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.
COMMUNICATION
Ezhava leaders say Ezhavas are not Hindus
V. PRABHAKARAN, KALLIKAD, PALGHAT, KERALA – 678 015
I have found an old Malayalam book, published in early 1930’s titled , Thiyyarude Abhivridhi Margangal (Steps to Liberate Thiyyas), written by a group of famous Thiyya (Ezhavas) leaders of Malabar, Kerala.
The writers include Arayam Parambil Govindan, Kotra Krishnan who were highly respected Thiyya leaders.
The thesis of the book is that the Thiyyas (Ezhavas) were never Hindus but Untouchables.
The book suggests steps to fight the brahminical social order of which the Thiyyas were one of the worst victims despite being the single largest community of Kerala. It advocates that since the Thiyyas are not Hindus they must establish and maintain their separate identity – religious, cultural, social and political. And this is what Sri Narayana Guru did.
Thiyyas were Buddhists: Another important disclosure made in the book is that Ezhavas were originally Buddhists and hence they must take over to Buddhism which is the only way to fight brahminism.
It is a small book of 65 pages and its reprint is very urgent. The book will be sold like hot cakes and will serve a very important purpose as the Ezhavas and Thiyyas have to be rescued from the clutches of both RSS and “marxists”.
Will some Ezhava (Thiyya) community leader come forward to reprint the book?
