SreeNarayanaGuru

[aji]

Within a decade of its inception, the SNDP attained incredible success, and then onwards, it had been steadily growing adapting itself to suit the changing socio-political conditions and consequent needs of the people.

Under the leadership of Mahakavi Kumaran Asan, and Dr. Palpu, the Yogam raised its voice of protest against the denial of civic and human rights to Avarnas. The Yogam was in the vanguard of the fight for the rights of the depressed classes, especially the non- caste Hindus. But the voice of protest was mainly through representations to rulers and Government, newspaper writings and pamphlets, etc.

The SNDP first fought for the admission of Avarna children to Govt. schools and won. With this success, the number of educationally qualified youth in the community increased. The Christian missionary institutions also contributed to this increase. But employment in Government was still out of reach for them. The Christians could get into Govt. service through the influence of the British, but the Ezhavas were kept out. After repeated representations, a great favor was granted that the Ezhavas could be employed in the lower ranks in departments other than Revenue. (The Revenue Department could not take the Ezhavas because it was dealing with Temple Administration and the Ezhavas being Avarnas were not supposed to touch those papers!) When the Avarnas applied for Government jobs, they were either asked by the Savarna officials to take up their traditional profession, or their applications were summarily rejected saying that there were no vacancies. The SNDP took up the issue. Protests against the princely rulers and caste Hindu officials gradually became an integral part of India's national movement, and the SNDP developed a high political stock.

The SNDP entered its second phase when T. K. Madhavan took over as its organizing secretary. He was a firebrand and a committed nationalist. Madhavan brought in a tremendous increase in the membership of the SNDP within a short period. He also took up issues which caused the Yogam to adopt methods of agitation

The first important issue was to fight for the Avarnas' right to use public roads around the temples which resulted in the famous Vaikkom Satyagraha, and later led to the Temple Entry Proclamation by the Maharaja of Travancore. It is to be noticed that Travancore was the first princely state in India to take this progressive step. "Removal of untouchability is an abstract idea. Temple entry is a concrete representative action of the abstract idea." - Mahatma Gandhi.

[aji]

The second issue was the Anti-Liquor agitation. Long before Gandhi included prohibition in the national campaign, the Guru had declared, 'Liquor is poison, do not make it, do not give it, do not drink it.' In the 18th Annual meeting of the SNDP, a resolution was passed to urge the community (toddy-tappers) to wind up liquor business. No longer were peaceful protests registered. The Yogam adopted agitational methods like picketing the toddy and arrack shops, with T. K. Madhavan and C. Keshavan at its helm. Though it was sabotaged from within by vested interests, the agitation had its effect. The SNDP Yogam and its organized might came to be accepted as an undefeatable social force.

Both these activities, the Vaikkom Satyagraha and the Anti-Liquor agitation helped to integrate the SNDP's activities with the National Movement. The members of the SNDP en masse joined the Indian National Congress. With this, it got inextricably involved in political activities.

All these programs had emphasis on safeguarding and ensuring the civic rights and human status of the Ezhava community. This was bound to happen as the leadership of the SNDP was always vested in capable Ezhava men. It was the Ezhavas who listened to the Guru first, joined and swelled up the ranks of the SNDP. They were the standard bearers in the march of progress and naturally they were the beneficiaries too.

[aji]

With this trend, the Guru had a feeling that the SNDP was sacrificing universalism and degenerating into an Ezhava organization, and ignoring the spiritual and moral well-being of the people at large. Just before his Samadhi (demise), the Guru tried to correct this trend. He sent the following message to a special meeting of the SNDP at Sivagiri:

No group can gain strength and achieve prosperity by any means other than organized effort. It was on this principle that the Yogam was established twenty five years ago. The term Ezhava does not denote caste or religion. Therefore anyone can be made a member of the Yogam. I wish many more joined.'

The Guru took another bold step. He established an Order of Monks (Dharma Sangham) at Sivagiri to maintain his spiritual legacy. Through his Will and Testament, he bequeathed all his property to the Dharma Sangham and issued directives and guidelines.

[aji]

The future role of Sivagiri Mutt was:

1. To enlighten the people about the fundamentals of religion and spread everywhere devotion and love of God.

2. To help the people to attain the three-fold purity — that of body, mind and word.

3. To teach the people the grandeur of nonviolence, love and unity, and see that they are observed in action.

4. To improve the educational level of the common people.

5. To identify the right type of men to be trained as inmates and send them out as messengers of Love to serve the people.

[aji]

His intention was to transform Sivagiri into the intellectual Sringeri of the South. Sivagiri Mutt enjoyed the right to train young men as priests and depute them to all temples consecrated by the Guru.

Soon after the Guru's Samadhi (demise), another offshoot of Sivagiri Mutt, named Narayana Gurukulam, was established by Nataraja Guru, Dr. Palpu's son and an intimate disciple of the Guru. The Gurukulam, took up the role of interpreting the Guru's philosophy in relation to advanced western thoughts. The East-West University is a special institution sponsored by the Gurukulam.

After this division of objectives, the SNDP entered its third phase, with another firebrand, the future Chief Minister C. Keshavan, as its Secretary. A lawyer by profession, a Gandhian and nationalist by conviction, and molded in the forge of the Guru's Dharma, this fearless agitator inaugurated a new era in the political heritage of the SNDP. He transformed the SNDP into a fighting organization with the Abstention Movement, and the struggle for proportionate representation of Ezhavas in the legislature of Travancore State. In Travancore State, only those who paid Rs. 5 or more as land tax had the right to vote. The Nairs and upper castes were the landed gentry with voting rights, and most of the Ezhavas and other Avarnas were the landless poor without voting rights. So there was no chance of an Ezhava getting elected to the Legislative Assembly, though they were equal to the Nairs in number. The same was the case with the Christians and the Muslims. So the SNDP joined hands with Muslims and Christians and decided to boycott the elections of 1931. This is known as Abstention Movement. The Abstention Movement was a great success, as the Government agreed to nominate representatives, proportionate to the population, to the Legislative Assembly.

[aji]

The post-Independence scene was quite different. As the Yogam had been deeply immersed in struggles for civic rights, the area of educational advance was not particularly taken care of for a few years. At this stage, R. Shankar took over as General Secretary. Shankar represented the younger generation molded by the Guru's dynamic influence. By sheer integrity and merit Shankar managed to become the State Congress head and Chief Minister of Kerala for a few years. As Secretary of the SNDP, Shankar saw that the Ezhavas had progressed socially and economically, but the SNDP did not have institutions of higher education. So Shankar concentrated his efforts on education. He raised an educational fund of Rs. 1 lakh within 24 hours, and started the Sree Narayana College at Quilon. This has become one of the leading post- graduate study centers of Kerala. The SNDP celebrated its golden jubilee at the SN College Grounds. The most important contribution of R. Shankar was the formation of the SN Trust which now runs a chain of colleges, polytechnics, Teacher Training Institutions, well-equipped hospitals and Nurses' Training schools. The growth in the educational field was temporarily arrested by the sudden demise of Shankar.

The SNDP started basically as an organization of the toiling millions. By and by, its leadership went to the rising bourgeoisie of the community. In spite of that, it continues to be dedicated to the cause of the poor. Though there is difference of opinion, many of the socialist and communist leaders of Kerala had their early apprenticeship in the SNDP and its activities. The reason for Kerala becoming a haven for progressive views and ideals can be traced to the influence of the messages and mission of Sree Narayana Guru.

[manu]

Parallel organizations: Following the SNDP's progress, a number of parallel organizations started. They were all caste-based.

1. The Pulaya Mahasabha: Started in the year 1905 under the leadership of Ayyankali Pulayan.



2. The Nair Service Society, 1914: It worked for eradicating taboos and false traditions prevalent in the community, including the morganatic marriages with Nambudiris. The leaders were Kelappan, Changanasseri Parameswaran Pillai and Mannathu Padmanabhan who played a vital role in Vaikkom Satyagraha.

3. The Yogakshema Sabha: The Nambudiris organized their own forum, the Yogakshema Sabha. The initiative came from progressive minded young Nambudiris. They wanted to reform their community from within, especially the fate of their women. It is strange that the Nambudiris of Kerala, who were the most orthodox, turned rationalist and radical in course of time. EMS Namboodiripad is a practical example.