SreeNarayanaGuru

[gopu]

Strength through Organization

Before Sree Narayana Guru came on the scene, on the social front, enthusiastic young Ezhavas like Dr. Palpu were trying for the upliftment and recognition of their community. During his discussions with Swami Vivekananda at Mysore about the social situation in Kerala, Swami Vivekananda advised him that any reformation movement must have a spiritual leader at its helm, for its success.

Sree Narayana Guru was rising in the social horizon of Kerala as the undisputed spiritual leader of the downtrodden people. Dr. Palpu went down to Aruvippuram to meet him and have discussions with him. They found that their ideas were converging to one point: the emancipation of the downtrodden. The result was that the Temple Association of Aruvippuram was converted into Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (The Society for the Implementation of Sree Narayana Dharma). It was registered as a joint-stock company in January 1903, with Sree Narayana Guru as life-time President, Dr. Palpu as Vice-President and Kumaran Asan as General Secretary.

A periodical, 'Vivekodayam' (the name is. a tribute to Swami Vivekananda) was started as the mouthpiece of the Yogam. Kumaran Asan was its editor. Eminent scholars and social workers like T. K. Madhavan, Sahodaran Ayyapan, C.Krishnan, M. Govindan, and others lined up behind the Guru to lead SNDP. (See the Appendix-11 for details about these leaders.)

[gopu]

The Membership of SNDP

The membership of SNDP was open to all irrespective of caste and religion. But the Ezhavas joined en masse, because the accident of birth had placed the Guru in their community. As they had an overwhelming majority, they came to occupy the pivotal positions of the Yogam. But the Guru's ideal of universalism was well preserved by the leadership, because every one of them, working under the Guru, was heart and soul for the uplift of all depressed classes.

The birth of the SNDP became a milestone in the road to the progress of the Ezhavas. Units of SNDP were formed in almost all villages, and the whole community became well organized under the stewardship and central control of the Guru.

The objectives of SNDP

The SNDP is a unique organization as it establishes 30-ordination between the spiritual and material needs of the people. Usually Hindu religious organizations think only of the spiritual side of life, not the material progress of the people. Socio-political organizations ignore the spiritual side. But in the SNDP, a merger of these two occurs. This unity of action was maintained almost till the end of the Guru's life.

[gopu]

The main objectives of the SNDP were :

1. The dissemination of the ideals of Sree Narayana Guru among the masses.

2. The sponsoring of spiritual and material education of the people.

3. Providing facilities for the professional advancement and economic progress of

the depressed classes.

4. The eradication of social evils like caste discrimination, untouchability and superstitions that go in the name of religious traditions.