Sadhujana Paripalana Sangham

The Sadhujana Paripalana Sangham (Sadhu Jana Paripalana Sangham) (SJPS) was established in 1907 by social reformer Ayyankali to campaign for education for Dalits in Kerala with the support of government of Travancore, British India.[1]

Activities

SJPS formed byelaws and it consisted of 24 sections. Various programs for social, economic and educational developments of the untouchables were involved in it. Moreover, the organization gave preference and emphasis to discipline and cleanliness. Thomas Vaidyar was given the responsibility of organization correspondence. Some of the important decisions of an early meeting of the SJPS are: [2]

(1) Reduce the number of working hours from 7 days a week to 6 days a week. The labourers demanded one day of rest a week.

(2) All the depressed caste members should attend the weekly meeting help every Sunday to discuss their problems.

(3) Male and female members should remit 1/2 chakram and 1/4 chakram as membership fees respectively.

Soon after the formation, Ayyankali tried to extend its activities to the whole of Travancore. As the first part of this mission, he concentrated on Southern Travancore where he was assisted by the energetic activities like Thaivilakath Kail, Moolayil Kali, Thomas Vadyar, Vellomkolli Velayudhan and his brothers: Chathan, Gopalan, Velayudhan and Velukkutti.

Within eight years of its inception, several branches of the SJPS were established at different parts of Travancore. The headquarters were established at Ayyankali's native village of Venganoor.

SJPS published a monthly magazine, Sadhujana Paripalini, the first ever magazine to be brought out by the Dalit community. Kali Chodikkuruppan was the founder editor. The long-defunct magazine is to resume its publication from 5 January 2014.

The organisation became fractured over time as the various constituent untouchable communities established their own pressure groups and the government intervention in affairs relating to them took over its space. It ended up mostly comprising members of the Pulayar community, of which Ayyankali was a part.[3]

Membership

Notable Members of the House in some area - for instance in education and land question were:

Year Caste/Representation Type Representative Demands
1911 Representative to Scheduled Castes P K Govinda Pillai
1911 Dec 5 Pulaya Ayyankali
1913 Dalit Christian Charakan Soloman
1914 Pulaya Vallikkara Chothi
1915 Paraya kavarikulam Kandan Kumaran * Lumsum grant system for Sc/St students and he is the first person to start an organization for sambhava or paraya community.
1916 Dalit Christian Pandit Abraham Isaac
1917 Pulaya Karumban Daivathan
1921 Sambava MM Ratna Swamy
1921 Paraya Poikayil Yohannan
  • Education and Employment for depressed classes.
  • Identifying Dalit Christians as a weaker session than Syrian Christians and giving them reservations and concessions
  • Getting 2 acres of wasteland to Dalit families
1922 Dalit Christian Pampady John Joseph
  • Memorandum to British Parliament on 24 April 1935 and pleaded it to accord all the civil rights to untouchables on a par with the others.
  • Joseph advised Dalit Christian should build their own Churches and Temples
  • Joseph along with Ayyankali acquired land and distributed among Dalits for agriculture.

[4]

1931 Paraya Poykayil Johannan
  • Special Scholorships to Dalit Students
  • Government aided schools to spread education among untouchables

References

  1. ↑ Ayyankali, Chapter 3:Sadhu Jana Paripalana Sangham
  2. ↑ M. Nisar; Meena Kandasamy (2007). Ayyankali: Dalit leader of organic protest. Other Books. p. 87. ISBN 978-81-903887-6-4. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  3. ↑ Nisar, M.; Kandasamy, Meena (2007). Ayyankali — Dalit Leader of Organic Protest. Other Books. p. 89. ISBN 978-8-19038-876-4.
  4. ↑ Ramacandra Kshirasagara (1 January 1994). Dalit Movement in India and Its Leaders, 1857-1956. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. pp. 287–. ISBN 978-81-85880-43-3. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
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