Kumbalathuparambu Ayyappan (21 August 1889 – 6 March 1968), better identified as Sahodaran Ayyappan , was a social reformer, thinker, rationalist,

journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

, and politician from

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 ...

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 ...

. As a vocal follower of Sree Narayana Guru, he was associated with a number of events related to the Kerala reformation movement and was the organizer of ''Misra Bhojanam'' in Cherai in 1917. He founded ''Sahodara Sangam'', and the journal '' Sahodaran'' and was the founder editor of the magazine '' Yukthivadi''.

Biography

K. Ayyappan was born on 21 August 1889, in Cherai, Vypin Island, in

Ernakulam district Ernakulam (; ISO: ''Eṟaṇākuḷaṁ'') is one of the List of districts of Kerala, 14 districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala, and takes its name from the Ernakulam, eponymous city division in Kochi. ...

of the present day south Indian state of

in an aristrocatic Ezhava family of

ayurvedic Ayurveda (; ) is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. It is heavily practised throughout India and Nepal, where as much as 80% of the population report using ayurveda. The theory and practice of ayur ...

physicians to Kumabalathuparambil Kochavu Vaidyar and Unnooli, as the youngest of their nine children. Due to matrilineal inheritance, he is not related more to father and His father died when he was a child and was brought up under the guidance of his elder brother, Achuthan Vaidyar. His early education was in the traditional way and he learnt from local teachers such as Mattapilla Kannu Asan and Kochupilla Asan after which he started the formal education at a local school started by Nediyara Achan Bava. Subsequently, he studied at schools in Pallippuram and

North Paravur North Paravur (; formerly known as Paravur or Parur), is a municipality in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, India. It is located north of the district collectorate in Thrikkakara and about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. N ...

before passing the pre-degree course from Malabar Christian College to join Maharaja's College, Thiruvananthapuram, the present-day

University College In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies f ...

for his under graduate studies. In between, there was a short break in studies due to health issues. During this period, he had the opportunity to interact with

Narayana Guru Sree Narayana Guru () (20 August 1856 – 20 September 1928) was a philosopher, Spiritual Leader, spiritual leader and Social Reformer, social reformer in India. He led a Kerala reformation movement, reform movement against the injustice in t ...

and it was Guru who arranged for Ayyappan's stay in Thiruvananthapuram with the noted poet,

Kumaran Asan Mahakavi Kumaran Asan (12 April 1871 – 16 January 1924) was a poet of Malayalam literature, Indian social reformer and a philosopher. He is known to have initiated a revolution in Malayalam poetry during the first quarter of the 20th century, ...

. After completing his graduate studies in 1916, he returned to his native place to start his career started as a teacher at Rama Varma Union High School, Cherai but he could not carry his social and political life along with the teaching career and he quit the job. Later, he studied law but that was a futile attempt as he failed in the FL examination. Ayyappan was married to Parvathy and the couple had a daughter, Aisha and a son, Sugathan. He died on 6 March 1968, at the age of 78, following a cardiac arrest.

Reform movements

After his

graduation A graduation is the awarding of a diploma by an educational institution. It may also refer to the ceremony that is associated with it, which can also be called Commencement speech, commencement, Congregation (university), congregation, Convocat ...

, he returned to Cherai from

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 ...

in 1917 and founded ''Sahodara Sangham'' (The Brotherhood Association), a platform to launch his fight against the

caste system A caste is a fixed social group into which an individual is born within a particular system of social stratification: a caste system. Within such a system, individuals are expected to marry exclusively within the same caste (endogamy), foll ...

. Under the aegis of this organization, he organized a ''Misra Bhojanan'', a feast where people of all castes sat and dined under one roof, at the house of Ayyappan's nephew, Raman Pillai, on 30 May 1917, a revolutionary venture during those days and the conservative Ezhava community opposed it. Around 200 people including members representing the Pulaya caste, who were considered untouchable attended the feast and the effort earned him the moniker, ''Pulaya Ayyappan'', meant to be derogatory but Ayyappan accepted it as a decoration. The founding of the ''Sahodara Sangham'' also earned him another epithet, ''Sahodaran Ayyappan'', with which he came to be known thereafter. Narayana Guru supported the efforts of Sahodara Sangham through a message sent on 15 May 1921, and in order to propagate his ideals, Ayyappan started a journal, '' Sahodaran'', from

Mattancherry Mattancherry (; Cochin Portuguese Creole: ''Cochim de Cima'' ), is a historic ward of Kochi, Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, follow ...

; the journal continued to be in print until 1956. IN 1929, when M. Ramavarma Thampan,

Mithavaadi Krishnan Changaramkumarath Krishnan Vakkeel was a community leader, banker, social reformer, and journalist from Kerala, India. He was a champion of implementing the revolutionary socialist reforms proposed by Sree Narayana Guru for the upliftment of th ...

, C. V. Kunhiraman, and M. C. Joseph started the '' Yukthivadi'' (The Rationalist), he became the founder editor of the magazine. He modified the famous slogan of Narayana Guru, ''Oru Jaathi Oru Matham Oru Daivam Manushyanu'' (One Caste, One Religion, One God for Mankind) as ''Jati Venda, Matam Venda, Deivam Venda Manushyanu'' (No Caste, No Religion, No God for Mankind).

Political career

In 1928, Ayyappan successfully contested the election to the

Cochin Legislative Council The Cochin Legislative Council was a unicameral legislative body of the Cochin State that functioned from 1925 to 1948 before the merger of Cochin and Travancore to form the Travancore–Cochin state and the Travancore–Cochin Legislative Assem ...

and he retained the seat for the next 21 years. He became a minister in the Cochin Legislative assembly in 1947 and when the state of Travancore and Kochi was united to form Travancore-Cochin state, he continued to serve as a minister, only to resign from the post when the government started dismissing lower level employees as an austerity measure. However, in the next elections in October 1949, the Prajamandalam Party secured majority to form a ministry under the leadership of E. Ikkanda Warrier, he joined the ministry along with Panampilli Govinda Menon and C. A. Ouseph. He also served as a minister under Paravoor T. K. Narayana Pillai but resigned the post when the ministerial responsibilities interfered with his social life.

Literary career

Ayyappan published six books of poetry and an essay compilation, "''Sadhesheeyam'. Besides, he also wrote several articles and editorials which appeared in the publications he was associated with.

Memorials and honours

On 14 February 1996,

Shankar Dayal Sharma Shankar Dayal Sharma (; 19 August 1918 – 26 December 1999) was an Indian lawyer and politician who served as the President of India from 1992 to 1997. Born in Bhopal, Sharma studied at Agra, Allahabad and Lucknow and received a doctorate i ...

, the then president of India, unveiled a statue of Ayyappan in Kochi. The Government of Kerala has set up Sahodaran Ayyappan Memorial at the house where Ayyappan was born which houses Sahodaran Ayyappan Smaraka Library and the Sahodaran Ayyappan museum. Three educational institutions in Kerala bear the name of Ayyappan, viz. Sahodaran Ayyappan Smaraka (SNDP) Yogam College, Konni,

Pathanamthitta district Pathanamthitta District (), is one of the List of districts of Kerala, 14 districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala. The district headquarters is in the town of Pathanamthitta. There are four municipalitie ...

, Sahodaran Memorial High School, Cherai, and the Sahodaran Ayyappan Memorial College of Education, Poothotta. One of the main arterial roads in Kochi has been named after him as Sahodaran Ayyappan Road. An annual award, the ''Sahodaran Media Award'', has been instituted to recognize excellence in journalism.

Popular media

* A documentary film about Sahodaran Ayyappan, part of a series of films on prominent Malayalis, was narrated by M. K. Sanu, who also wrote a biography of him.

Gallery

സഹോദരൻ-അയ്യപ്പൻ-സ്മാരകം-കൊച്ചി.jpg, Statue of Ayyappan in Kochi MishraBhojanaSilpaMathil.jpg, Mural depicting Mishra Bhojanam Mrs.Aysha Ayyappan.jpg, Aisha Gopalakrishnan, Ayyappan's daughter YUKTHIVADI.JPG, Issue of Yukthivadi magazine dated April 4, 1936 Birthplace Of Sahodaran Ayyappan.jpeg, Birthplace Sahodaran Ayyappan Statue Stone.JPG, Statue stone Sahodaran Ayyappan Smaraka Library.jpeg, Sahodaran Ayyappan Smaraka Library

References

External links

*
Kerala.gov.in: Orma Film Festival 2004 - documentary on Ayyappan narrated by M. K. Sanu
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayyappan, Sahodaran Narayana Guru Malayali politicians Politicians from Kochi Indian materialists Indian atheists 1889 births 1968 deaths Indian social reformers Journalists from Kerala Writers from Kochi 20th-century Indian journalists Activists from Kerala 20th-century Indian scholars Scholars from Kochi Malabar Christian College alumni University College Thiruvananthapuram alumni