Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham
Encyclopedia
Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham (KYS) is a well known rationalist group based in Kerala
, India
. It stands for rationalism and dialectical materialism
. It is the initiator of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations
.
Kerala rationalist movement is a continuation of Sri Narayana Movement.Sahodaran Ayyappan
a favorite disciple of SriNarayana Guru
, changed the Guru’s slogan Oru Jati, Oru Matham, Oru Daivam Manushyanu (One Caste, One Religion, One God for Human-beings) to Jati Venda, Matham Venda, Daivam Venda Manushyanu (No Caste, No Religion, No God for Human-beings). Ayyappan organized the Sahodara Sangham (The Brotherhood Association), and started two magazines “Sahodaran” and “Yukthivadi
”.
In August 1931 M. C. Joseph became Yukthivadis sole editor-publisher and shifted the publication to Irinjalakkuda.
In 1935 a Yukthivadi Sangham was registered at Cochin M. C. Joseph as secretary and Panampilly Govinda Menon
as treasurer.
For forty five years until June 1974 M. C. Joseph brought out the Yukthivadi magazine without any interruption.
The vibrant rationalist movement that is seen in Kerala today is undoubtedly the direct consequence of the ideas spread by Yukthivadi for more than half a century.
The existing Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham (KYS) was formed at Kozikode in 1969 May Adv. M. Prabha as president and P.S. Raman Kutty as Secretary. Yukthi Darsanam is the philosophical text of KYS. Many militant rationalists like MBK, Joseph Edamaruku
, P.V. Velayudhan Pilla, U.Kalanadhan, Pavanan
, Johnson Eyeroor, Padmanabhan Pallath, Gangan Azikode, Rajagopal Vakathanam, Dhanuvachapuram Sukumaran, Sabhari Girish, Adv. Anil Kumar etc. had led the KYS in different times.
The periods of Abraham Kovoor
and Basava Premanand
is known as the golden eras of Rationalism. The Janaygam Varika, a Weekly owned by Communist Party of India
by the chief editorship of Kambisseri Karunakaran
, propagated their articles and rationalism in large scale.
The organization publishes a monthly magazine, Yukthirekha in Malayalam and a quarterly The Secular Humanist in English
. The well-known rationalist Pavanan
was founder and editor of Yukithirekha and was president of the organization for several years. Other presidents have included U. Kalanathan.
Like many rationalist organizations in India they conduct demonstrations to expose god men
as frauds. They also support those who defy fundamentalist taboos and support inter-caste marriages. They have also been involved in public debate over school textbooks.
The organization claims over 3,000 members across 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....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It stands for rationalism and dialectical materialism
Dialectical materialism
Dialectical materialism is a strand of Marxism synthesizing Hegel's dialectics. The idea was originally invented by Moses Hess and it was later developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels...
. It is the initiator of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations
Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations
Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations is an umbrella body of more than 75 rationalist, atheist, skeptic, secularist and science organisations in India...
.
Kerala rationalist movement is a continuation of Sri Narayana Movement.Sahodaran Ayyappan
Sahodaran Ayyappan
Sahodaran Ayyappan was a social reformer, thinker, journalist, and politician of Kerala, India. He was one of the outspoken followers of Sree Narayana Guru.-Overview:...
a favorite disciple of SriNarayana Guru
Narayana Guru
Sri Nārāyana Guru , also known as Sree Nārāyana Guru Swami, was a Hindu saint, sadhuand social reformer of India. The Guru was born into an Ezhava family, in an era when people from backward communities like the Ezhavas faced much social injustices in the caste-ridden Kerala society...
, changed the Guru’s slogan Oru Jati, Oru Matham, Oru Daivam Manushyanu (One Caste, One Religion, One God for Human-beings) to Jati Venda, Matham Venda, Daivam Venda Manushyanu (No Caste, No Religion, No God for Human-beings). Ayyappan organized the Sahodara Sangham (The Brotherhood Association), and started two magazines “Sahodaran” and “Yukthivadi
Yukthivadi
Yukthivadi was the first rationalist/atheist journal published in Malayalam. The contribution made by Yukthivadi to the renaissance of Kerala, India is phenomenal....
”.
In August 1931 M. C. Joseph became Yukthivadis sole editor-publisher and shifted the publication to Irinjalakkuda.
In 1935 a Yukthivadi Sangham was registered at Cochin M. C. Joseph as secretary and Panampilly Govinda Menon
Panampilly Govinda Menon
Panampilly Govinda Menon was an Indian politician, freedom fighter, and lawyer. He was born at Chalakudy and started his lawyer practice there as a junior to Adv. M. C. Joseph . He was the first treasurer of Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham. He moved his practice to Ernakulam afterwards...
as treasurer.
For forty five years until June 1974 M. C. Joseph brought out the Yukthivadi magazine without any interruption.
The vibrant rationalist movement that is seen in Kerala today is undoubtedly the direct consequence of the ideas spread by Yukthivadi for more than half a century.
The existing Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham (KYS) was formed at Kozikode in 1969 May Adv. M. Prabha as president and P.S. Raman Kutty as Secretary. Yukthi Darsanam is the philosophical text of KYS. Many militant rationalists like MBK, Joseph Edamaruku
Joseph Edamaruku
Joseph Edamaruku , popularly identified by his surname Edamaruku, was a well known journalist and rationalist from Kerala. He was the Delhi Bureau chief of the Malayalam magazine Keralasabdam for more than twenty years, and the founder-editor of Therali, a rationalist periodical in Malayalam...
, P.V. Velayudhan Pilla, U.Kalanadhan, Pavanan
Pavanan
Puthan Veetil Narayanan Nair was a well known rationalist, literary critic and left wing political activist from Kerala, India.-Early Days and Education:...
, Johnson Eyeroor, Padmanabhan Pallath, Gangan Azikode, Rajagopal Vakathanam, Dhanuvachapuram Sukumaran, Sabhari Girish, Adv. Anil Kumar etc. had led the KYS in different times.
The periods of Abraham Kovoor
Abraham Kovoor
Abraham Thomas Kovoor was an Indian professor and rationalist who gained prominence after retirement for his campaign to expose as frauds various Indian and Sri Lankan "god-men" and so-called paranormal phenomena...
and Basava Premanand
Basava Premanand
Basava Premanand was an eminent skeptic and rationalist from Kerala, India.-History:Premanand was born on 17 February 1930 in Kozhikode, Kerala. His parents were followers of the Theosophical movement....
is known as the golden eras of Rationalism. The Janaygam Varika, a Weekly owned by Communist Party of India
Communist Party of India
The Communist Party of India is a national political party in India. In the Indian communist movement, there are different views on exactly when the Indian communist party was founded. The date maintained as the foundation day by CPI is 26 December 1925...
by the chief editorship of Kambisseri Karunakaran
Kambisseri Karunakaran
Kambisseri Karunakaran was an Indian journalist writing in Malayalam. He was the chief editor of the Janayugam Varika, a Malayalam weekly owned by the Communist Party of India...
, propagated their articles and rationalism in large scale.
The organization publishes a monthly magazine, Yukthirekha in Malayalam and a quarterly The Secular Humanist in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The well-known rationalist Pavanan
Pavanan
Puthan Veetil Narayanan Nair was a well known rationalist, literary critic and left wing political activist from Kerala, India.-Early Days and Education:...
was founder and editor of Yukithirekha and was president of the organization for several years. Other presidents have included U. Kalanathan.
Like many rationalist organizations in India they conduct demonstrations to expose god men
Godman (Hindu ascetic)
A godman is a colloquial name for a particular type of charismatic guru who has a high-profile presence, is capable of attracting attention and support from Indian society, and makes claims of spiritual attainments...
as frauds. They also support those who defy fundamentalist taboos and support inter-caste marriages. They have also been involved in public debate over school textbooks.
The organization claims over 3,000 members across Kerala.