K. Kelappan
Encyclopedia
K. Kelappan was born in the small village Muchukunnu
in Calicut
in Kerala
. He studied in Calicut and Madras
and graduated from the University of Madras
. He began his career as a teacher at in St. Berchmans High School, Changanassery and was the founder President of the Nair Service Society
. Later he became the Principal of a school run by the society. He fought for social reforms on one hand and the British on the other. He was called Kerala Gandhi.
He joined studies in Law at Bombay which he gave up to join the Non-cooperation movement
led by Mahatma Gandhi and joined the Freedom movement.
During the Malabar rebellion, he faced a group of rebels who came to loot the Ponnani Treasury and persuaded them to retreat by appealing to their good sense. He gave the lead to the Payyannur and Calicut salt Satyagraha and was chosen as the first Satyagrahi from Kerala in the individual satyagraha movement launched by Gandhiji. He played a dominant role in the famous Vaikom Satyagraha
and was the leader of the Guruvayur Satyagraha
in 1932. It was at Gandhiji's request that he ended his fast at Guruvayur
. He went to jail several times during the freedom struggle including the Quit India Movement
. He worked hard for eradication of untouchability and worked for upliftment of Harijan
s and set up many Harijan hostels and schools in Kerala
. He was in the forefront of Swadeshi Movement and did his best to build up a base of Khadi and Village industries.
After independence he left the Congress Party and joined the Kisan Masdoor Praja Party and was elected from the Ponnani
Lok Sabha seat in 1952 later he quit politices and engaged only in social work and never aspired for position or power. He was the President of almost all major Gandhian organisations like Kerala Sarvodaya Sangh, Kerala Gandhi Samarak Nidhi, Kerala Sarvodaya Mandal and Gandhi Peace Foundation, Calicut. A part from above he was an educationist as well as an accomplished and forceful journalist. He helped in starting 'Mathrubhoomi' and was its editor for a number of years. He worked for unification of Kerala into a new linguistic state.
Muchukunnu
Muchukunnu is a small village five kilometers away from Koyilandi on the Malabar Coast of south-western India.Kelappaji was born in here...
in Calicut
Kozhikode
Kozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...
in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. He studied in Calicut and Madras
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
and graduated from the University of Madras
University of Madras
The University of Madras is a public research university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the three oldest universities in India...
. He began his career as a teacher at in St. Berchmans High School, Changanassery and was the founder President of the Nair Service Society
Nair Service Society
The Nair Service Society is an organization created for the uplift and welfare of the Nair community. It was established under the leadership of Mannathu Padmanabhan...
. Later he became the Principal of a school run by the society. He fought for social reforms on one hand and the British on the other. He was called Kerala Gandhi.
He joined studies in Law at Bombay which he gave up to join the Non-cooperation movement
Non-cooperation movement
The non-cooperation movement was a significant phase of the Indian struggle for freedom from British rule which lasted for years. This movement, which lasted from September 1920 to February 1922 and was led by Mohandas Gandhi, and supported by the Indian National Congress. It aimed to resist...
led by Mahatma Gandhi and joined the Freedom movement.
During the Malabar rebellion, he faced a group of rebels who came to loot the Ponnani Treasury and persuaded them to retreat by appealing to their good sense. He gave the lead to the Payyannur and Calicut salt Satyagraha and was chosen as the first Satyagrahi from Kerala in the individual satyagraha movement launched by Gandhiji. He played a dominant role in the famous Vaikom Satyagraha
Vaikom Satyagraha
Vaikom Satyagraha was a satyagraha in Travancore, India against untouchability in Hindu society. The movement was centered at the Shiva temple at Vaikom, near Kottayam.The Satyagraha aimed at securing freedom of movement for all sections of society through the public roads leading to the Sri...
and was the leader of the Guruvayur Satyagraha
Guruvayur Satyagraha
Guruvayur Satyagraha took place in and was a Satyagraha in present Thrissur, then part of Ponnani Taluk of Malabar district, now part of Kerala, seeking entry for untouchables into the Guruvayur Temple. It was led by K. Kelappan who undertook a fast unto death for 12 days however it was given up...
in 1932. It was at Gandhiji's request that he ended his fast at Guruvayur
Guruvayur
Guruvayur is a municipal town in Thrissur District, of Kerala State in India. It houses the famous Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple, the fourth biggest temple in India in terms of the number of devotees per day.-History:Guruvayur, according to the legends may be 5,000 years old as the Guruvayur...
. He went to jail several times during the freedom struggle including the Quit India Movement
Quit India Movement
The Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...
. He worked hard for eradication of untouchability and worked for upliftment of Harijan
Harijan
Harijan was a term used by Gandhi for Dalits. Gandhi said it was wrong to call people 'untouchable', and called them Harijans, which means children of God...
s and set up many Harijan hostels and schools in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. He was in the forefront of Swadeshi Movement and did his best to build up a base of Khadi and Village industries.
After independence he left the Congress Party and joined the Kisan Masdoor Praja Party and was elected from the Ponnani
Ponnani
Ponnani/Ponani is an ancient port, a coastal town and a municipality in Malappuram district in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 9.32 km2. Ponnani taluk is the smallest Taluk in Malappuram district. This tiny, picturesque town is bounded by the Arabian Sea on the west...
Lok Sabha seat in 1952 later he quit politices and engaged only in social work and never aspired for position or power. He was the President of almost all major Gandhian organisations like Kerala Sarvodaya Sangh, Kerala Gandhi Samarak Nidhi, Kerala Sarvodaya Mandal and Gandhi Peace Foundation, Calicut. A part from above he was an educationist as well as an accomplished and forceful journalist. He helped in starting 'Mathrubhoomi' and was its editor for a number of years. He worked for unification of Kerala into a new linguistic state.
External links
- http://www.payyanur.com/freedom.htm