RENAISSANCE IN KERALA
:Struggles and Social Revolts
Hello reader,
In this post we will discuss some of the struggles and social revolts happened as
part of renaissance in Kerala.
Short notes on following events are provided in this post:
- Kurichya Revolt : 1812
- Shanar Agitation: 1859
- Pandara Pattam Proclamation:1865
- Malayali memorial : 1891
- Ezhava Memorial :1896
- Malabar Rebellion(Moplah Rebellion) :1921
- Wagon tragedy :1921
- Students' agitation: 1922
- Vaikom Satyagraham :1924
- Guruvayoor Stayagraham: 1931-1932
- Yachana Yathra :1931
- Nivarthana Agitation: 1932
- Electricity Agitation :1936
- PattiniJatha :1936
- Kuttamkulam Struggle :1946
- Punnapra Vayalar Upheaval :1946
- Paliyam Satyagraham 1948
Kurichya Revolt : 1812
Protest from Kurichiyas and Kurumbars of Wynad against
the British Government’s policy of collecting revenue from them in cash rather than in
kind.
Shanar Agitation:
1859
The Shanars of South Travancore agitated for their women to get the same
rights to dress as women from upper sections of the Hindus.(Breast cloth agitation).
Col. Munro permitted Shanar women, who
converted to Christianity, to cover their bodies with Kuppayams.
Eventually the Royal Proclamation of July26, 1859, abolished all restrictions on covering of
the upper parts by Shanar women
Pandara Pattam
Proclamation:1865
- Known as “the Magnacarta of the
Travancore ryots(farmers)”
- It conferred proprietary rights of Sirkar Pattam lands to the holders.
Malayali memorial :
1891
• Aim: To protest against the Government’s policy to import outside persons, particularly Tamil Brahmins,
for important posts in the public services even when persons with similar qualifications were available inside the State.
• G.Parameswaran
Pillai (Barrister G.P.Pillai), R.Ranga Rao and N.Raman Pillai were the master brains of this movement. They were expelled from the
Maharaja’s College, Trivandrum, in 1882 under suspicion of raising word against Government’s job policy.
• A memorandum signed
by 10,028 persons from all castes was submitted to the Maharaja Sree Moolam Thirunal on January 1, 1891 requested to secure jobs for the educated
Keralaites in the Travancore civil service.
- "Travancore for Travancoreans " slogan is related with Malayali memorial.
- Chenkotta Ramayyar took initiative to file in favour of Brahmins and against Malayali memorial
Ezhava Memorial(1896)
-
The Ezhavas and other backward communities were denied the admission to Government schools
or public services
- Ezhava community under the leadership of Dr.Palpu submitted a memorial
to the Maharaja in 1896 to get same privileges for Ezhavas which were being enjoyed by Ezhavas who
converted to Christianity.
- Upon receiving negative response , they submitted second “Ezhava Memorial” to Lord
Curzon, the Viceroy of India, during his visit to Trivandrum in 1900. This memorial also faced failure.
Malabar Rebellion(Moplah Rebellion)
:1921
Malabar Rebellion was an armed uprising by Mappila Muslims in 1921 against British authority and Hindus in Malabar.
- Malabar agriculture system was in this hierarchy : (1)The Jenmi( Nambudiri
Brahmins and Nambiar chieftains) were in highest level with hereditary land grants by the Naduvazhis (2) Kanikkaran (Nairs) : for the security and supervision of the land and (3)
Verumpattakkaran (Mappilas) who cultivates land for one year lease called verum pattam.
- The 1921 rebellion began as a reaction against a restriction by the British authorities on
the Khilafat Movement in the Eranad and Valluvanad taluks .
- The police attempt to arrest Vadakkevittil Muhammed, the secretary of the Khilafat
Committee, rumor about attack on Mambaram mosque in Tirurangadi were some other reasons for riots.
- The largely kudiyaan (tenant) Mappilas attacked , forcibly converted and killed
jenmi families.They also attacked and took control of police stations, British government offices, courts and government treasuries.
- The most prominent leaders of the rebellion were Variankunnath Kunjahammad Haji,
Sithi Koya Thangal and Ali Musliyar
Wagon tragedy :1921
The Wagon
tragedy was the death of 67 prisoners who had been taken into custody following Mappila Rebellion.
- Almost 90 detained Muslim rebels were dispatched by train from Tanur to the Podanur
Central Prison. As Podanur jail was found to be full orders were given to take back the prisoners.
- During the return journey, 67 of the 90 rebels suffocated to death in the
closed iron wagon.
- Historian Sumit Sarkar referred to it as the "Black Hole of Podanur"
Students' agitation: 1922
Students
came forward to oppose a fee hike. The agitation was strongly supported by the 'Swarad' paper of A.K. Pillai
Vaikom Satyagraham :1924
Aim: To get approach roads to the Vaikam temple opened for
Hindu avarnas.
Started on 1924 March 30.
Leaders: T.K.Madhavan, K.P.KesavaMenon, Mannath Padmanabhan, Changanacherry Parameswaran Pillai,
C.V.Kunhiraman and K.Kelappan .
Highlight: Savarna Jatha (by Mannath Padmanabhan) came to Trivandrum and submitted their
demand before the Regent Setu Lakshmi Bai.
Gandhi visited Travancore and discussed with the Rani and also met Sri.Narayana Guru at
Varkala.
After 20 month old struggle, the Satyagraha finally ended in success in 1925 and
approach roads to the temple were formally opened to all castes!!
Civil disobedience
movement : 1930
Kerala also involved actively in nationwide Civil disobedience movement invoked by Gandhiji.
- Salt Satyagraha started at Payyannur under the leadership of K. Kelappan on
April 21, 1930. Mohammad Abdur Rahiman, K. Madhavan Nair, P. Krishnapillai and R.V. Sharma led the Satyagraha at Kozhikode.
- Civil disobedience movement came to an end after Gandhi-Irwin pact was
signed on March 4, 1931
- The resumption of civil disobedience movement in 1932, created a strong response in
Kerala. When the movement was withdrawn in 1934, a section of congress workers led by E.M. Sankaran Nambudiripad and P. Krishna Pillai joined the Congress Socialist
party.
Guruvayoor Stayagraha: 1931-
1932
Aim: to get the Guruvayur temple, Ponnani taluk, Thrissur opened to all Hindus
Satyagrha Was
started under auspices of Kerala Provincial Congress .
The leader of the Satyagraha was K.Kelappan who entered indefinite fast
Captain of Volunteer Corps was A.K.Gopalan.
T.Subramanian Tirumumbu was the captain of the temple
entry campaign
P.Krishna Pillai was brutally assaulted for ringing a bell in temple.
Guruvayur Satyagraha
failed to achieve its immediate objective, but helped to create a climate against untouchability.
Yachana Yathra :1931
Yachana Yathra was led by V.T. Bhattathirippadu in 1931 from Trichur to Chandragiri river which lasted for seven days.
This begging march was for the education of poor children.
Nivarthana Agitation: 1932
Ezhavas, Christians and Muslims demanded for representation in the Legislature in proportion
to their numerical strength.
Travancore Diwan Sir C.P. Ramaswamy Iyer tried to suppress the agitation.
Agitators formed Samyukta
Rashtriya Samiti and requested the voters to abstain from voting
( Abstention movement).
Kerala Kesari was the mouth piece of Abstention movement.
New electoral law giving reservation for minorities
was formally announced by the Government in August 1936.
Leaders :N.V.Joseph, T.M.Varghese and C.Kesavan
Electricity Agitation :1936
Protest against the decision of Diwan Sir
R.K.Shanmukham Chetti to entrust the distribution of the electric power in the town to private company
Leaders were
E.Ikkanda Warrier and Dr.A.R.Menon.
PattiniJatha :1936
PattiniJatha’ was led by A.K. Gopalan in July 1936 from Kannur to Chennai. There were 32 persons in the March.
Temple Entry Proclamation : 1936
Sri Chitra Tirunal Balarama
Varma, the Maharaja of Travancore, issued Temple Entry Proclamation on November 12, 1936.
Gandhiji hailed it as “a micracle of
modern times” and “a smriti which is the people’s charter of spiritual emancipation”
The Temple Entry
Authorisation Proclamation V of (1947-48) issued by the Maharaja of Cochin opened the temples in that State to all
castes.
The Madras Temple Entry Act of 1947 extended this reform to the Malabar area.
Kuttamkulam Struggle :1946
Kuttamkulam struggle „Vazzhinadakkal Samaram‟; was started as a
protest against untouchability in to the premise of the Kudalmanikyam temple.
The caste organizations like S N D P, Samastha Cochin
Pulaya Mahasabha, the political parties like Prajamandalam, Labour Organizations, Beedi workers organizations
protested against this injustice.
The people united under the leadership of P. K. Kumaran Master,
Saratha Kumaran, K .V. Unni and P.K.Chathan Master.
Finally the untouchable’s classes got the right to walk along the
kuttamkulam road!
Punnapra Vayalar Upheaval :1946
The September 1946 there occurred the Punnapra Vayalar Upheaval against the ‘American Model’ irremovable executive.
The American Model was proposed by Sir C. P. Ramaswami Ayyar.
Paliyam Satyagraham (1948)
To get open the the road in front of the main residence of the
Paliat Achan, the erstwhile hereditary Chief Minister of Cochin for Avarnas.
Even the princes of the royal families of Cochin and Kodungallur supported it.
A.G.Velayudhan , a freedom fighter ,was killed in a police lathi-charge
Meanwhile in April 1948 all temples in Cochin were thrown open to
all Hindus, irrespective of caste. As a result the Avarnas and non- Hindus got the right to walk along the paliyam road.
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v!p!n
