Pandit Karuppan
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Pandit K.P. Karuppan | |
---|---|
social reformer |
Pandit Karuppan was a poet, dramatist, and
Pandit Karuppan emerged from Ernakulam of
Early life
K.P. Karuppan (Kandathiparambil Paapu Karuppan) was born on 24 May 1885, at
The
Karuppan's
Karuppan studied Sanskrit
Adult life
Karuppan's famous work Jathikummi, which criticised the prevailing caste system, was written in 1904 during the period of his study at
Teaching career
Karuppan's talents in Sanskrit came to the notice of Rajarshi Ramavarma Raja, the
When Pandit Karuppan was appointed Sanskrit Teacher in the Caste Girls' High School at Ernakulam in 1912— a special institution exclusively for upper caste girls— there was vehement protest from upper-caste Hindus against his posting, and they were reluctant to send their girls to study under a low caste man. The Maharaja of Cochin over-ruled them and warned that girls unwilling to study under Karuppan would be sent out from the school, ending the protests. After leaving the staff of Caste Girls' High School, he joined the Victoria Girls' High School, Thrissur in 1918. Subsequently, he was posted at the Teacher Training School there. In 1921, he was again appointed to the Girls' High School, Ernakulam, which had by then dropped "Caste" from its name.
Legislative Council
During his second tenure at Girls' High School, in August 1925, he was nominated as a member of the Cochin Legislative Council to represent the hitherto disenfranchised classes, in recognition of his tireless crusade for their emancipation through writings and campaigns. As MLC, Karuppan presented their problems and grievances before the authorities arguing for better education, health and living conditions for them. He pressed the Government to establish a separate department for this purpose leading to the establishment of the department for the Protection of the Depressed Classes with the then Director of Public Instruction, Rao Sahib C. Mathai as ex-officio Protector and Karuppan as full-time Assistant Protector.
As Assistant Protector, Karuppan was instrumental in initiating several reforms for the progress of the depressed classes by starting schools and establishing colonies. He persuaded the Government to provide scholarships, fee concessions and a number of other incentives for the education of children from the depressed classes. He wrote Aacharabhooshanam to generate awareness among the depressed classes against superstitions, the book being printed and distributed free of cost to the public by the Government. The Depressed Classes Department was later renamed the Harijan Welfare Department.
Pandit Karuppan was instrumental in starting fishery schools under the re-organised Fisheries Department. The establishment of
When his three-year term on the Legislative Council expired, Karuppan was nominated for a second term but he requested that the
Pandit Karuppan was then appointed as Secretary to the Elementary Education Committee and the Bhashaparishkarana Committee. In 1931, he assumed the newly created post of Superintendent of Vernacular Education of Cochin State. In 1932, he was appointed lecturer of Sanskrit at the
Dramatic works
Baalakalesam is one of Pandit Karuppan's significant works and it was written as part of the shashtipoorthi celebrations of the Maharaja of Cochin in 1919 when Rao Sahib Nanperumal Chetty of Tamil Nadu organised a drama competition in the king's honour.[6] Karuppan wrote the play under compulsion from guru Rama Pisharody in 10 days but, nervous and embarrassed to treat his beloved Maharaja as a character for the stage, Karuppan gave symbolic names to the characters in the drama. His creation was judged best and won the prize. It was named Baalaakalesam alluding to the State of Cochin as Queen Baala and the Maharaja as Kalesan her lord. The drama, dedicated to the Maharaja of Cochin, discussed the condition of the State before Kalesan became the King, and the progress the State achieved during his 16-year rule. The author did not forget to criticise the evils and atrocities suffered by people in the name of caste. Baalaakalesam was first staged in Maharaja's College, Ernakulam and Karuppan's friend Kottilil Narayana Marar, who was an upper caste Hindu, provided financial assistance to print the book.
The drama also carried suggestions for future reforms, like the formation of village panchayats, the constitution of a legislative council and the construction of a harbour at Cochin. After reading the drama's script,
The poem Udyanavirunnu was penned by Karuppan to reflect his angst at being not invited to a garden party that the Maharaja hosted for a visiting Governor of Madras in which all other MLCs except him was invited. Karuppan was left out on account of his low caste. The poem deals with the wounded self-respect of the excluded and when it was brought to the Maharaja's notice by T K Krishna Menon, the Maharaja decreed that all MLCs irrespective of caste or religion would be invited to official parties in the future.[6]
The Maharaja of Cochin honoured Karuppan with the title Kavithilakan or Great Poet. Impressed by Karuppan, Kerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran of Travancore, known as Kerala Kalidasan for his translation of Shakunthalam into Malayalam, conferred the title of Vidwan upon him in 1913.[4]
Social reforms
Karuppan decided to quit his teaching job to spend more time and energy spearheading social reforms. With this purpose, he organised the people of his own community into regional groups called sabhās. The main agenda of the sabhās was to persuade people to fight ignorance and superstitions. He put strong pressure on his fellow countrymen to become better educated and accept a healthier lifestyle. He organised the first Sabhā, Kalyanadayini Sabhā, at
He gave equal emphasis to the
The caste system in Cochin State barred the Pulayas were prohibited from entering the streets of Ernakulam or walking on important
Personal life
Pandit Karuppan had a special appreciation for Christianity whose missionaries had helped in Kerala's education by starting a number of educational institutions that admitted students without discrimination of religion or caste. When His Grace
Pandit Karuppan's wife Kunhamma hailed from Panambukad and the couple lived in Sahithyakudeeram, a house near the St. Teresa's College, Ernakulam, with their only daughter Parvathy.
Pandit Karuppan died of pleurisy on 23 March 1938 at the age of 53.
Bibliography
Pandit Karuppan had many published works as a poet and dramatist including: Achara Bhooshanam, Arayaprasasthi, Baalakalesam, Baalodyanam, Bhaasha Bhaimeeparinayam, Bhanjithavimanam, Chanjenkutty, Chithralekha, Dheevara Tharuniyude Vilapam, Dhruvacharitham, Edward Vijayam, Jaathikkummi, Kairaleekouthukam, Kattile Jyeshtan, Lalithopaharam, Lankamardanam, Mahasamadhi, Mangalamala, Panchavadi, Sakunthalam Vanchippattu, Sangeetha Naishadham, Soudamini, Sree Budhan, Sree Ramavarma, Sugathasooktham, Thirunalkkummi, Udyanavirunnu, Ulukopakhyanam, and Vallorkkavitha.
His Sakunthala, Baalodyanam and Kairaleekouthukam were
Library
The Pandit Karuppan Smaraka Grameena Vayanasala is a library founded in 1953 in Karuppan's native village of Cheranelloor. His nephew, A. K. Velappan, was instrumental in setting up the library as a memorial to his uncle.[10]
The admirers of Pandit Karuppan have formed an organisation to promote the memory of this great Sanskrit scholar, poet and social reformer.
See Also (Social reformers of Kerala)
- Sree Narayana Guru
- Dr. Palpu
- Kumaranasan
- Rao Sahib Dr. Ayyathan Gopalan
- Brahmananda Swami Sivayogi
- Vaghbhatananda
- Mithavaadi Krishnan
- Moorkoth Kumaran
- Ayyankali
- Ayya Vaikundar
References
- ^ "Important Personalities". keralawindow.net. Archived from the original on 2 June 2008. Retrieved 10 July 2008.
- ISBN 9788176481700.
- ^ "Intro Dalit Poetry in Malayalam". Retrieved 27 February 2013.
- ^ a b "Pandit K.P. Karuppan". Kerala Sahitya Akademi. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
- ISBN 9788190592826.
- ^ a b "Pandit Karuppan's Balakalesham and Udyanavirunnu" (PDF). Retrieved 27 February 2013.
- ^ "MUNROEVIAN IMPACT OVER THE NATIVE REFORMATION MOVEMENTS" (PDF). Retrieved 27 February 2013.
- ISBN 9788185880433.
- ^ "വരേണ്യ പ്രമാണിത്തത്തെ വെല്ലുവിളിച്ച കായല് സമ്മേളനം".
- ^ Pazhanilath, Johny (11 March 2004). "More than just a village library". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 30 April 2004. Retrieved 10 July 2008.