died: 20th September 1928 | Varkala, Erstwhile Travancore
Narayana Guru was a spiritual leader, educationist, and
philosopher. He lead the reformation movement in Kerala in
the 19th century against the caste-based injustice that existed
in the society.
Narayana Guru was born into the Ezhava community, who
were traditionally toddy tappers. His father Maadan Aashan
believed education was the way towards progress, reform and
equality, and got Narayanan to study in a gurukulam.
Post the gurukulam education, he pursued Sanskrit and
literature. He learned the Vedas and Upanishads, and later
journeyed across the southern parts of India, practising
meditation and yoga.
6
Aruvippuram Pratishta
Ezhavas were not allowed in most temples back then. To
address this, Narayana Guru consecrated a piece of rock
taken from a river as a Shiva idol at Aruvippuram in
erstwhile Travancore (currently in Thiruvananthapuram) in
1888. It came to be known as 'Aruvippuram Pratishta' and
the Aruvippuram Shiva temple was thus established.
A non-brahmin consecrating an idol was unimaginable,
given the societal conditions at the time. The act stirred
the brahmin community and caused disruptions. They
questioned Guru's right to do so and Guru replied in his
inherent humorous tone, "The idol was not of a Brahmin
Shiva, but was of an Ezhava Shiva'.
7
On the walls of the Aruvippuram Shiva temple, Guru wrote:
Jaati bhedam matha dwesham
Ethum illaathe sarvarum
Sodaratwena vaazhunna
Maatruka sthaanam aanithu
The prejudice of caste and religion
Everyone here is free from it
They live in fraternity
In this exemplary abode.
Guru later set up more than 50 spaces of worship, largely
across Kerala and Tamil Nadu for people of all castes, creeds
and religions. At the same time, he proposed to address the
inequality and injustice through education. He said,
Vidya kondu prabuddhar aavuka
Sanghatana kondu shaktar aavuka
Prayatnam kondu sampannar aavuka
Become enlightened through education
Become strengthened through organisation
Become prosperous through hard work
8
oru jaati
oru matham
oru daivam manushyanu
- Narayana Guru -
one caste
one religion
one god for humanity
9
Ayyankali
Born: 28th August 1863 | Venganoor, Erstwhile Travancore
Died: 18th June 1941 | Erstwhile Madras Presidency
Ayyankali was born into the Pulaya community, who were
considered to be untouchables according to the oppressive
social norms of those times. Later he emerged to be one of
the strongest leaders who challenged the notions of
untouchability and the caste system.
In an act of defiance, Ayyankali dressed himself up as an
upper caste figure and wore a turban like that of people in
power. His actions and efforts revolved around claiming the
rights for the oppressed classes, such as freedom of
movement, right to education, freedom to dress as per one's
wish, clothing the women's upper body and so on.
Not knowing to read or write, Ayyankali believed that
education should be accessible for all through the
government schools.
10
In 1914, he enrolled a Pulaya girl Panchami in a public
school in Ooruttambalam, after some of the schools run by
upper caste Hindus denied her admission. It resulted in
multiple acts of violence against the community and also
the burning down of the school by the upper castes.
Villuvandi Samaram
Ayyankali took up many measures to democratise public
spaces. In 1893, he initiated the 'Villuvandi Samaram' by
riding a bullock cart, thus challenging the prohibitions on
lower castes accessing public roads in the princely state of
Travancore. The acts of buying a villuvandi (bullock cart)
and riding it on the roads reserved for the upper castes,
both, shook the social structures. This challenged the
discriminatory norms and inspired many from lower castes
to claim their freedom of movement.
11
Sahodaran Ayyappan
Born: 21st August 1889 | Cherai, Ernakulam
Died: 6th March 1968
K. Ayyappan, popularly known as Sahodaran Ayyappan was an
atheist, journalist, poet, social thinker, activist and politician.
Ayyappan received the title ‘Sahodaran’ which means
'brother', due to his efforts of bringing together humans as a
single fraternity against oppressive and unjust social
practices.
As the founder-editor of the ‘Yuktivadi’ magazine, he
cultivated rationalistic thoughts in a society that was largely
consumed by superstition and casteism. He was elected into
the Kochin Assembly in 1928 and was also appointed as the
Minister of Public Works in 1947.
12
Mishrabhojanam
One of the most revolutionary actions of the time was
'Mishrabhojanam' or the 'dining of people from different
castes' in 1917 initiated by the ‘Sahodara Sangham’ or the
'Brotherhood Association' lead by Ayyappan. The first such
inter-community dining was conducted on May 30th, 1917
at Ayyapan's nephew's residence, which found the
participation of around 200 people, including members
from the Pulaya caste, who were considered to be
untouchables.
The act was vigorously opposed by conservatives of the
Ezhava community to which he belonged to, but found the
praise of Narayana Guru. He came to be called Pulayan
Ayyappan by the conservatives in order to demean him,
but Ayyappan considered it an honour. The Sahodara
Sangham went on to conduct more such inter-community
dinings as a political tool to destabilize the oppressive
social practices such as untouchability and
marginalisation.
13
jaati venda, matham venda
daivam venda manushyanu
neeti, neeti, neeti maathram
- Sahodaran Ayyappan -
need no caste, no religion
and no god for human beings
but justice, justice and justice alone
14
P. Krishna Pillai
Born: 19th August 1906 | Vaikom, Kottayam, Erstwhile
Travancore
Died: 19th August 1948 | Muhamma, Alappuzha
P. Krishna Pillai is the founding leader of the communist
movement in Kerala. He was known to the masses as
'Sakhavu' or 'Comrade'.
Krishna Pillai lead the Congress Socialist Party in Kerala which
later transformed into the Communist Party of India in Kerala.
His work and efforts unsettled elitism in politics as he focused
to develop a kind of collective leadership by bringing together
and involving peasants and the working class.
Sakhavu was an active volunteer at the Vaikom Satyagraham
(1924-25), which sought to achieve freedom to use the public
road leading to Vaikom Shiva Temple by the people of all
castes. He was also the flag bearer of the Salt Satyagraham
march from Vadakara to Payyannur in 1930.
15
Guruvayur Satyagraham
Guruvayur Satyagraham, started in 1931 under the
leadership of K. Kelappan, was to allow entry into the
Guruvayur temple for the communities considered to be
untouchables. The most iconic moment of the
satyagraham was when Sakhavu became the first non-
nampoothiri or non-brahmin to ring the temple bell of
Guruvayur on December 26th, 1931.
He, along with other satyagrahis, was beaten mercilessly
for the act, and the temple was closed for about a month.
But it took 15 more years, until June 2nd, 1947, for the
oppressed castes to be able to enter the temple.
16
In the late 1920s, at a meeting of Sri Narayana Guru’s
movement in Tirunkakkara in Kottayam, Kerala, Madan Mohan
Malaviya, the founder of the Hindu Mahasabha, shouted “Jai
Shri Ram”. K. Ayyappan, a young leader and a leading disciple
of the guru, and his friends rejected the slogan then and there,
arguing that Ram, who killed Sambuka, the Sudra sage, could
not be their leader, Lord or God and that they would prefer the
reign of Ravan to Ramraj, the reign of caste atrocities.
His renowned guru, an Avarna sage, had already proclaimed in
1914 that if it was in the time of Rama, “I would have met the
fate of Sambuka because the Hindus rule by the Smrutis and
therefore it is the British who gave us (the Avarnas or Dalit
Bahujans, minorities and women) the right to education and
sagehood or Sanyasam.” Narayana Guru had also said that the
British rule had benefited the common people who had earlier
been excluded and persecuted as part of the caste system.
- Dr. Ajay S. Sekher -
See the full story on https://www.forwardpress.in/en/author/asj/
17
About the Writer-Illustrator
Ashik Krishnan is a traveller and storyteller who enjoys
cooking for his kin. He is an advocate of conversation, using
words and dialogue as tools to explore real human emotions
in a world that is turning highly transactional.
He is the co-creator of Travellers' University, a platform to
build learning communities, and to facilitate individuals who
are interested to travel and learn to deepen their knowledge
and understanding of themselves and the world, and are
looking for alternative choices in education.
Ashik has a keen interest in design; of everything around and
within. His superpowers include writing, active listening, and
chocolate making.
18
Supporting this work
This is an initial step I am taking towards independent
publishing and making relevant information available in the
Commons. This booklet is offered in the spirit of Gift and you
are invited to share and distribute it freely.
I enjoy telling stories and if you do too, you are invited to
collaborate and co-create. Stories concerning journeys of
Humans and Societies are what excite me the most. Write to
[email protected] to discuss your thoughts and
ideas.
Another way of supporting this work is to share your
feedforwards. Feel free to suggest what you deem necessary.
19
SOCIAL REFORMERS OF KERALA
PART: 01
