Sahodaran Ayyappan
Encyclopedia
Sahodaran Ayyappan was a social reformer, thinker, journalist, and politician of Kerala
, India
. He was one of the outspoken followers of Sree Narayana Guru.
family of Cherai
in Vypin Island of Ernakulam
district as the son of Kumabalathuparambil Kochavu Vaidyar and Unnuli on 21 August 1889. He lost his father at an early age and was brought up under the guidance of his elder brother Achuthan Vaidyar. After having his school education primarily in Cherai and North Paravoor, Ayyappan did his pre-university course at the Malabar Christian College, Kozhikode. He had to discontinue his further education for the time being while at Madras due to ill health.
While at Kozhikode
he began speaking in public platforms stressing the need for social reforms. It was at this time that he had the opportunity to interact closely with Sree Narayana Guru
at whose encouragement he decided to continue his studies and took B.A. from Maharaja’s College, Thiruvananthapuram
in 1916. He also met the poet Kumaran Asan
during this time. By this time the social revolutionary in Ayyappan had come of age and was ready to fight against the social evil of caste system.
Back at Cherai, in 1917, Ayyappan organized a misra bhojanan (a grand feast of all castes sitting together under one roof). The feast was organized under the aegis of the Sahodara Sangham (The Brotherood Association), an organization that Ayyappan himself had organized for the purpose of eradicating the evil of casteism. The feast was attended by about 200 people including the so-called untouchable Pulayas. This was opposed forcibly by conservative sections of society, including Ezhava
lords. For a while thereafter, his detractors sarcastically called him Pulayan Ayyappan, a name which he took as an honour. From then on, Ayyappan came to be known as Sahodaran Ayyappan.
On 15 May 1921, Nārāyana Guru sent a message of support to Sahodara Sangham during their annual conference, supporting "inter-caste marriages and community feasts".
By this time he had also acquired a Law degree from the Government Law College, Trivandrum. His consuming passion was still directed towards effecting radical reforms in the society. With this aim in view he started the journal Sahodaran from Mattancherry
, containing articles and poems, which continued to be on print until 1956.
An inquisitive soul from childhood, K. Ayyappan’s mind kept probing beyond caste, religion and other dogmas. He established himself as a rationalist who didn't believe in any religion. He became the founder editor of the magazine Yukthivadi
(The Rationalist) which was started in 1928. Ayyappan wrote the caption of this magazine "Yuktiyenthy manusiante-budhisakthi ghanichathil-labhichathallathillonnum-lokavijnana rasiyil" as well as many other poems.
As a rejoinder to Sree Narayana Guru’s famous slogan Oru Jati, Oru Matham, Oru Daivam Manushyanu (One Caste, One Religion, One God for Human-beings), Ayyappan proclaimed his slogan of Jati Venda, Matham Venda, Daivam Venda (No Caste, No Religion, No God for Human-beings). Despite such atheism
, he nevertheless had deep respect for the Guru.
Amidst his relentless work in the field of effecting social reforms Ayyappan found time to work in trade unions and in active politics. He is one of the founding fathers of the trade unionism in Kerala. In 1928, Ayyappan was elected to Cochin Legislative Council of which he continued to be a member for the next 21 years. During his first tenure in the legislative council Ayyappan showed his commitment to progressive programmes. On one occasion he demanded that registration be given to all love marriages.
He served as a minister two times in Cochin Legislative Assembly and one time in Thiru-Kochi Assembly.
He was appointed to the ministry by the Maharaja on on 9 September 1946. He later resigned from the Cabinet, along with Panampilli Govinda Menon and C.R. Iyyunni, when Home Minister, T.K. Nair used the police force to put down labour struggles and popular agitations. In popular elections in October 1949, the Prajamandalam party secured overwhelming majority and Ikkanda Warrior was elected leader of the party. Panampilli Govinda Menon, Sahodaran Ayyappan and C.A. Ouseph were his colleagues in the cabinet. (History of Kerala Legislature) Ayyappan was minister for a brief time in the Paravoor TK ministry, but soon resigned from active politics and concentrated his energy into social and cultural activities. At this time, his PA was A R Narayanan
who too was interested in social reforms.
He was widely respected by all sections of people across the society because of his selfless social work and also on account of his impeccable personal integrity. For the last 15 years of his life he stayed away from active social life. On 6 March 1968 Ayyappan breathed his last.
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...
. He was one of the outspoken followers of Sree Narayana Guru.
Overview
Sahodaran Ayyappan was born into a traditional EzhavaEzhava
The Ezhavas are a community with origins in the region presently known as Kerala. They are also known as Ilhava, Irava, Izhava and Erava in the south of the region; as Chovas, Chokons and Chogons in Central Travancore; and as Tiyyas, Thiyas and Theeyas in Malabar...
family of Cherai
Cherai
Cherai is a region in the island of Vypin, a suburb of the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is at a distance of about 25km from the High Court Junction, Kochi. Cherai has the longest beach in Kochi - the Cherai beach. The beach is located towards the centre-north of the Vypin...
in Vypin Island of Ernakulam
Ernakulam
Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...
district as the son of Kumabalathuparambil Kochavu Vaidyar and Unnuli on 21 August 1889. He lost his father at an early age and was brought up under the guidance of his elder brother Achuthan Vaidyar. After having his school education primarily in Cherai and North Paravoor, Ayyappan did his pre-university course at the Malabar Christian College, Kozhikode. He had to discontinue his further education for the time being while at Madras due to ill health.
While at Kozhikode
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...
he began speaking in public platforms stressing the need for social reforms. It was at this time that he had the opportunity to interact closely with Sree Narayana 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...
at whose encouragement he decided to continue his studies and took B.A. from Maharaja’s College, Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
in 1916. He also met the poet Kumaran Asan
Kumaran Asan
N. Kumaran Asan , also known as Mahakavi Kumaran Asan , was one of the triumvirate poets of Kerala, South India...
during this time. By this time the social revolutionary in Ayyappan had come of age and was ready to fight against the social evil of caste system.
Back at Cherai, in 1917, Ayyappan organized a misra bhojanan (a grand feast of all castes sitting together under one roof). The feast was organized under the aegis of the Sahodara Sangham (The Brotherood Association), an organization that Ayyappan himself had organized for the purpose of eradicating the evil of casteism. The feast was attended by about 200 people including the so-called untouchable Pulayas. This was opposed forcibly by conservative sections of society, including Ezhava
Ezhava
The Ezhavas are a community with origins in the region presently known as Kerala. They are also known as Ilhava, Irava, Izhava and Erava in the south of the region; as Chovas, Chokons and Chogons in Central Travancore; and as Tiyyas, Thiyas and Theeyas in Malabar...
lords. For a while thereafter, his detractors sarcastically called him Pulayan Ayyappan, a name which he took as an honour. From then on, Ayyappan came to be known as Sahodaran Ayyappan.
On 15 May 1921, Nārāyana Guru sent a message of support to Sahodara Sangham during their annual conference, supporting "inter-caste marriages and community feasts".
By this time he had also acquired a Law degree from the Government Law College, Trivandrum. His consuming passion was still directed towards effecting radical reforms in the society. With this aim in view he started the journal Sahodaran from Mattancherry
Mattancherry
Mattancherry is the western part of city of Kochi, India. It is said that the name Mattancherry is drawn from "Ancherry Mattam", a Namboodiri illam which then the foreign traders pronounced it as Matt-Ancherry, gradually became Mattancherry. It is about 9 km from Ernakulam town. There are...
, containing articles and poems, which continued to be on print until 1956.
An inquisitive soul from childhood, K. Ayyappan’s mind kept probing beyond caste, religion and other dogmas. He established himself as a rationalist who didn't believe in any religion. He became the founder editor of the magazine 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....
(The Rationalist) which was started in 1928. Ayyappan wrote the caption of this magazine "Yuktiyenthy manusiante-budhisakthi ghanichathil-labhichathallathillonnum-lokavijnana rasiyil" as well as many other poems.
As a rejoinder to Sree Narayana Guru’s famous slogan Oru Jati, Oru Matham, Oru Daivam Manushyanu (One Caste, One Religion, One God for Human-beings), Ayyappan proclaimed his slogan of Jati Venda, Matham Venda, Daivam Venda (No Caste, No Religion, No God for Human-beings). Despite such atheism
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, he nevertheless had deep respect for the Guru.
Amidst his relentless work in the field of effecting social reforms Ayyappan found time to work in trade unions and in active politics. He is one of the founding fathers of the trade unionism in Kerala. In 1928, Ayyappan was elected to Cochin Legislative Council of which he continued to be a member for the next 21 years. During his first tenure in the legislative council Ayyappan showed his commitment to progressive programmes. On one occasion he demanded that registration be given to all love marriages.
He served as a minister two times in Cochin Legislative Assembly and one time in Thiru-Kochi Assembly.
He was appointed to the ministry by the Maharaja on on 9 September 1946. He later resigned from the Cabinet, along with Panampilli Govinda Menon and C.R. Iyyunni, when Home Minister, T.K. Nair used the police force to put down labour struggles and popular agitations. In popular elections in October 1949, the Prajamandalam party secured overwhelming majority and Ikkanda Warrior was elected leader of the party. Panampilli Govinda Menon, Sahodaran Ayyappan and C.A. Ouseph were his colleagues in the cabinet. (History of Kerala Legislature) Ayyappan was minister for a brief time in the Paravoor TK ministry, but soon resigned from active politics and concentrated his energy into social and cultural activities. At this time, his PA was A R Narayanan
A R Narayanan
A R Narayanan acted as personal assistant to Sahodaran Ayyappan when the latter was a minister in Kerala, India.Narayanan was an alumnus of Presidency College with a masters in English. He hailed from Muttichur village in Thrisur District...
who too was interested in social reforms.
He was widely respected by all sections of people across the society because of his selfless social work and also on account of his impeccable personal integrity. For the last 15 years of his life he stayed away from active social life. On 6 March 1968 Ayyappan breathed his last.
Memorials
- Saholdaran Ayyappan Statue. Mahathma Gandhi Road, Kochi, Kerala, India.
- Sahodaran Ayyappan Smaraka (SNDP) Yogam College. Konni, Pathanamthitta District, Kerala, India. Established 1995.
- Sahodaran Ayyappan Smarakam (Sahodaran Memorial High School). Cherai, Kerala, India.
- Sahodaran Ayyappan Memorial Training College. Puthen Kavu, Puthotta.
- Sahodhara Bhavanam (Birthplace of Sahodharan Ayyappan), Elimjamkulam, Cherai, Ernakulam
Videos about Sahodaran Ayyappan
- Sahodaran Ayyappan (film)Sahodaran Ayyappan (film)Sahodaran Ayyappan is a short documentary from Kerala, India. It depicts the life of Sahodaran Ayyappan through recreated events and archival photos. Ayyappan was a social reformer and the organizer of the Sree Narayana Movement. The film is narrated by M.K. Sanu...
__ Majeed Gulistan (director)__. __ M.K. Sanu (narrator) ___.
Books about Sahodaran Ayyappan
- Sahodaran K Ayyappan _ by M.K. Sanu __ (Published by D. C. BooksD. C. BooksDC Books is the largest publisher in Kerala, the leading publisher of books in Malayalam, and one of the top ten publishers in India. It also operates one of the largest book store chains in India, with a network of over 30 bookshops, and over 50 agencies in Kerala....
) - Sahodaran Ayyappan, Viplavangalude Maargadarshi __ by Pooyappilli Thankappan.