Caste, class and reform

How feudal and regressive practices came in the way of change in Travancore

Developmental Modernity in Kerala: Narayana Guru, SNDP Yogam and Social Reform P. Chandramohan Tulika Books ₹ 750

An idea whose time has come is unstoppable, and so was the birth of Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam in the Travancore of the early 20th century, where dehumanising caste practices held a fanatical sanctity.

P. Chandramohan’s book examines the reform movement that had the Yogam at the forefront. What was spawned by the middle class into a powerful answer to the tyranny of the caste system was deflated by the same section so much so that even Narayana Guru severed ties with the Yogam.

Growing dissent

Bringing out the class character of the struggle, the study finds that the middle class of the Ezhava community attained a critical mass in the early years of the 20th century and grew restive against the daily insults inflicted on the caste members by tradition. The middle class provided the ammunition for the movement, but when it achieved its ends, steered the Yogam off the course charted out by the Guru.

As renowned historian K.N. Panikkar, who wrote the foreword to the book, said in a recent article in

The Hindu , “Although politics in Kerala is notoriously religion and caste-oriented — almost all political parties have a strong caste or religious base — the different class formations within castes tended to offset the allegiance to an exclusive caste politics”.

With its abundance of data, the book’s first chapter is rich pickings for students and scholars of 19th and 20th century Travancore — a sort of Sachar committee report on the state of lower castes if you like. The chapter on the Guru is revelatory and a primer on the saint for those not familiar with his historical, political and religious roles. During the Vaikom Satyagraha, he met Gandhiji and helped end the Mahatma’s belief in the Varna system.

In Chandramohan’s view, the reformers lacked the support of the masses and because of the prevalence of old feudal relations, some not only kept away from the movement but also practised regressive customs.

Developmental Modernity in Kerala: Narayana Guru, SNDP Yogam and Social Reform ; P. Chandramohan, Tulika Books, ₹ 750.