K. Kumar

K. Kumar (1893–1973) was an orator, reformer and writer of the Indian pre-independence era. He was one of the earliest socio-political leaders to have brought Gandhi's message and the spirit of the national movement to the erstwhile Travancore State. A gifted translator, he traveled with Gandhi during his Kerala tours, interpreting his English speeches in Malayalam. (Also known as: Travancore Kumar, Elanthur Kumarji; Kuzhikala Kumar)

Early life

‘Kumaru’ or ‘Kumar’ for short, is K. Kumar's given name (first name). ‘K’ stands for ‘Krishnan Nair’, his maternal uncle. Matrilineality was a tradition of Kerala and it was customary to attach the name of the maternal uncle to a child's first name as 'patronymic'. Kumarji was the eldest son of a traditional Nair family (the Kaduvinal-Thazhayamannil Tharavad). His father, Shri K. Padmanabhan Nair, was a powerful social figure who also was a "Parvathyakar" of great standing under the Princely State of Travancore. A close friend of the High-court-judge-turned veteran freedom-activist Changanassery Parameswaran Pillai (1877–1940), and teacher-turned advocates and judges Sankaravelil Parameswaran Pillai and Vaikom Narayana Pillai, he shared a balanced outlook on the socio-political realities surrounding the British-driven Princely State. His mother was Kunju Pennamma. Friends and colleagues close to ‘Kumaru’ called him ‘Kumar’, ‘Kumarji’ or later on ‘Bapu’. Many early references to him may appear simply as "Kumar" or "Kumarji".

It is said that young Kumar used to come home with children of Harijan workers, give them a bath outside the house and feed them in the family kitchen. This was against all norms and social traditions! Those were days when caste and rank based discrimination was still at its zenith and the practice of 'Theendal'(untouchability) was upheld openly as a social virtue. Kumar's egalitarian outlook while still a boy, had a transforming influence on his tradition-bound mother. She soon took upon herself the job of feeding the children brought home by her son. However, she insisted that her son himself had a bath in the pond in front and changed into a fresh pair of clothes before entering home.…. It seems that the family's scholarly tradition also had an influence on the noble lady to change her outlook on the down-trodden.

Kumar had his early education at Paravoor English School and Mannar Nair Society High School in Quilon District in Kerala. He, then, moved on to Madurai American College[3] for intermediate education and later, to Madras Presidency College for higher studies. He was a bright student and was among the earliest in the State to have received University Education. Patriotism and Gandhi's call for non-co-operation [4][5] took the better of him during the days and he began plunging himself into Gandhian work for 'social reconstruction'.

Beginnings of Sociopolitical Involvement

K. Kumar became a member of the Indian National Congress in 1912. INC had only limited members in those days. Inspired by Gandhiji, he later left higher studies at Presidency College and served the Congress from Trivandrum as one of its very few full-time workers of Kerala. He lived in Trivandrum in those days. V. Achutha Menon, was another veteran who also was into full-time Congress work. (Like Kumarji, Achutha Menon also has been forgotten by people and historians). Kumarji's 'speeches made waves among both the intelligentsia and the laymen of the State' Dr. G. Ramachandran[6][7], former Chairman of [8]Khadi Commission and Founder Vice-Chancellor of Gandhigram Rural University says: "In this area of agitation for political freedom, there hardly was another voice more eloquent and moving than that of Kumarji. I looked upon him as an elder brother in politics and constructive work." Former Minister K.A. Damodara Menon [9][10] speaks of his trans-formative, early days when he used to go to the "Puthrikkandam Maithanam" (the Putharikkandam Ground in Trivandrum) to listen to the speeches of K.Kumar and Paliath Kunjunni Achan. "There hardly was a political meeting in Trivandrum" in those days "without Kumarji being the star speaker".

During the twenties, Kumarji revived the ‘Swadeshabhimani’(the news-paper founded by Vakkom Moulavi and run/ edited until 1910 by the deported Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai), as part of his effort to invigorate the political scene and set the tone for the national movement in Kerala. He also became the Editor-in-Chief of the paper after Ramakrishna Pillai. This was a daring move which nearly froze the government. However, the government wisely chose not to react or retaliate immediately. K. Narayana Kurukkal (author of the novels "Parappuram" and "Udayabhanu")and Barrister A.K. Pillai helped Kumar in his efforts. Kurukkal was a colleague and friend of Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai. Besides Narayana Kurukkal, R. Narayana Panikker, renowned political critic Raman Menon, Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai's wife B. Kalyani Amma [11] and other prominent writers, contributed articles to the paper on a regular basis. Kumar also used to write editorials and articles. Writer and Rabindranath Tagore's disciple K.C. Pillai, who was a student at that time ^{°(See Note 1)}, K. Narayana Kurukkal and Barrister A.K. Pillai ^{°(See Note 2)} used to help Kumar to edit the paper which was headquartered at the present DPI Office (Office of the Director of Public Instruction, Government of Kerala) in Thycaud, Trivandrum. The paper was run on the lines of "Modern Review" published from Calcutta by Ramananda Chatterjee and used to carry weighty articles besides regular editorials written by Kumar himself. K.C Pillai^{°(See Note 1)} opines that "Swadeshabhimani" remained a publication of the highest standards so long as it was under the leadership of Kumar. It appears that the editorship of ‘Swadeshabhimani’ got passed on to A.K. Pillai by 1932. K.Kumar had an important role in at least two other influential nationalist papers of the era – the ‘Swarat’ run by A.K. Pillai^{°(See Note 2)} himself and the ‘Mahatma’ run by the Amsi brothers. Swadeshabhimani Ramkrishna Pillai's work had a serious impact on Kumarji. He thus chose Cannanore as one of his chief venues for breaking the Salt Law and became instrumental in erecting the statue of Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai in the capital city of Trivandrum.

Into the thick of Freedom Struggle

During the thick of the freedom struggle, Kumarji was the President of the Travancore Congress Committee and was also in charge of Gandhiji's Travacore tour more than once. He served on the AICC and on the working committee of the TC-PCC/ KPCC heading its Constructive Work Committee during crucial years of the freedom movement. Besides Mahatma Gandhi, Kumarji had close ties with Rajaji, Pandit Nehru, C.R.Das and other prominent leaders. Late Shri Kurur Neelakanthan Nampoothiripadu (Ex MLA and veteran Gandhian) observes: "Kumarji was one of the most strenuous of our freedom fighters who took active part in practically all agitation for Indian freedom"[12]. Most notable of these were the leadership of the Salt Satyagraha (in Kozhikode, Cannanore and Tellicherry), the foreign cloth boycott and picketing at Alleppey and other areas and the prominent role he played in the Temple Entry Movement, the Vaikom Satyagraha, the Nagpur Flag Satyagrha" [13] and other significant social unity moves. These earned him at least 21 months of imprisonment with 9 months rigorous imprisonment. -. The year-long agitation at Alleppey and Trivandrum brought about mass conversions to the Gandhian ideology and Khadi. His leadership of the Swadeshi Movement and Foreign Cloth Boycott at Alleppey also inspired many prominent, educated women to come to the forefront and offer mighty support of the national movement. The role of the wife of the last Diwan of Travancore P.G.L Unnithan, wife of Swadeshabhimani T.K. Madhavan, the daughter of P.G Govida Pillai (Government Pleader) and M. Karthyayani Amma deserve special mention.

Khadi, Harijan Welfare, Sarvodaya & Communal Harmony

By thirties, Kumarji turned all his attention to Harijan Welfare, Sarvodaya, Education and Khadi. He toured the state delivering lectures and establishing scores of schools (said to be 96 to 110) including Harijan and Sarvodaya Schools. A few of these survived into the sixties and early seventies. In course of time, he passed on the management of most of these institutions to the Head teacher or an educated member of the depressed class. He also continued to undertake promotion of Khadi as a life-mission. Gandhian Dr. G. Ramachandran, the former Chairman of the Khadi Commission is emphatic when he says: "His (Kumarji's) double passion consisted of Khadi and prohibition... In fact Kumarji was Khadi and Khadi was Kumarji.. To him must belong more than anyone else in Travancore, the irresistible appeal of Khadi that came into the lives of thousands of our people"…. He reminisces that along with Kumar, he went hacking Khadar from house to house in Trivandrum.

Fading Into Oblivion

Though measures taken in the late twenties did not prove useful enough to unite all communities as he had dreamed, K. Kumar renewed his efforts for communal harmony. With K. Kelappan, K. Kumar had already become the first to remove the suffix to his name that suggested caste status. In course of time, Kumar became "a potent anti-communal force trusted by every community". However, political bigotry and manipulative tactics (during elections in Travancore after independence) dealt a ruthless blow to the secular sentiments of Travancore, painstakingly built up over the years and rendered Kumarji a victim of his ideological steadfastness. He contested the historic election against T.M. Varghese as an independent candidate wedded to ideology and lost by a narrow margin in an election that played the communal card powered with big money. Independent India failed to recognize him and utilize his exceptional qualities, but he continued to guide and mold a good number of public men and political leaders. Besides, he became active in local development work on a massive scale. He was also able to exert a transforming influence on the people through movements like "Community Feasts", "Thoppippala Agitataion", the Akhila Thiruvithamkoor Parayar Mahasabha and Kuravar Maha Sabha[14] that he took initiative in founding. Today, Kumarji stands almost forgotten! Even the fragment of the blood–stained cotton garland Gandhi wore at the time of death which was specially reached to Kumarji as a token of his bond with the Mahatma, seems untraceable now!. The many references that History text books had of him, have been removed over time as he faded into oblivion. And who knows that long before the temple entry proclamation, Elanthur, Kumarji's birthplace had a temple opened to the untouchables to worship!!

Notes

1. K.C. Pillai: Disciple of Rabindranath Tagore, writer and translator (transliterator) of Tagore's works into Malayalam. He was also owner of The Trivandrum Hotel (founded in 1934) in Statue (Trivandrum) which hosted several significant political and social gatherings during the freedom movement. Several of KC Pillai's books were published by DC Books. They may also be available at: www.sbcollege.org/library/authcat.php?idauth=K%20C%20Pillai

2. A.K Pillai: Barrister AK Pillai, left his higher studies at Oxford University around 1920 and joined the Indian National Movement. Besides involving in social and political work on a massive scale, he helped K. Kumar to sub-edit the revived "Swadeshabhimani" and himself started the "Swarat" (Swarad) newspaper with the support of K. Kumar to promote the spirit of the national movement. (Ref: Articles of G. Ramachandran and K.C. Pillai in Kumarji Smaraka Grantham; Other sources including :http://www.kamat.com/database/biographies/a_k_pillai.htm)

3. The empathy for the underprivileged must have driven K. Kumar to dedicate much of his time for Harijan service, Harijan Education, development of Harijan organizations and the establishment of a unique Harijan Rehabilitation Colony in Elanthoor. The colony's life was built around programs for social refinement and economic self-sustainability. It had proximity to a very special school which he founded to educate kids during the day and the laboring classes after sun-down. This unique concept in schooling had a running water system energized by rural technology. It also ran centres of production for goods of regular consumption like match-boxes, soap and candle. These products could bring in supplementary income to the needy learners. It added a thoughtful dimension to the need for "vocationalising" education***. A special parliamentary delegation is understood to have visited Elanthoor to study these developmental experiments. The delegation published a paper or a report titled "Look at Elanthoor", praising and recommending the work as highly worth replication. The remains of the said school are still visible in Elanthoor close to the Harijan Colony. This most noted colony of the past began deteriorating into an absolutely unenviable state even towards the last days of Kumarji. (***Secondary Note: In the late sixties and early seventies, this school-building housed a part of the century-old Government High School nearby. After the government school shifted, seemingly in the early seventies, local people started usurping the remaining land and the property)

4. During the visit of the Prince of Wales, mass protests and "hartals" were organised in all major towns of Travancore. Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha and other towns extended unprecedented support. One of the chief activists taken into custody by the government in this case was K. Kumar. He was awarded one year of imprisonment in the connection. Ref: