Each community represented here chooses to maintain its identity – Illathu Pillaimars, the Billavas, the Idigas, the Ezhavas, the Thiyyas, the Nayaks.
We have, for example the SNDP, the Sree Narayana Mission etc. The overwhelming membership of these bodies come from all these communities and yet they want to maintain their identity.
However, we differ from them. All delegates here,came as members of a single community. Secondly, all of us acknowledge the towering inspiration of Sri Narayana Guru. For him language was no limitation.
Based on his scholarship of Malayalam and Sanskrit, he soon mastered Tamil. He travelled over Tamil Nadu, Dakshin Karna- taka and Sri Lanka, and today we have the Billavas and Idigas naming their educational and socio-cultural institutions after the Guru.
So, our second bond is we all accept the spiritual leadership of the Guru.
Respect Ancestors: Our ancestors were not only toddy-tappers, but they were also the great scholars, the Ayurvedic physicians, eminent astrologers, noted exponents of martial arts like Kalari Payattu, weavers of the finest of cloth. But even with this flowering knowledge and culture, the bulk of our fellow members were severely deprived and relegated to the lowest strata of society condemned with contempt as tappers.
When we conceived the Southern Federation we acknowledge (i) our sense of pride in owning up our community names, (ii) our allegiance to the guru and (iii) awareness, and a sense of pride in our ancestors, who were tappers.
4-crore population: Our combined population in South India is about 4 crores. Even then, we are so fragmented, splintered and our strength lost in petty local bickerings.
After the passing away of the Guru, Maha Kavi Kumaran Asan, T.K. Madhavan, C. Kunhiraman and Dr. Palpu, we threw up just one C. Keshavan, and years later one R. Shankar as leaders of national Soon he too was relegated to the background, defeated and destroyed by our own stature. Community.
What is the reason for this? This is a task for historians and sociologists. I speak as a management specialist. I feel we must jointly bear the responsibility for this failure to throw up a leader who can speak for us.
Role of Kamaraj Nadar: Kamaraj Nadar was born in a poor family and had little schooling. But he was a man of the masses. The community nutured him, stood by him. He became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and later president of the Congress Party.
Today, the Nadars of TN are one of the most powerful communities of this state, with a firm grip in industry, commerce, education and in every aspect of its social life. And they are organised solidly as one distinct community in TN, supported by a number of powerful institutions.
We have R. Chittaranjan Das of the Illathu Pillaimars, Damodar Suvarna of the Billavas (Mangalore), Advocate Guruve Gowda of the Idigas Bangalore (Chief Minister Bangarappa of Karnataka is an Idiga).
If R. Chittaranjan Das wants to start a medical college in Kanyakumari, we must all work with him to make his task a success. So also with every existing educational institution.
