It was against this background that social reformers had to act in Kerala. In the absence of any favourable response to the urge for social change from the rulers and the upper castes, Sree Narayana Guru thought that the only possible way for the untouchables to rise up was to effect, first of all, self-purification and secondly to follow the method of persuasion.
Lower castes had to change internally fist before aspiring for external change and social progress. And appealing to the reason and fair judgement of the educated caste Hindus, by and large, was the only possible way of introducing any substantial social reform.
Internal reform within the Ezhava community which was effected on a mass scale with tremendous speed and zeal through the organization of Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (S.N.D.P. Yogam) set the stage ready for them to receive the benefits of external reforms, this example of the S.N.D.P. Yogam was soon followed by Nambudiri Yoga Kshema Sabha and Nayar Service Society, both high caste organizations and Sadhujana Paripalana Sabha of Harijans and organizations of other depressed classes.
Thus, the movement introduced by Sree Narayana Guru, and propagated by Kumaran Asan, Dr. Palpu and T.K. Madhavan; soon spread and its influence like a whirl-wind grew pulling down the dilapidated social fabric. Weaker classes, especially, started feeling the impact of this movement and experiencing the thrill of a new life.
Evidently it was a spiritual and temporal revolution with deeper implications and import that had overtaken Kerala with the coming of Sree Narayana Guru. Modern Kerala is the result of this spiritual and temporal regeneration. The bedlam that was Kerala when Vivekananda visited this land, had changed beyond recognition within a quarter of a century, and untouchability, unseeability and unapproachability became a thing of the past.
Apart from the great social ferment it produced, when we consider this movement from the angle of its influence on the number of men, this had all the elements of a major revolution in recent times. Today caste distinctions and disabilities are less and inter-caste marriages are more in Kerala compared to other provinces where the conventional social reform movements originated. This is because here a fundamental and inner change in mental frame of social classes was effected, whereas, in other places this was not done.
Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Vogam was no more localised, parochial, or isolated than Brahmo Samaj or Arya Samaj and Sree Narayana, the sage, was admittedly superior in mental equipment and spiritual attainments, temporal influence and social acceptance, to Rammohun Roy and Dayananda Saraswathi. Romain Rolland in his book The Life of Ramakrishna refers to the personality of "the Great Guru (Sree Narayana) whose beneficent spiritual activity was exercised for more than forty years in the state of Travancore over some million faithful souls....He preached, if one may say so, a janana of action, a great intellectual religion, having a lively sense of the people, and their social needs.
It has greatly contributed to the uplifting of the oppressed classes in Southern India and its activities have in a measure been allied to those of Gandhi." He again says, "The period of awakening of the masses to a sense of worth and importance is a critical period in the history of a people. It may be either explosive and destructive, or gentle and constructive: but the effect is revolutionary in both cases.
The most serious criticism against a violent revolution is that it rarely achieves its original purpose. The second type is more permanent and far-reaching in its effects." By stressing the unifying power of religion, Sree Narayana Guru led his followers to the consummation of a silent revolution- constructive, permanent and with far-reaching results. About his influence on the masses, Dr. P. Natarajan writes:
"Although out of reach of newspaper-men and propagandists, this silent sage was the recognised spiritual leader of more than tow million people in South India, to whom his word was more imperative than law. Within a period of less than a decade he had established more than one hundred places of worship on the west-coast of India alone, which are day by day growing into centre's of educational, philanthropic and economic activity.
Crowded meetings are held in which his name is the unifying element. His message to the people is the subject of weekly comment on many platforms, and scores of associations have been organised in various parts of South India to spread his ideals.
By the spell of his name, young and old are seen to join hands in a common undertaking, rich and poor are seen to rub shoulders. It can be asserted that he had set in motion a force which is bound to spread into a new impetus for the regeneration of India and the world." The activities of such an eminent leader, as emanating from the personality of a Mahatma, ought to have been made the subject of study on a national level.
There is no gainsaying the fact that the socio-religious movement inaugurated by Sree Narayana Guru was the forerunner of the political awakening in Kerala. The deeper roots of the silent revolution spread themselves into the political consciousness of the people.
The ideals of equality and fraternity that the Guru proclaimed went a long way to make a unified front of all sections of men in Kerala, once the restriction of caste and prejudices of community had ceased to have pernicious effect on the society. The stress he put on education and industry, should be viewed as the foundation of modern society in Kerala.
Even the lowest of the society, the poorest and the most depressed of the classes began, with great enthusiasm, to send their children to school. But educational institutions and employment opportunities were not open to these unfortunate men. The S.N.D.P. Yogam and other organizations of the unprivileged sections, through petitions and persuasions, and at times through great sufferings and protestations, stage by stage, won their right to send their children to schools and to enter government employment.
The Guru advocated purely constitutional methods to gain the end of social justice and economic well-being. He deliberately chose to remain out of political affairs because, he knew for certain, that fighting against social and economic injustices was sufficient ground to produce opposition to political- authority which stood against human dignity and equality. That temporal power, which tried to press down the aspirations of the people to secure freedom, will be, in the end forced to surrender.
But that political 'superior' who habitually sided with the forces working for social equality and abolition of unequal laws, he was prepared to support. It was in this context that he admired the sense of justice of the British "who gave a headgear and coat to the Pariah and allowed him to stand by to serve him food." No Hindu ruler would have permitted the lower caste man to do that. Instead they were not even allowed to walk along the highways or to come to the city limits.
Thus he was in line with the old constitutionalists, who supplicated the British to gain political concessions. These views, coming as it did, from the spiritual mentor, whose sole concern was the uplift of the millions who looked to him for advice, guidance, and protection, was in strict conformity with the conservative stand adopted by the early nationalists patriotism was not at stake when loyalty to the British was proclaimed because they were better and more enlightened rulers than the Indian princes who took pleasure in inflicting humiliation on lower castes and bestowing favours on Brahmins.
Sree Narayana Guru's ideas corresponded with those of the early nationalists in a strange manner. For instance, Sir C. Sankaran Nair, President of the thirteenth session of the Indian National Congress held at Amraoti said what the Guru used to say: "To break down the isolation of the Hindu religion, to remove the barriers which now prevent free social intercourse and unity of action, to extend the blessings of education to the lower classes, to improve the position of women to one of equality to men, we require a secular Government.
Great as is the necessity of British rule for the political emancipation of our country, even greater is the necessity for social and religious reform". But it must be remembered that Indian National Congress in its early days, was not interested in social reforms; it believed that political emancipation, not social freedom, was the need of the hour.
As Dadabhai Naoroji said, "It has been asserted that this Congress ought to take up questions of social reforms and our failure to do so have been urged as a reproach against us. Certainly no member of this National Congress is more alive to the necessity of social reforms than I am; but, gentlemen, for everything there are proper times, proper circumstances, proper parties and proper places; we are met together as a political body to represent to our rulers our political aspiration, not to discuss social reforms. A National Congress must confine itself to questions in which the entire nation has a direct participation and it must leave the adjustment of social reforms and other class questions to class Congresses."
This clearly indicates that the Congress left the people to work out their own salvation on the social front. The aim and method of Congress registered a definite change only after the advent of Gandhiji who gave a clear-cut social programme for Congress. Sree Narayana Guru was concentrating on this social and religious reform and if he did not commit himself to the political emancipation of the country, it was because he believed that, the wind of change will overtake the British also and that they would do justice to India by leaving the country in the hands of Indians in right time.
In short, what Sree Narayana wanted was a root and branch reform in the society a constructive but silent revolution, a growth both in body and mind. This movement, therefore, partook the character of revival, reform and revolution. A total change for the good of all, nor only of one section but of all people, was envisaged in his programme. Even before Gandhiji advanced the concept of daridra narayana, Sree Narayana was taking Harijans with him and dining with them and giving them spiritual solace by admitting them to the temples he consecrated for the untouchables.
That means he did not live exclusively for one class or caste. He was the spiritual leader of Kerala, not of Tiyas, but of all communities. The teachings of the Guru are meant for Hindus, not only of Kerala but of India as a whole. All that he wrote, all that he taught were for the mankind as a whole. This truth is stated more vividly when he proclaimed the essential unity of all religions: "whichever the religion, it suffices, it if makes a better man". His kindly concern for the universal welfare had been well expressed in terms most illuminative of his vedantic philosophy.
The Guru was seeking ways to better man's relations with his fellows, and endeavouring to raise him to a truly higher status as Man by the realization of the oneness of all castes, creeds and the gods.
by : J Ravi
http://www.preservearticles.com/201110191
Lower castes had to change internally fist before aspiring for external change and social progress. And appealing to the reason and fair judgement of the educated caste Hindus, by and large, was the only possible way of introducing any substantial social reform.
Internal reform within the Ezhava community which was effected on a mass scale with tremendous speed and zeal through the organization of Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (S.N.D.P. Yogam) set the stage ready for them to receive the benefits of external reforms, this example of the S.N.D.P. Yogam was soon followed by Nambudiri Yoga Kshema Sabha and Nayar Service Society, both high caste organizations and Sadhujana Paripalana Sabha of Harijans and organizations of other depressed classes.
Thus, the movement introduced by Sree Narayana Guru, and propagated by Kumaran Asan, Dr. Palpu and T.K. Madhavan; soon spread and its influence like a whirl-wind grew pulling down the dilapidated social fabric. Weaker classes, especially, started feeling the impact of this movement and experiencing the thrill of a new life.
Evidently it was a spiritual and temporal revolution with deeper implications and import that had overtaken Kerala with the coming of Sree Narayana Guru. Modern Kerala is the result of this spiritual and temporal regeneration. The bedlam that was Kerala when Vivekananda visited this land, had changed beyond recognition within a quarter of a century, and untouchability, unseeability and unapproachability became a thing of the past.
Apart from the great social ferment it produced, when we consider this movement from the angle of its influence on the number of men, this had all the elements of a major revolution in recent times. Today caste distinctions and disabilities are less and inter-caste marriages are more in Kerala compared to other provinces where the conventional social reform movements originated. This is because here a fundamental and inner change in mental frame of social classes was effected, whereas, in other places this was not done.
Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Vogam was no more localised, parochial, or isolated than Brahmo Samaj or Arya Samaj and Sree Narayana, the sage, was admittedly superior in mental equipment and spiritual attainments, temporal influence and social acceptance, to Rammohun Roy and Dayananda Saraswathi. Romain Rolland in his book The Life of Ramakrishna refers to the personality of "the Great Guru (Sree Narayana) whose beneficent spiritual activity was exercised for more than forty years in the state of Travancore over some million faithful souls....He preached, if one may say so, a janana of action, a great intellectual religion, having a lively sense of the people, and their social needs.
It has greatly contributed to the uplifting of the oppressed classes in Southern India and its activities have in a measure been allied to those of Gandhi." He again says, "The period of awakening of the masses to a sense of worth and importance is a critical period in the history of a people. It may be either explosive and destructive, or gentle and constructive: but the effect is revolutionary in both cases.
The most serious criticism against a violent revolution is that it rarely achieves its original purpose. The second type is more permanent and far-reaching in its effects." By stressing the unifying power of religion, Sree Narayana Guru led his followers to the consummation of a silent revolution- constructive, permanent and with far-reaching results. About his influence on the masses, Dr. P. Natarajan writes:
"Although out of reach of newspaper-men and propagandists, this silent sage was the recognised spiritual leader of more than tow million people in South India, to whom his word was more imperative than law. Within a period of less than a decade he had established more than one hundred places of worship on the west-coast of India alone, which are day by day growing into centre's of educational, philanthropic and economic activity.
Crowded meetings are held in which his name is the unifying element. His message to the people is the subject of weekly comment on many platforms, and scores of associations have been organised in various parts of South India to spread his ideals.
By the spell of his name, young and old are seen to join hands in a common undertaking, rich and poor are seen to rub shoulders. It can be asserted that he had set in motion a force which is bound to spread into a new impetus for the regeneration of India and the world." The activities of such an eminent leader, as emanating from the personality of a Mahatma, ought to have been made the subject of study on a national level.
There is no gainsaying the fact that the socio-religious movement inaugurated by Sree Narayana Guru was the forerunner of the political awakening in Kerala. The deeper roots of the silent revolution spread themselves into the political consciousness of the people.
The ideals of equality and fraternity that the Guru proclaimed went a long way to make a unified front of all sections of men in Kerala, once the restriction of caste and prejudices of community had ceased to have pernicious effect on the society. The stress he put on education and industry, should be viewed as the foundation of modern society in Kerala.
Even the lowest of the society, the poorest and the most depressed of the classes began, with great enthusiasm, to send their children to school. But educational institutions and employment opportunities were not open to these unfortunate men. The S.N.D.P. Yogam and other organizations of the unprivileged sections, through petitions and persuasions, and at times through great sufferings and protestations, stage by stage, won their right to send their children to schools and to enter government employment.
The Guru advocated purely constitutional methods to gain the end of social justice and economic well-being. He deliberately chose to remain out of political affairs because, he knew for certain, that fighting against social and economic injustices was sufficient ground to produce opposition to political- authority which stood against human dignity and equality. That temporal power, which tried to press down the aspirations of the people to secure freedom, will be, in the end forced to surrender.
But that political 'superior' who habitually sided with the forces working for social equality and abolition of unequal laws, he was prepared to support. It was in this context that he admired the sense of justice of the British "who gave a headgear and coat to the Pariah and allowed him to stand by to serve him food." No Hindu ruler would have permitted the lower caste man to do that. Instead they were not even allowed to walk along the highways or to come to the city limits.
Thus he was in line with the old constitutionalists, who supplicated the British to gain political concessions. These views, coming as it did, from the spiritual mentor, whose sole concern was the uplift of the millions who looked to him for advice, guidance, and protection, was in strict conformity with the conservative stand adopted by the early nationalists patriotism was not at stake when loyalty to the British was proclaimed because they were better and more enlightened rulers than the Indian princes who took pleasure in inflicting humiliation on lower castes and bestowing favours on Brahmins.
Sree Narayana Guru's ideas corresponded with those of the early nationalists in a strange manner. For instance, Sir C. Sankaran Nair, President of the thirteenth session of the Indian National Congress held at Amraoti said what the Guru used to say: "To break down the isolation of the Hindu religion, to remove the barriers which now prevent free social intercourse and unity of action, to extend the blessings of education to the lower classes, to improve the position of women to one of equality to men, we require a secular Government.
Great as is the necessity of British rule for the political emancipation of our country, even greater is the necessity for social and religious reform". But it must be remembered that Indian National Congress in its early days, was not interested in social reforms; it believed that political emancipation, not social freedom, was the need of the hour.
As Dadabhai Naoroji said, "It has been asserted that this Congress ought to take up questions of social reforms and our failure to do so have been urged as a reproach against us. Certainly no member of this National Congress is more alive to the necessity of social reforms than I am; but, gentlemen, for everything there are proper times, proper circumstances, proper parties and proper places; we are met together as a political body to represent to our rulers our political aspiration, not to discuss social reforms. A National Congress must confine itself to questions in which the entire nation has a direct participation and it must leave the adjustment of social reforms and other class questions to class Congresses."
This clearly indicates that the Congress left the people to work out their own salvation on the social front. The aim and method of Congress registered a definite change only after the advent of Gandhiji who gave a clear-cut social programme for Congress. Sree Narayana Guru was concentrating on this social and religious reform and if he did not commit himself to the political emancipation of the country, it was because he believed that, the wind of change will overtake the British also and that they would do justice to India by leaving the country in the hands of Indians in right time.
In short, what Sree Narayana wanted was a root and branch reform in the society a constructive but silent revolution, a growth both in body and mind. This movement, therefore, partook the character of revival, reform and revolution. A total change for the good of all, nor only of one section but of all people, was envisaged in his programme. Even before Gandhiji advanced the concept of daridra narayana, Sree Narayana was taking Harijans with him and dining with them and giving them spiritual solace by admitting them to the temples he consecrated for the untouchables.
That means he did not live exclusively for one class or caste. He was the spiritual leader of Kerala, not of Tiyas, but of all communities. The teachings of the Guru are meant for Hindus, not only of Kerala but of India as a whole. All that he wrote, all that he taught were for the mankind as a whole. This truth is stated more vividly when he proclaimed the essential unity of all religions: "whichever the religion, it suffices, it if makes a better man". His kindly concern for the universal welfare had been well expressed in terms most illuminative of his vedantic philosophy.
The Guru was seeking ways to better man's relations with his fellows, and endeavouring to raise him to a truly higher status as Man by the realization of the oneness of all castes, creeds and the gods.
by : J Ravi
http://www.preservearticles.com/201110191
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