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(GIST OF YOJANA) K Kelappan: A Dedicated Freedom Fighter and a Stalwart Social Reformer

(AUGUST-2024)

K Kelappan (1889-1971), popularly known as ‘Kerala Gandhi’, was a prominent freedom fighter, Gandhian social activist, parliamentarian, administrator, socialist thinker, educationist, editor, and social reformer. He was a strong proponent of social reform and equality. His indefatigable efforts in the fight for freedom, social reform, and equality left an indelible impact on Kerala’s history and the larger Indian narrative.
He was the first Kerala Satyagrahi to join Mahatma Gandhi’s individual Satyagraha movement. He fought tirelessly for social change on the one hand and against the British on the other. He held numerous positions in the State Congress, including PCC President. He was imprisoned multiple times during the liberation struggle, including the Quit India Movement.
Kelappan was the co-founder and first president of the Nair Sabha, subsequently known as the Nair Service Society(NSS), which was establishedin1914 under the guidance of Mannath Padmanabhan, another well-known social reformer.

Koyapalli Kelappan Nair (K Kelappan) was born on 24 August 1889 in Muchukunnu, a tiny village in Kerala’s Kozhikode district. He studied in Kozhikkode (Calicut) and Chennai (Madras) before graduating from the University of Madras. He developed a strong interest in social work and higher human values during his undergraduate years. He began his career as a teacher at St. Berchman’s High School in Changanassery.
In 1920, he became the principal of a society-run school. After that, he enrolled in law school in Bombay, but when Mahatma Gandhi issued his appeal for a boycott of the British, he discontinued his studies and joined the non-cooperation movement, devoting his life to serving his motherland.
Along with another Gandhian leader, K Kumar, Kelappan became the earliest in Kerala to remove the suffix (Nair) from his name, which implied caste status. He worked tirelessly to eliminate untouchability and empower Harijans, establishing numerous Harijan hostels and schools throughout Kerala.

He was one of the founding directors of Mathrubhumi Daily, which was established as part of the Nationalist Movement in 1923, and later became its editor in 1929 and 1936. During the 1950s, he also worked as an editor for another daily, Samadarshi.
As a journalist, Kelappan used the newspaper and media to raise awareness about social concerns and campaign for change. He amplified the voices of the underprivileged and raised social awareness among the masses through his newspapers. His powerful writing acted as a catalyst for consolidating public opinion and accelerating societal progress.

The Salt Satyagraha, instigated by Gandhi, had its own impact on Kerala. Payyannur, in Malabar, was the main venue for the Satyagraha in the state. When Gandhi declared the Dandi March, the PCC initiated Salt Marches and camps in Malabar under the leadership of Kerala Gandhi, Kelappan.
Many groups of Satyagra his from various regions of the state marched to Payyannur to participate in the Satyagraha. It sparked a sense of solidarity among the general populace throughout Malabar and Travancore-Cochin. It also boosted the public’s quest for opportunity.

Kelappan was a key figure in the renowned Vaikom Satyagraha in 1925 and the Guruvayoor Satyagraha in 1932, both of which demanded temple entry rights for the untouchables.
It was probably the first momentous effort in India to abolish untouchability, demanding temple access for untouchables. The ‘Savarna Jatha’ (demonstration of the upper castes), led by Mannath Padmanabhan, was one of the highlights of the Vaikom Satyagraha.
The struggle lasted nearly 20 months, during which the Satyagra he were arrested and persecuted in various ways. The Satyagra his sought merely that the Avarnas be granted the right of passage along the public passages around temples. Gandhiji arrived at Vaikom in March 1925, held a series of discussions with leaders of various caste groups, and met the Maharani Regent at her Varkala camp.

Kelappan spent several years in prison throughout the freedom struggle. During the Quit India Movement, he was arrested on 9 August 1942, among other important commanders, and remained in jail until 28 June 1945.
After freedom, he played a key role in integrating Malayalam-speaking areas to form a full-fledged state. Kelappan presided over the Aikya (United) Kerala Conference, held at Thrissur in April 1947. Kelappan also served as president of the Malabar District Board, the administrative body for districts in the former Madras Presidency, which was headed by C Rajagopalachari.

Kelappan was a great visionary who initiated a Rural Institute with the support of the Government of India to promote rural development and education in engineering, public health, agriculture, and the humanities. It was established in 1963 and was renamed Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology (KCAET) under the Government of Kerala in 1976. KCAET, the one and only Agricultural Engineering College of Kerala State, is located in Tavanur village on the southern banks of the holy river, Bharathapuzha.
Kelappan never aspired for power or position. His whole life was a saga of selfless service to the nation. He was at the forefront of the Swadeshi Movement and did his best to build up a base of ‘constructive programmes’ of Mahatma Gandhi, including Khadi and Village industries in Kerala till his last days. He passed away on 6 October 1971. In his honour, India Post issued a commemorative stamp in 1990.