STATE AND SOCIETY IN KERALA STUDY MATERIAL FOURTH SEMESTER CORE COURSE : POL4C12 For M.A.POLITICAL SCIENCE (2019 ADMISSION ONWARDS) UNIVERSITY OF CALICUT SCHOOL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION Calicut University P.O, Malappuram, Kerala, India 673 635 School of Distance Education UNIVERSITY OF CALICUT SCHOOL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION STUDY MATERIAL FOURTH SEMESTER MA POLITICAL SCIENCE (2019 ADMISSION ONWARDS) CORE COURSE : POL4C12 : STATE AND SOCIETY IN KERALA Prepared by : Dr. Sunil Kumar, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Political Science, SKVC, Thrissur. State and Society in Kerala Page 2 School of Distance Education CONTENTS Module Title Page No. I SOCIAL AND DEMOCRATIC BASIS OF KERALA SOCIETY 1 - 23 II THE DEMOCRATIC PHASE 24 – 54 III GRASS ROOT LEVEL DEMOCRACY 55 – 75 IV PROBLEMS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH 76 – 96 NEW SOCIAL MOVEMENTS: DALIT, OBC, WOMEN V 97 116 EMPOWERMENT – State and Society in Kerala Page 3 School of Distance Education State and Society in Kerala Page 4 School of Distance Education MODULE I SOCIAL AND DEMOCRATIC BASIS OF KERALA SOCIETY Kerala’s Caste-Class Structure in the pre-Independence Period The social class structure in Kerala is very broad in pre-independence period. Kerala is emerged and flourished under the Hindu Brahman religion. The process of formation of Kerala culture as a regionalized community of culture also was parallel to those that evolved politically and linguistically in almost all other parts of India. In Kerala, caste ranking places the Nambudiri at the peak of the ritual hierarchy who hold a command ritual status. The most important caste ranking below the Nambudiri is the Nayar, the traditional warrior. The Nairs are a prosperous landowning community. Below the Nairs are ranked the traditional service castes, which are numerically insignificant and the traditional toddy-tapper, the Ezhava, or Tiyyar in Malabar, are the highest of the polluting castes. Below the Ezhavas are the Scheduled Castes. Each of these castes in the ritual hierarchy is in turn sub-divided into a number of smaller endogamous sub castes. Each sub-caste is, within the position of the larger caste unit, ranked hierarchically. Kerala society crystallized into two major caste-based categories, the caste Hindus or 'Savarnas’ and the non-caste Hindus or 'Avarnas’. The caste and sub-castes were arranged in a hierarchical order from the highest and the most sacred to the lowest and the least worthy. The varna system was existed in Kerala even if it was not in the same pattern which was prevalent in all other Indian village societies. If we go through careful definitions of caste and class, caste is a most rigid form of class, and class is a more fluid form of caste. In India, castes are ancient family lines arranged in a hierarchical order, a dominant caste at the top, outcastes at the bottom, and other castes in hierarchical order in between. Those in the lower castes suffer endless social and economic disabilities while the higher castes are endowed with extensive social and economic privileges. The caste hierarchy and related atrocities are very much part of Kerala society. The travelled who visited Kerala were appalled by the sight of practice of the caste system. According to the statement made by Swami Vivekananda, who visited Kerala in the early 20th century, summaries all the other observations. “In Malabar” writes Vivekananda, “the lower caste was not allowed to walk on the same road which is used by the upper caste. But if he becomes a Muslim or Christian he can go move anywhere. This is happening in a country ruled by a Hindu Raja. This is quite ridiculous”. In the words of T. K. Madhavan, one of the reformist leaders who fought against the caste hierarchy and caste atrocities remembers his childhood thus, “When I go to the school I see many Nair men and women. My first memory of childhood is that of giving way for them. I used to go away from the path just be on safe side as I was afraid that Nairs will beat me up if I violate the system”. The text like Kerala Mahatmyam and Keralolpatti attribute the genesis of Kerala to Parasurama, sixth incarnation of Vishnu, who said to exterminated 21 generation of the Kshtriyas. The texts claim that as repentance to the human slaughter Parasurama decided to give some land grants to the Brahmins but as belong to the priestly caste himself he did not posses any land. Parasurama then claimed a new land by throwing axe [parasu] across the sea. The land emerged thus, Kerala, was given as dana [alms] to the Brahmins. Both these text seem to be serving the purpose of glorify the caste system. Interestingly, Kerala Mahatmyam and Keralolpatti pretend to be a historical document where the myths and legends play more crucial State and Society in Kerala Page 5 School of Distance Education role rather than historical facts, yet incongruous facts. According to Kerala Mahatmyam, Parasurama made Kerala for the Brahmins and the lower caste people were brought into serve them. Thereby, Keralolpatti justifies the land ownership of Brahmins in a way similar to the Divine Right theory of European monarchy. In the Keralolpatti also said Parasurama, created the land of Kerala for Brahmans. The gift, made with flower and water for their enjoyment is called the janmam. Parasurama then sent Sudras from various countries and settled them in the land as the Adiyans and Kudiyans as tenants for serving Brahmans. The Brahmins migrated to Kerala seem to have done a similar process of destruction and regeneration in the Kerala society. In this process they were assisted by the dominant class of Kerala existed at that time. While the Brahmins enter the scene, the Nairs did align with the Brahmins against the others in Kerala. The result of this struggle is the stratification of the society into savarnas and avarnas where the savarnas divided the land between them leaving the avarnas as landless workers. Unlike the British who believed in power through controlling the ruling class, Brahmins concentrated on the land acquisition and through it indirectly controlling the society. Again, the arguments of EMS regarding the issue regarding the arrival of Brahmins and their dominance on the land through the establishment of Jamni system appear to be the most acceptable. The acceptance in the society achieved by the Brahmins after they reached through the establishment of brahmanical system of worship and probable alliance with ruling class got further strengthened and structured. Moreover they also might have tried to restructure the society with Brahmin as the head of the social structure. Thus, the dominance of brahmanical system and the dominance of Brahmins over the land rights of Kerala were came into existence. The increase of land tax also prompted the farmers to give away the land to Devasvam and Brahmasvam. By 12th century it can observe that most of the land was either under the Temples, Brahmins or Naduvazhis or local rulers. The rise of Brahmins achieved the land ownership in the majority of Kerala. The feudal system in Kerala can be called as Janmi- Naduvazhi- Medhavitvam or the domination of the upper castes, the janmis and the local chieftains got established in this period. Brahmins was already started acquiring the land through the route of Devasvam to Brahmasvam transferring of lands. The Devasvam lands were primarily given to the temples which was obviously enjoyed by the Brahmins. However, by the coming of Christianity especially in Tiruvitankur most of the castes preferred to convert to Christianity which offered them better economical, social and pedagogical opportunities. The caste system in Kerala followed certain customs to retain the social structure. The system of caste hierarchy aimed at the division of the society and created its own devices of segregation, namely endogamy, laws of inheritance, the laws of sharing the food and the most potent and worst of all, the untouchability. The word for untouchability in Malayalam language is ayittam and Tindal. Ayittam probably came from the Sanskrit word ‘asuddha’ meaning ‘impure’, stands for the whole system of caste hierarchy and segregation based on the purity. The word Tindal originated from the Malayalam word todu, meaning touch. Even now visiting the Kerala temples one can get a glimpse of the Tindal when the santhi gives you the prasadam or offering, he drops it into the receiver’s hand leaving the distance of at least one feet between the devotee and himself. Here he is keeping the distance of Tindal. State and Society in Kerala Page 6 School of Distance Education Thereby, the class system in Kerala was based on the social position but not economic status. The social stratification is on by birth which is known as caste. Socio-Economic Conditions of Kerala During the colonial period, Kerala was divided into three areas; Travancore and Cochin were princely states while Malabar was part of the Madras Presidency under colonial rule. The caste system created a hierarchical order and divided society into a number of groups based upon ascription within which mobility was impossible. The status of the individual in society was determined by the norms of caste. In the traditional hierarchy the 'Malayalee Brahmin' known as Namboodiri occupied a foremost place in the social system. Nairs also had a high status in the social structure.Namboodiris and Nairs constituted the major land owning groups of pre-colonial and early colonial Kerala. As a result a rigid and feudal order existed, marked with caste atrocities and several institutional mechanisms were codified and established. The upper castes controlled the major portion of the land. During the British era, the Janmis (landlords) became more powerful, as the Britishers' wanted their active support and co-operation in sustaining their own authority.