Grassroots
Traditions and Democracy in India
Sree Narayana Guru Movement/Tradition in Kerala 6th
& 7th August 2024
[CPCI National Convention in Bangalore on 6th
to 8th August 2024]
Introduction:
As we all know, rather experience, Indian
democracy is undergoing unheard of challenges, if not threat, through a skewed
form of democracy by a political mobilization of religions and cultures around
a projected core, that is, Hindutwa through an attempt at annihilating the
rudiments of grassroots participation.
Here, in this paper, we are trying
to see the grassroots tradition of the rather enslaved and exploited Ezhavas
who were enlightened, enriched and empowered by Sri Narayana Guru and how it
overcame the hurdles on its way to equality and self-respect through movements
like the SNDP Yogam and so on.
The Context:
Caste system in Kerala had evolved to be the most complex in
India,[36] and
the exploitation of it had come to shaming levels. In the place of four
‘varna’s, Kerala had the Malayali
Brahmins forming the priestly class and Nairs, the Aristocracy besides the so called outcastes, considered
pollutants.1
[Caste system
in Kerala - Wikipedia]
The abhorrent aspect was that pollution was not through touch alone, but
the very sight or approach did it. And it was the worst in Kerala, [Caste system
in Kerala - Wikipedia] with over 500 groups represented in an elaborate structure of
relationships, shocking someone like Swami Vivekananda to call it a ‘mad
house’ of castes! Robin Jeffrey, who was a
professor specializing in the modern history and politics of India, quotes the
wife of a Christian missionary writing in 1860, ‘... a Nair can approach
but not touch a Namboodiri Brahmin: a Ezhava must remain thirty-six paces
off, and a Pulayan ninety-six steps distant. An Ezhava must remain twelve
steps away from a Nair, and a Pulayan sixty-six steps off, and a Parayan some
distance farther still... Pulayans and Parayars can approach but not touch, much
less eat with each other. [Caste system
in Kerala - Wikipedia] [Caste system
in Kerala - Wikipedia] If by accident
a Pulayar was there and he sees an approaching Nair or a Brahmin, he must make
a loud howling sound to warn the upper castes from getting nearer until
he went away or climbed up a tree. If a Nair meets him on the way by
accident, he cuts him down like an unpleasant animal. The Nair's right
to kill any Pulayar he met on the pathway imminently is confirmed by almost all
visitors to Kerala. Even the other lower castes had no communication with the
Pulayar. According to Buchanan, the Nairs killed not only the Pulayars but any member of the other
lower polluting castes, including the Ezhavas. [Caste system
in Kerala - Wikipedia]
Accordingly, the lower castes were known as tintal jati, i.e. castes which
pollutes at a distance. The food of the upper castes were referred to as "Amruthathu" (elixir) and the food of the lower castes was called "karikadi" (black
brew), similarly the, dwelling places of the higher castes and the thatched
huts of the lower castes were called the "royal abode"
and "the field of rubbish" respectively.[22] Lower caste people could use only separate paths and their houses
were in places where they could not be seen… [Caste system
in Kerala - Wikipedia] The lower
castes, particularly the Pulayars were not even allowed to breathe the same
air as the other castes or use a public pathway.
The legacy Narayana Guru inherited:
Way back in the 16th century, emergence of the Bhakti
movement and the development of the modern Malayalam language and the influence of personalities like Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan led to the breaking of Brahmin dominance over literature and knowledge.
The arrival of the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch, and the
English, played a significant role as catalysts for such changes. With colonial
rule and the influence of English education and missionary
activities, many traditional Indian customs and practices were
questioned and new waves of thinking about identity were emerging.
This change was bolstered by the Indian renaissance movement, socio-religious
reforms, and the rise of nationalism.
The political landscape of Kerala underwent significant changes
with the establishment of centralized monarchies in Travancore and Cochin, leading to the decline of the feudal order. Unlike the British
Malabar, the other two, Cochi and Travancore, were princely states ruled
virtually by the royal families and in reality by the Brahmin or British
Divans. The Mysorean invasion of Kerala (1766–1792) further disrupted the existing caste hierarchy.
In contrast to northern India, the reformation, leading to a
socio-cultural shift in the social fabric of Kerala, was driven by the lower
castes like Narayana Guru and Ayyankali who focused on the abolition of the caste system rather than its
reformation.2
Narayana
Guru:
It was into
this caste ridden society, endangered by all kinds of oppressions from the
ruling class which was controlled by the Brahminical codes and dictates,
remaining static and paralyzed showing no signs of progress, was Narayanan,
born ‘as a morning star’ to Madan Asan and Kuttiyamma in
an Ezhava family on 28th August 1855 in Kerala’s
Chempazhanthy village near Thiruvananthapuram. (ibid, p. viii)
In 1872,
when Guru was a teenager, his mother passed away. In the late 1870s Guru went
to learn under a Sanskrit scholar. In 1881 he returned to his home village, as
his father was ill, and worked briefly as a teacher. In 1882 he married the
daughter of a village doctor. The marriage lasted for a few years only as she
passed away. Shortly thereafter, he left home and adopted the wandering life of
a Hindu ascetic, not giving in to his desires. He traveled about
southern India on foot, seeking enlightenment. Guru meditated,
fasted, and studied Yoga. People began to seek him out for his wisdom and
for his skills as a healer.
After visiting the Guru at Sivagiri Mutt along with
Rabindranath Tagore, C.F. Andrews, the British missionary in India who
was also a close friend of Gandhi, in his letter to Romain Rolland, the French
author and Nobel laureate, could write: “I have
seen our Christ walking along the shores of Arabian Sea in the attire of a
Hindu sanyasin.” (Back
flop of “Sree Narayana Gurudevan”, Kumaran Asan, edited, translate and appended
by Dr. Josh Channar, Channar Books, Ernakulam, 2021).
Salient
Teachings:
Having been exposed to the inhumane condition of his people and other lower
castes and been educated in the various philosophical schools, especially
Advaita Vedānta, or non-dualism, he emphasized the knowledge of self as essential
to his notion of oneness. After attaining self-realization, he emphasized
the concept of “one
God”
and the unity of all being in a singular divinity. He considered the whole world to be of one family—vasudhaiva
kudumbakam. The oneness of God and unity of humankind
propelled the religious and social reforms he initiated in Kerala. [Sree Narayana Guru, George Pati]. Some of his revolutionary teachings
are the following:
- One Caste,
One Religion, and One God for All.
-
"Be enlightened by knowledge, be strengthened by organization, and be
prospered by Industries": He organized India's first Industrial and
Agricultural Exhibition.
-
"We meet here not to argue and win, but to know and be known": He
fostered a culture of mutual understanding and respect and religious tolerance
and coexistence: He organized the All Religions' Conference in 1923, promoting
peace among different religions.
-
Spiritual initiations: He provided spiritual initiation to people of all
faiths, including Muslims.
Religion
and Ritual:
Narayana Guru was criticized for being a Hindu revivalist.
However, he publicly stated in May 1916 that “We do not belong to any
particular caste or religion”. He clarified his stance further by
emphasizing his non-attachment to any existing religion, his lack of interest
in establishing a religion, the individual’s choice in practicing religion and,
most importantly, the importance of human goodness, irrespective of what
religion he/she professed…
Moreover, he
made it clear that he didn’t want to be seen as a Hindu sage when he said:
“It is the British who gave us Sanyasam (sagehood) and they are our gurus. And
if it was in the time of Ram, Sudras and Atisudras wouldn’t be allowed an
ascetic life (Sambuka, a Sudra, was beheaded by Ram himself for his pursuit of
sagehood) because the Hindus rule by the Smritis.” (P.K. Balakrishnan, ‘Narayana
Guru’)
Idol
Consecration:
‘Living in a state of stupor, suffering all these insults and
oppressions, people did not have the energy to retaliate. It became
indispensable to rouse them…’ [Betty Sunny, ‘The Concept of God in the
Philosophy of Sree Narayana Guru’, Doctoral Thesis submitted to the University
of Kerala, p. 17] Back
in the day, only Brahmins could consecrate idols. Guru was the first non-Brahmin
to challenge it, by picking ‘a tiny rock piece’ from the Aruvippuram river
bed ‘resembling a Shivalinga… on the auspicious day of Sivaratri in 1888’
(p.15), sending tremors to the priestly class. (p. xi).
This
event marked the revolutionary beginning of a series of idol consecrations
across southern India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) welcoming people of all
castes, as well as non-Hindus. His installations of idols in temples progressed from the primordial Siva
to Devi and their off-springs to mirrors (the self-reflection signifying ‘Aham
Brahmasmi’, I am Brahman), lamps or inscriptions of words such as “Truth” and
“Kindness” on plaques. His genius came out when he exhorted followers to do
away with the very idea of temple. However, if at all they need one, let it
be “temples of learning” or schools…
Narayana Guru, the karma
yogi:
i.
Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam:
Though the Ezhavars were the
largest community across the three provinces, in Travancore they were sidelined
and oppressed through notorious social ostracism. Besides caste, the Hindu
society was known for its superstitions, rigid rituals on marriage, birth,
worship, social distancing, no inter-caste group dining and common use of
public places etc. This was not at all conducive for a civilized modern
society, though the stage was slowly being set for modernity which was resisted
with occasional instances of revolt and they were duly suppressed. (p. x)
In the 19th
century, accepted human rights were denied to the majority of the population in
the name of caste. Having failed in his attempts to change this individually as
well as through the Ezhava Maha Jana Sabha, Dr. Palpu approached Sree
Narayana Guru. Together with Kumaran Asan they organized a meeting of the Aruvippuram
Kshetra Yogam, established in 1898, (for the welfare and administration of
the temple and adjoining Mutt there,) at
Kunnukuzhi in Trivandrum… followed by one at Pettah.
A special
meeting of the Aruvippuram Kshethra Yogam was held on 7th January
1903 at Aruvippuram attended by some 60 people... In that meeting
Kumaran Asan introduced an amendment to change the Kshethra Yogam to Sree
Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP Yogam). Gurudevan was made the
president for life, Dr. Palpu, the Vice President and Kumaran Asan, the General
Secretary and Aruvippuram, the headquarters. [An order dated 28th
March 1903 by the Dewan mentioned the word, “Ezhava community”… It was formed
for the upliftment of the Ezhavas… (pp. 313-14 of ‘The Prophet of One
World’)] It was registered under the Travancore
Regulation-1 of 1063 (Indian Companies Act IV, 1882) at Kuzhithurai on 15th
May 1903… Its manifesto was “One Caste, One Religion, One God for Mankind,”
directing the many Hindus of Kerala from belief in many gods to one God.
After SNDP Yogam:
This
was followed by the commencement of a school there utilizing the service
of his well-educated followers for teaching language (p.15-16) and a Mutt
(religious school) there to convince people of the need to abandon age
old stale and barbaric rituals and to replace them with new practices based on
moral and ethical principles (18, 19). This resolve became visible in his
activities hence forth. Besides himself giving lectures and publishing articles
on the evils like animal sacrifice etc. he entrusted good speakers to give
talks reforming religious practices (19).
Later T.V. Madhavan led the Vaikum
Temple Road Entry Movement in 1927, under the patronage of Mahatma Gandhi. After
the two years of sustained Satyagraha the Izhavas were granted the right to use
the road which ran near the Vaikum Temple which was owned by upper caste. This
was a historic victory against orthodox ideas of pollution. Thus, the leaders
of the movement were able to achieve for their followers all the basic rights
in the field of religion, education, employment and politics. It also
demonstrated that it was possible to remain within the fold of Hinduism and yet
escape from the stigma of untouchability. The new awareness arose among Izhava
tribes. The movement motivated them to take to modern education which in
the long run enabled them to access to the modern occupation and professions
which carried high rewards in terms of prestige and wealth. Thus Izhavas as
a community successfully raised their status in society by the contribution of
SNDP movement.
ii.
Educational
Front: ‘വിദ്യകൊണ്ട് പ്രബുദ്ധരാവുക’:
Social evils like caste-discrimination are the
ill-effects of ignorance, their eradication possible only through education.
Guru, therefore, insisted on the importance of universalizing education,
himself taking the initiative in starting an English School at Varkala
and a Sanskrit School at Alwaye. He knew how English had become a world
language and how indispensable the modern English education was. Equally well
he knew that the Indian culture was rooted in the Sanskrit language.
Later he even discouraged having more temples and said that temples should thereafter be “temples of
learning” or schools, and asked people to make more schools instead. Guru laid emphasis on modern education and
learning English, saying it was the way to enlightenment and liberation.
Those were the days when none thought of having
schools of their own, mainly, because people couldn’t believe that education
was accessible to them too. Things have so changed since, that such initiatives
are to be curbed by government regulations. Even temples, Guru conceived, are
to be served as educational and cultural centres. Their clean ambience should
encourage people to gather there in the evenings and discuss matters of
spiritual and cultural import, to be given a push to by organizing occasional formal
discussions in which invited distinguished scholars would be participating. Attached
good libraries should enliven the quest for knowledge.
iii.
Social
Front: ‘സംഘടിച്ചു ശക്തരാവുക’:
Each community then had certain of its own
customs and social events observed almost with a religious fervour as
symbols of their self-esteem and pride, though most of them were meaningless,
unreasonable, unscientific, not befitting the modern age, and, above all,
pushing families down to utter poverty. Celebrating the first menstruation (of
a girl, as a mark of recognizing her as a grown-up), eight-year-old girls
having to undergo a sort of formal marriage (which in their later life will
have no marital value), some ceremonies and social gathering at the first
pregnancy of a girl, were some among them. Guru discouraged all such practices.
He once even dared to walk into the scene of a group-child-marriage and stop
it. He blessed the little girls giving them some sweets, and the public
gathered there took the oath to discontinue the practice. Such customs and
practices, various in kind and details in different communities, eventually
vanished altogether. Even on occasions like marriage and funeral, spending
much money on feasts and showy things were discouraged by Guru. [All such abandoned practices are being taken up now by the
catholic clergy making it a business almost]. He showed how marriages could be simplified and made
less expensive with only ten participating. The spirit with which Guru showed
these new lines of social life, though acceptable in principle, were not fully
adaptable to all in practice, especially when social pride and showiness of
the well-to-do prevailed over principles and ideals. Separate social
movements bringing forth people to practice what they preach did therefore
shoot up, the most notable among them the Sahodara Prasthanam
(Fraternity Movement) initiated by K. Ayyappan.
The new awakening of the downtrodden was reflected
in the political front as well. Kerala in due course became unparalleled in political
awareness and labour movements among the Indian States.
iv.
Industry:
His slogan, “Be enlightened with
education, strengthened with organization and make progress through industry”
paved way for the integral growth of his community. Seeing the life of the coir
workers and fishermen during his wandering days, he declared: “After education,
industry is needed for the progress of society. Without industry, financial
status will not improve”. He even suggested in 1908 that training facilities
in industries had to be made along with temples. Again in 1920, he said,
“More industries. That is the best method for making wealth. Comfortable life
and prosperity are not possible without industry and hard work. Jobs are to be
created for the poor. A job is better than alms and cash.” (If someone
asks for a fish, don’t give him one, but teach him to fish.) He also
suggested the formation of companies to mobilize capital for
machineries… There were agricultural and industrial exhibitions along with some
of the annuals starting from Kollam in 1905 (Dr. Mohandas, p. 321-2)
He was also the pioneer of education for the commoners, a great
influencer of people to thrive in agriculture, industry, and commerce in the
beginning of the 20th century.
Trade Union Movement in
Kerala:
There were no political formations
in Kerala till February 1938 and hence the SNDP Yogam was working as a
de-facto labour organization. He announced, “Be strengthened with organization”
and so he formed the SNDP Yogam in 1903 and advocated an organization to be
founded along with every temple. The first Women’s meet was
conducted along with the Annual of Yogam at Aruvippuram in 1904 and Dr.
Palpu spoke about the failed Russian revolution in the Annual of Yogam in
Kollam in 1905. There were separate sessions during the Annuals to discuss
labour matters and provisions were made for the representation of labour in the
Board of Directors. The first Labour Conference was held under its
banner in 1818. In the Annual held in Kollam in 1926, discussions were
held about the working class and a resolution was submitted to the government
for initiating welfare measures for them.
Sahodaran Ayyappan was one of
the founders of trade union movements in Kerala, he formed “Vypin Aadi
Thozhilali Sangham” which published a newspaper named “Velakkaran”,
and VT Bhattathirippad and EM Sankaran Nambudirippad were moulded through the
columns of this paper. He published the newspaper, “Sahodaran” from Mattancheri
and pictures of Karl Marx, Lenin and Stalin were placed in its office for the
first time… he coined the word, “Sakhav” (comrade) in a poem called
“Ezhavolbhodhanam” to address the SNDP Yogam members in 1919… He declared in a
labour meet at Cherthala in 1924 that “Strike and get liberated like the
Russians who liberated themselves… Never be afraid of the guns of the enemy…
(Dr. Mohandas, p.378). Justice Sadasiva Aiyyar, the Chief Justice of
Travancore High Court made a landmark judgement in 1907 applauding in high
terms the reforms introduced by Guru. It reads: ‘I hope I might be pardoned for
expressing in conclusion my very great
satisfaction that, through the efforts of the venerable Asan of the Ezhavar
Community and his Ezhavar Samajam, most desirable reforms (or rather the
relinquishment of the medieval pernicious customs and conventions which have
outlived their original usefulness and which are unsuited to the needs of a
progressive community) are taking place among the Ezhavars without the
necessity at present to resort to the legislature. I allude especially to the
fast dying customs of polygamy and polyandry (though restricted to the use of a
woman being the common wife of brothers), the unmeaning thalikettu or minnukettu
ceremony, the conniving by the society at the loss of virginity by an unmarried
girl remaining in her mother’s house and so on’. (C.A. No.46&47 of 1083)
(p. 22 of ‘Sree Narayana Gurudevan’)
Sri Narayana Guru, the man
behind the movement/tradition:
A learned man, he was fluent in Malayalam, Sanskrit, and Tamil with
training in Ayurveda and astrology besides grammar, logic, poetry, drama and
rhetoric. After his formal education, he was more interested in finding the truth
about the self and its relation to the Ultimate Reality. In his teachings
Guru emphasized the knowledge of self as essential to his notion of oneness.
He claimed that oneness depends on consciousness of the self in relation to
others and plays a significant role in spiritual and social emancipation. After
attaining self-realization, he emphasized the concept of “one God” and the unity of all being in a singular
divinity.
This oneness was not confined to his concept of God, but he considered the
whole world to be of one family—vasudhaiva kudumbakam. The
oneness of God and unity of all humankind became apparent when Narayana Guru
propelled religious and social reforms in Kerala. More importantly, his
exposure to the inhumane condition of people in the lower castes and his education
in the various philosophical schools, especially Advaita Vedānta, or non-dualism, served as a foundation for his literary works and
social and religious reforms in Kerala. [Sree Narayana Guru, George Pati
II. An analysis of the
tradition with respect to the basic principles of democracy:
The burden of Caste system forced
upon the Ezhava community and such other communities was effectively challenged
by Narayana Guru with his claim for equality, justice and esteem for the
community and the individuals in democratic governance.
As against the rigid social
hierarchy of the caste system, with its congenial/inbuilt privileges for the
higher ones and discrimination for the lower, democracy would go for equal
rights and opportunities for all. This would facilitate social mobility on the
basis of education, merit and hard work besides proportionate representation in
power and decision making process so as to attain social justice and human
rights.
It is here the grassroot traditions
of Ezhava community, especially after Narayana Guru’s arrival, paved the way
for democratic endeavors and played a vital role to strengthen it through
taking up issues and finding solutions, fostering participatory approach,
focusing on marginalized groups to ensure their voices heard and concerns addressed,
promoting inclusivity, fostering social capital by building trust, cooperation
and reciprocity among members, encouraging them to engage in the democratic
process and finally holding leaders accountable and advocating for their
rights, preserving cultural heritage and community values, promoting diversity
and pluralism, relying on decentralized decision making, offering alternative
platforms for political engagement, bypassing party structures and engaging in
direct democracy and ultimately instilling democratic values like equality, justice
and solidarity for a vibrant, inclusive and resilient democracy.
Conclusion:
Poet
laureate, Ulloor Parameshwara Iyer, had stated that the Ezhavas did
neither utilize the spiritual strength of Gurudevan nor did they allow others
to use it. The Guru’s followers had understood him wrongly while the
non-followers did not understand him at all and the followers imprisoned him as
a God in 10 cents of land while the non-followers imprisoned him as a social reformer
solidified in a statue, but the real Gurudevan is beyond the reach of both the
groups.
Creativity is quite often
taken as rebellion or revolt as both are against established conventions and
establishments/ the status quo. (‘മാറ്റുവിൻ ചട്ടങ്ങളെ...’ Kuamaran Asan). So,
voices of self-respect and human rights had been labeled as revolts by
imbeciles. Demands for right to worship, asceticism, travel along the public
roads, to have education in government schools, government jobs, use of upper
cloths for covering the breasts… were all called revolts by partial,
prejudiced, perverted, tainted, paid historians. Guru had to disagree with
Sankaracharia, Mahatma Gandhi in the case of caste. He had to disagree with
Krishna and Bhagavad Gita. (Dr. S. Mohandas, ‘The Prophet of one world’, p.417)
He categorically told Madan Mohan Malavya in Chennai that he agreed more with
the Upanishads than the Vedas. He had to differ with the Brahmins, Manu, and
the government in case of deity installation and securing wealth.
But today,
through a political mobilization of religions and cultures around a projected
core (Brahminic or Sanskritic Hinduism, “Syndicated Hinduism” in the
words of Romila Thapar), the rudiments of grassroots participation are sought
to be annihilated so as to impose a skewed form of democracy. And the Sangh
Parivar is trying to co-opt Guru, a staunch critic of Hinduism, so that it can
garner the Bahujan votes in the state.
It is
essential for both Kerala and the rest of India to cherish and celebrate the
secular and pluralistic legacy of Narayana Guru to counter the propaganda and
polarisation efforts of Hindutva forces.
References:
1.
Kumaran Asan, ‘Sree Narayana
Gurudevan’, (Edited, translated and appended by Dr. Josh S. Channar, Channar
Books, Ernakulam, 2021)
2.
Balakrishnan P. K.,
‘Jathivyavasthayum Kerala Charithravum’, D.C Books, Kottayam, 1983
3.
Bijukumar, M., ‘Sahodaran
Ayyappan – Navothanatthinte Sukranakshathram’, SPCS, Kottayam, 2016
4.
Karthikeyan, Shornur, ‘Guru –
The Sun of Kerala Renaissance’, Sivagiri Madam Publications, Sivagiri, 2014
5.
Mithra C. R., ‘Sree Narayana
Guruvum Samoohiya Viplavavum’, (translation: Sivaraj C. P), NBS, Kottayam, 1993
6.
Dr. S. Mohandas, ‘The Prophet
of One World’, Sabarigiri, Kunnukuzhy, Thiruvananthapuram, 1993
7.
Radhakrishnan, P.; Jeffrey, Robin (July 1977). "The
Decline of Nayar Dominance: Society and Politics in Travancore". Social Scientist 5 (12):
76. doi:10.2307/3516814. ISSN 0970-0293 JSTOR 3516814
8.
Bhakti movement - Wikipedia
9.
Thunchaththu
Ezhuthachan - Wikipedia
10. Mysorean invasion of
Malabar - Wikipedia
12. PANIKKAR, K. N. (15 February
2017). "Three phases of Indian renaissance"
Frontline.thehindu.com. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2019
13. https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-9780195399318/obo-9780195399318-0234.xml
14. Kerala reformation
movement - Wikipedia
15. Social equality - Wikipedia
- "Sree Narayana Guru, Varkala,
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala". Kerala Tourism – Varkala.
Retrieved 1 March 2021.
No comments:
Post a Comment