Konattu Madam Chidambara Iyer Subrahmania Iyer, known better as K. C. S. Mani (2 March 1922 – 20 September 1987), was an Indian

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

activist of

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

who is known for his attempt of assassination on C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer, the then Diwan of

Travancore The kingdom of Travancore (), also known as the kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor () or later as Travancore State, was a kingdom that lasted from until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvanan ...

, a princely state in India.The Hindu 27-2-2008.
/ref> This incident was a turning point in the history of Kerala, forcing the Diwan to leave Travancore and flee to

Madras Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...

after assenting to merge Travancore with the

Union of India Union of India or Indian Union may refer to: * The country of India * Dominion of India (1947–1950), which was also known as the Union of India * The Government of India, which "may sue or be sued by the name" of ''Union of India'', as per Articl ...

Historical background

In July 1947, preparation were in progress in India for the transfer of power from the British colonial rule. All princely states in India were given a choice to either remain independent, or join either of the states of

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer chose to make

a sovereign state, with full executive powers vested on the Diwan. He declared this intention in his ''American model constitution''. There were oppositions from all quarters. The Diwan chose to suppress the revolts with raw power. On 18 July 1947,

Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma Sree Padmanabhadasa Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma , popularly known as Sree Chithira Thirunal (7 November 1912 – 20 July 1991), was the last ruling Maharaja of the Indian princely state of Travancore, in southern India until 1949 and ...

, the Maharaja of Travancore, on advice of the Diwan, made the declaration that, Travancore will announce sovereignty on the 26 August.Communism in Kerala: A study of political adaptation, by Thomas J Nossiter, Royal Institute of International Affairs, Page 92
/ref>

Assassination attempt

On 25 July 1947, then 25-year old Mani attacked the Diwan in front of the erstwhile Music Academy (now the

Swathi Thirunal College of Music Swathi Thirunal College of Music is a music college in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It was founded in 1939. It was first named as "The Music Academy". The name was renamed as Swathi Thirunal College of Music in 1962. The founder of this ...

) in

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...

, following a concert in the evening. Ramaswamy Iyer was wounded. Following the incident on 25 July, the Maharaja informed the

Viceroy of India The governor-general of India (1833 to 1950, from 1858 to 1947 the viceroy and governor-general of India, commonly shortened to viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom in their capacity as the Emperor of ...

of the decision to join the

. On 19 August 1947, C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer formally resigned as Diwan.

Later life

After the independence, Mani served as a member of the local panchayat for more than a decade.workersforum.blogspot.com കെ. സി. എസ്. മണി - വിപ്ളവകാരികളിലെ ഒറ്റയാന്‍
/ref> He also contested to the

Kerala Legislative Assembly The Kerala Legislative Assembly, popularly known as the Kerala Niyamasabha, is the State Assembly of Kerala, one of the 30 states in India. The Assembly is formed by 140 elected representatives. Each elected member represents one of the 140 ...

from the

Kuttanad Kuttanad is a river delta landscape region in the state of Kerala, India, known for its vast paddy fields and geographical peculiarities. It is in the Districts of Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta. The region has the lowest altitude in ...

constituency in 1965, as an independent candidate (not the nominee of any political party, But RSP leaders instructed him to submit the nomination, So he could be considered as an RSP Candidate), but without success.Geocities.ws (Geocities Archive), KeralaForum, 1965 Kerala Election Results
/ref> Mani felt alienated by the

party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a Hospitality, host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will oft ...

as well as the state in the later years of his life. He spent his last days abandoned and struggling with diseases. When he suffered from loneliness, he found a solace in devotion. It is also said that the feeling of guilt affected him deeply. During some nights, after Ambalapuzha temple was closed, he conducted 'sayana pradakshinam' around the temple. Sometimes, he went to

Sabarimala The Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple () is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Ayyappan, who is also known as Dharma Shasta and is the son of the deities Shiva and Mohini (female avatar of the god Vishnu). The temple is situated atop th ...

without informing anyone. Mani died on September 20, 1987, at an age of 65, in the Chest Diseases Hospital, Pulayanarkotta,

. He was cremated in his home premises on the next day. His brother-in-law conducted the rituals. The place where he was cremated is now part of railway line. His wife Lalitha outlived him for 30 years, dying on June 14, 2017, aged 77.

Cultural depictions

* T. Sivasubramania Iyer, played by

Mohanlal Mohanlal Viswanathan (; born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor and filmmaker who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Hin ...

Rakthasakshikal Sindabad ''Rakthasaakshikal Sindabad'' ( English: Long live the martyrs) is a 1998 Indian Malayalam-language historical political thriller movie directed by Venu Nagavalli, featuring Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi and Sukanya in the lead roles. The revolt scene ...

(1998).

Historical background

Assassination attempt

Later life

Cultural depictions

References

Further reading