Veluthampi Dalava

Veluthampi - Chempakaraman Velayudhan

Kerala history is dotted with the heroic deeds of great patriots. A man leaving all comforts and luxuries offered by the top post as commercial minister to the king, revolting against an empire where the sun never set is a rarity. Yes Chempakaraman Velayudhan popularly known as Veluthampi Dalava is a rare version of heroism in the history of Kerala.

Travancore (The southern half of present state of Kerala) was ruled by Sri Balarama Varma of the Travancore dynasty during the fag end of the eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Sri Balarama Varma although good hearted was weak and inexperienced. He depended heavily on Sri Sankaran Nampoothiri who preceded Sri Kesavan Pillay as Divan (Chief of the administrators to the king).

Sri Sankaran Nampoothiri started his misrule with the help of his cronies. All the coffers were drained out and heavy taxes were to be imposed on common people. Resentments against the misrule were cruelly suppressed. All these tarnished the entire image of the Travancore dynasty which was known for its generosity and love for the people. To put it in a nutshell the time was ripe for the emergence of a savior.

The situation in the kingdom worsened to such a level that even the offerings deposited by the devotees in Padmanabha swamy temple had to be taken by the king’s guards to meet the misdeeds of the evil set up. The latest techniques applied rulers were summoning rich people to the palace tie their limbs and beat to extract maximum wealth from them. Thus one day the turn of Veluthambi arrived. At that time Veluthampi was working as supervisor in the palace itself.

As usual the panel of ministers assembled demanded him to pay three thousand rupees to the coffers or face dire consequences. Three thousand rupees at that time was quite a hefty amount. Veluthambi, smart as he was signed an agreement that he will come with the amount within three days and went home.

Veluthabi was an energetic and inspiring personality and had immense sway among the people of his locality. He was successful in organizing a large army of followers within the short time of three days. The large crowd assembled at Eraniel was greatly influenced by the fiery speeches of Veluthampi. They marched to the palace. The king who was weak hearted was frightened seeing the crowd prepared to do anything as commanded by Veluthambi. He succumbed to the demands set by Veluthambi.

As per the agreement Sankaran Nampoothiri was exiled, and his cronies, Mathew Tharkan and Sankara Narayanan Chetty were whipped, their ears were cut and they were dismissed from service. Veluthambi was raised to the status of Minister for Finance and Commerce. This was a historical event for Kerala as so far the misdeeds of the rulers were taken for granted and such sort of a public uprising against the rulers were not heard of.

Sri Thalakkulathu Veluthampi was at his prime of the youth and he was working as a guard at the palace from that post with his efficiency and dedication promoted to the post of supervisor. He was proficient with martial arts and commanded great respect in the locality. After the great revolution that led to the total change to the history of Travancore he assumed power as the Minister for Commerce and Finance.

His period as the minister (1801 to 1809) was a glaring example, how a debt and corruption ridden state can be led to prosperity. Corrupt officials were executed, maimed or exiled. The story of an officer who went to assessing tax is a glaring example for his commitment to justice. The officer deputed to assess property- income visited the house of Veluthapi, knowing that the property belonged to the ruler, the officer showed the property as un yielding and assessed much less than the actual. When Veluthampi came to know about it he was furious and ordered to cut off the thump of the officer as punishment.

As a man who never stooped before anybody, he was heading towards great problem. The East India Company which controlled most part of India by that time was greatly emboldened by the defeat of Tippu Sultan known as the tiger of Mysore. The resident officer of the British Company slowly began to raise its voice and demanded bigger say in the internal affairs of Travancore. They could sense the growing clout of Veluthambi,who did not heed to their demand of raising taxes to pay royalty that has to be paid the East India Company, known as the “Company”.

Direct and indirect clashes between the company soldiers and king’s soldiers took place here and there. Veluthambi who had only a ragtag army found it difficult to go war with the army of Company. He reached in an agreement with Mc.Cauley ignoring the advice of the king. This agreement was later used by the resident officer to create rift between the king and the minister. The company was gearing up for an open confrontation. Veluthampi approached Paliathachan of Kochi and Samoothiri of Calicut. An attempt was made on the life of Mr. Mc.Cauley which was foiled. All these events made an open war inevitable.

Veluthambi camped at Kundara with his army and there he declared open war against the Company. He described the presence of British detrimental to the cultural integrity and self pride of Kerala. This declaration is glaring chapter in the history of Kerala and known as “The Kundara Declaration”. Veluthambi was heading for big trouble. None of his allies were prepared to stay in the rank. His idea of an open war with the empire turned out to be futile. Veluthampi had to seek refuge in a temple at Mannadi. He was left alone but his brother, There inside the temple, surrounded by the British army he asked his brother to execute him as his brother refused Veluthambi had to kill himself.The soldiers of the company did not show any magnanimity to pay due respect to the dead body of a great ruler. They took it to Trivandrum and hanged it in public. The dynasty to which he stood as a pillar did not raise a finger against this big insult.

The great revolution set by Veluthampi (38 years before the first freedom struggle, (described as the sipayi struggle) would have failed as it was ill timed and too early and the conditions were not ripe enough for a struggle. The army was a crude one and ill equipped to fight the mighty empire.

The valor and daredevilry on the part of Veluthambi is some thing extraordinary and rare. The story of Veluthambi is something that can inspire any one with an iota of patriotism. As far as there is the state of Kerala, Veluthambi will stand as great structure that could challenge to the London tower.

The doyen of Malayalam Drama

The doyen of Malayalam Drama - Or a Saint With Name Satan.

Kerala has a lot of contradictions. To put it plainly these contradictions give Kerala its uniqueness. Here lives a saintly old man who is popularly known as Satan. The funny thing is that he himself had gladly accepted that name. This article is about that extra ordinary man. Mr. Satan Joseph was once the part and parcel of Malayalam drama in its prime time.

Not long back just before the onslaught of television, drama was so dear and near to people. They flocked to the temporary stages where drama was staged and spent whole night savoring each scene and every dialogue.

Mr. Satan Joseph is a many splendoured genius; he was an industrialist (He had a flourishing coir business with about a hundred employees). His company was in the business of production and export of coir products. Mr. Satan Joseph was elected and has functioned as the secretary of All Kerala Small Scale Coir Manufacturers’ Association.

He is a firm Congress Party loyalist and was in active politics for more than two decades (was Municipal Councilor almost for eleven years). Before retirement, Mr. Satan Joseph was an A to Z as far as Malayalam drama was concerned, Dramatist, script writer, actor and above all a drama company proprietor

The drama company he had founded (The Alleppey Theatres) has given birth to about fifty dramas. Half of them were of social themes. These plays contained strong messages for the eradication of evils prevailed in society at that time.

But “Alleppey theatres” is better known for the Bible based dramas it staged through out Kerala. It all started with “thirty silver coins” the drama was a resounding success, and has been played innumerable times throughout Kerala as well as in other states.

As a responsible artist he firmly believes that it is the duty of an artist to use his talent for the betterment of the society. His dramas based of Bible were rich in messages from the holy book. Lay men who used to see drama for entertainment spontaneously absorbed the messages all though they were not aware of it.

He was bourn in 30th January 1925 at Kanjiramchira a place near Alappuzha town. His parents were Kallupurakkal Anthrayes and Lucy Anthrayes. The grand parents of Satan Joseph were of Kochi origin and they had to migrate to Alleppey during the war time.

Kallupurakkal Thampi the grand father of Satan Joseph was a native of Kochi, he was an industrialist as well as an artist. He conducted a school for teaching a local performing drama called “Chavittu natakam”. This form of art was a very simple and interesting one in which stories from the Bible were played the dialects were of crude mixture of Tamil and Malayalam.

Mr. Anthrayes the father of Joseph was also a student in that drama school and who became a great performer in the art. The role played by him as Satan in the Bible story won many accolades. The surname Satan was thus added to his name, christening him as Satan Anthrayes. Mr. Joseph, who also was an artist, was not spared either by the public; they called him in the pet name Satan Joseph. Mr. Joseph gladly accepted the “pet name” as an ancestral possession.

Of the fifty dramas the Alleppey Theatres has staged about fifty percent was of social themes some of the most famous ones are as follows. “Anchu centu bhoomi” (5 cents of land- which pictured the feudal systems prevailed) Kadalinte makkal (Sons of the sea) (portrayed the strife of fishermen of Kerala) “Ezham swargam” (Seventh paradise, “Malanadin makkal” (children of the high ranges), Jalolsavam (featuring the life of people of the waterlogged Kuttanad), “kayar” (coir), Hiroshima etc.

Ezham swargam was the only drama he has done which was based the life of Kerala Muslims. The drama Kayar was based on the laborers engaged in the coir industry at Alappuzha. As he himself was a coir industry man, the theme was one where he was at home.

Some of the Bible dramas are as follows. “Muppathu vellikkasu” (30 silver coins), Benhur, St. Paul, Quavadis, Ten commandments, Moses, Thobias, Apostles of India, Joseph the son of Jacob etc. The drama “thirty silver coins” ran in packed crowds for many years. How many times it had been staged, no body knows as there was no time to count.

Mr. Joseph has written and published an autobiography by name “ Ente Natakanubhavangal” (My experiences with drama), which is the history of the Malayalam drama itself. The book written in simple and plain language is enough to make one understand the strains and tensions of one engaged in the field of the great performing art, that is drama.

The book a must read for any student of drama, which was published by the author himself and distributed by “Current Books” Kottayam. It is a pity that the book has not got the due attention it deserved. English translation of the same is not available.

Mr. Joseph the winner of many awards like The Kerala Governments Professional Drama Award, Chavara Award, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy Award etc, now leads a secluded life, the death of his beloved wife Smt. Mary on March 9, 1997 was something the poor soul could not withstand. Mary has mothered eight children for him. Two of them died young.

This octogenarian, who had earned a tidy sum through his hard work, was known for his humanitarian activities. He donated liberally for noble causes. After dividing his wealth to his legal heirs he was only happy to donate his entire assets to the church. The land and buildings where “The Alleppey Theatres” once functioned is the property of the church which was given as a gift by Mr. Joseph to it whole heartedly.


To the queries regarding this sort of extra ordinary generosity, he has a simple answer, “I made all these assets spreading the preaching of the god, now in this old age I return a portion of it to him”. Noble words from a noble man, cruelly called as Satan Joseph. However people of Kerala will unanimously agree “This Satan is more lovable than any saint, but as he himself has accepted the name with joy we will continue calling him by that name.

Even though he was blessed with eight children, the absence of a male child is some thing which makes him feel sad, as there is no one to carry the “beautiful surname” bestowed on his father by the public. He got it by virtue of being the son of Satan Anthrayes, but no one to carry it to the next generation.

May God bless him and make the rest of his life a happy and contented one.

Mata Amritananda Mayi - Kerala’s Own Saint

Mata Amritananda Mayi - Kerala’s Own Saint

Image courtsey: hinduonnet.com

Who is the most respected person of Kerala origin? The answer is simple, even a five year old child will tell “Mata Amritananda mayi of Amritapuri”. That much is the popularity of this saint lady, she has gained disciples throughout the world. The cultural, educational and spiritual contributions, she has brought to Kerala is unparalleled. This article is an attempt to unravel the enigma that is Amritananda mayi.

She was born in 1953 at Parayakadavu village in Kollam district. Her father was Sri. Sugunandan and mother Smt.Damayanthi Sugunandan. The couple had nine children of which two died young. Of the rest four were girls and three boys. Her child hood name was Sudhamony. She was a very reserved and introvert girl. Sudhamony had to stop her formal education at primary level itself due to the financial problems of her family.

Sudhamony did not get enough love from her parents and she had a very unhappy child hood. The little girl even had to play the role of domestic servant in her relative’s houses. From the very childhood when haunted by the stresses and strains of day to day life, Sudhamony depended heavily on her trust in god. Her favorite deity was Lord Sri. Krishna.

The deep religious belief was inculcated in to the child by her grand mother Smt.Madhavi. Sudhamony’s grand father Sri. Velayudhan was a pious old man of great knowledge. The strong belief in her deity developed a sort of empathy within her soul- A state where the devotee and the deity become one and the same. This phenomenon is nothing new to Hinduism.

The little girl used to sing hymns of her deity while doing house hold chores and in all activities she was engaged. While alone, she spontaneously lost herself in to a devotional dance in which she played the role of gopika (the playmate of Lord Sri. Krishna).

Most often she lost herself in meditation. As breathing came almost to a stand still during the time of meditation, her family members got frightened. The girl would either be singing hymns of god or dancing all by herself in a closed room,

These uncommon behaviors caused humiliation to her family before the neighbors. The whole family became a laughing stock and she was several times punished by her mother and elder brother for these. The rural set up of that remote village could hardly tolerate uncustomary behaviors from a girl.

One day while she was carrying cut grass bundle to feed the cattle, she heard hymns praising Sri. Krishna sung by a group of people. She could hardly resist her inner urge, placing the luggage on the road side and ran in to the middle of the group and broke out in to dance in a deep trance. This incidence attracted devotion as well as criticisms from the spectators,

However there were people in the locality who realized that there is something extra ordinary with this girl. They approached her seeking solace. There after small assemblies under her leadership were held in the shade of a nearby banyan tree. There she talked about the spiritual experiences she had felt all through her life. Her simplicity and strong devotion pulled large crowd towards her.

Image courtsey: amritamedia.org

Many of the devotees strongly vouch either about many miracles she has committed or the miracles occurred in answer to their prayers towards her. People even from out side the state started to pour in. Devotees from Tamilnadu out of their extreme devotion found the deity of Mathura Meenakshi Temple in her and insisted her to wear a crown that was offered. She had to oblige as the devotees stayed in pleading her even discarding food and water. There after she started to wear the crown during her spiritual sessions at the ashram.

The ashram of Amritananda mayi is in Vallikkavu about six kilometers south west of Oachira temple. Oachira comes at the southern tip of Alappuzha district. Visitors can alight at Vallikkavu bus stop and proceed to the ashram by foot. The distance is just one kilometer. There is the Kayamkulam Lake that has to be crossed; boats are available in plenty for transporting devotees.

By crossing the lake visitors reach the Parayakadavu village which is rectangle shaped island sandwiched between sea and lake, where poor fisher folks live a contended life in humble surroundings.

The present ashram is a well built one and it excels in aesthetics. Management of the ashram is efficient and atmosphere is conductive to fill any body’s mind with devotion.

There are no servants in the Ashram, sanyasis known as brahmacharis (those who practice celibacy) of different nationalities, who perform all sorts of services. There are very learned and persons among persons among them, who occupied high positions out side the boundaries of the Ashram.

The registration of the Ashram (Mata Amritanandamayi Math) was done on 6th May 1981.It was then former Sudhamony accepted the name “Amritanandamayi” as per the wish of her disciples. It was Sri Unnikrishnan a brahmachari who coined the name.

In the beginning there was not even a cent of land to set the Ashram. Money was also scarce. The mother and disciples had toiled a lot to get it established. Between 1975to 1985 the fame of the Ashram spread far and wide and the number of disciples (Brahmacharis) rose to about forty. It all began from the ten cents of land that was donated by her father. The land was nothing else but where her ancestral home (Edamannel) was situated. The family shifted to the nearby place leaving the land to the Ashram.

For the purpose of spreading the spread the message of the beloved mother (as Amritanandamayi was popularly called), a monthly publication by name Amritavahini was started in 1984. This was edited and published by Sri. N.M.Chandrasekhara Varier, later the publication was renamed as “Mathruvani”. Now Mathruvani is doing the job of spreading mother’s messages to people through out the world.

Gradually a full fledged ashram was taking place in that remote island. A library of spiritual books and a school for teaching the Vedas (Veda vidyalaya) also started in the Ashram compound. The books required for the library and Veda vidyalaya were all given as gift by the devotees, all over the world.

Amritanandamayi (better known as the mother of vallikkavu, or Amma in Malayalam) has strong ideas about the mission of her life. Sanyas as per her is not an excuse to lead and idle life. Even though a loving mother to the disciples she is a tough task master also.

There is at present an army of brahmacharis in the ashram, who have to lead a very hard life. The physical pleasures are strictly forbidden. Food almost eaten raw and no taste makers allowed. Her motherly love enables them to withstand any hardships in the process of over coming worldly passions. Finally they get well groomed to carry out her mission of transforming the world as per the vision of the divine mother.

Amritanada mission is one of the foremost in carrying out humanitarian, cultural, and educational activities throughout the world. The relief works under taken by it during last year when the tsunami struck coastal India was commendable.

When the government machinery was bungling with its vast resources of officials, the team led by the mother was immediately on the beaches and direct action was let loose. No resource that could be utilized was spared. The mother herself was in the fore front as a king who leads his army from the front.

Soon after the relief work, in the process of rehabilitation Amritananda mission was the first to complete the entire housing complexes for the refugees in record time. Not just in Kerala but in the eastern coast as well.

Devotees throughout the world sent money and relief materials to the ashram as a mark of solidarity. The well oiled machinery led by the hard trained and devoted brahmacharis of the ashram were set in a fire fighting mode they gained maximum outturn from each rupee spent or each material used.

When typhoon Katrina struck the coastal America; there also Amritananda mission was in the forefront in fighting the un preceded disaster. After all “Mother” belongs to the universe, America and India makes no difference for a universal phenomenon.

In the field of education and health the contribution of the ashram is tremendous. The Amrita institute of Medical Science at Ernakulam is a towering testimony to the fact that how much determination and devotion of even a poor village girl can achieve. AIMS (Amrita Institute of Medical Science) Is one of the leading institute of medical science in India, which is a deemed university and is engaged in serious research and affordable treatment to people all over India and abroad.

A girl who could hardly complete her primary education is the “boss” of several institutions those impart hi tech education. Amrita Institute of Engineering Technology, Ayurveda College, etc. are just a few among them. These institutions are not just commercial establishments; they are engaged in education that is in tune with the high standards set by the ancient “gurukula” traditions of India.

Devotees vouch her amma commits a lot of miracles. They state that when they pray to their beloved amma the prayers get addressed. As they are simple plain people they must not be lying, their statements must be from their in bourn experiences.

But no one can deny the wonders those are towering in front of their eyes with numerous names starting from “Amrita”. Institutes of healthcare and education those impart purest form of teaching with world class faculties. Most of the faculties of the Institutions and the expert doctors of Amrita hospitals are pure volunteers. They serve the patients or teach the students only as a service to the humanity and not for remuneration.

A primary school drop out, a village girl belonging to a community of fishermen, brought up in extreme poverty achieved all these! If these are not miracles, what the word miracle mean? As the old prayer goes “Mrityorma “Amritam” gamaya,

Thamasoma jyothir gamaya.
Let eternity prevail, let death perish,
Let light prevail, let darkness perish.

Musclemen of Kerala

Musclemen of Kerala

Kerala is also a land of our own our own version of mini mafia. The pocket versions of Arnold rule the roads. They are either uniformed or not. The uniformed lot sporting either Saffron, blue or red shirts wield statutory rights for extortion. The non uniformed ones do not require any license. They are either sponsored or independent. One who is not familiar with the situation of Kerala may wonder “what nonsense all these are”.

In Kerala neo socialism has reached it its feverish pitch. Governments watch the violence committed by the organized “laborers” like a mother who enjoys the mischief of her little children. “The bloody laymen who deserve a thrashing are getting thrashed!” It is none of the duty of the Government to interfere in “labor problems”, is the official stand.

Politicians look upon the organized gangs as their own creation nurture them with legal supports. Every week more and more ordinances are issued by the government to protect and legalise this sort of extortion. The most surprising thing is that most of the high officials like Labor commissioners and even judges-whom people look upon as saviors- subscribe to the rule that these gangs are licensed to torture ordinary people.

After all without these muscle men how a democratic election can be fought? They are unavoidable in leading processions and handling anti party activists. When Compared to them, the laymen are of no political use. First, they do not join the processions, sponsored violence and agitations. Second to whom they vote also is not certain. Things being so why bother about them?

Each political party has its own musclemen. And the party go to any extend to protect their men. Occasionally they get engaged in inter gang wars, when the members of the ruling die the Government machinery wakes up. In other cases it goes as usual.

The word “transfer” itself is enough to terrorize employees of Kerala. A transfer means shifting of the house hold materials to the new location. They are to be loaded in a lorry and carried to the destination and then to be unloaded to the new house.

Here is the catch! Loading of the materials cannot be done by the house owner with the help of his neighbors. This particular job is the monopoly of these musclemen. They have the statutory rights for that. The unloading of these at the destination also is another issue as it is the monopolistic right of the organized gangs prevailing there.

Why it is taken as an issue at all may be the question. The problem is that these gangs get jobs only very rarely. They sit idle in improvised sheds by the road side. They have to heavily charge the unfortunate victim who happens to fall in their net. Doing one hour job should fetch them enough to live for a week.

This peculiar situation has compelled employees to leave their homes in the midnight like thieves. The entry in to the new house also is to be done in the wee hours of the day, without attracting the attention of the gangs which rules that area. Strange after effects of socialism!

These gangs often engage night watchmen to monitor whether any body gets engaged in loading material in a lorry or unloading by themselves. If the poor soul is caught red handed in doing the job he will get beaten black and blue, A real “treat” he will never forget in his life.

While he will be recovering in a hospital, his wife would have to negotiate the hefty compensation which would have to be paid to the gang. A great “crime” he has committed in the context of Kerala.

The attention of readers is invited to the ruling of the Hon. Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Monday, December 1 2006. This news got wide coverage in all local dailies. Some extracts is given below for refernce

“Compulsory exaction of “attimari”(loading and unloading work) and “nokku kooli” (on looking charge)by unions of head load workers, without actually doing any work, has no
Sanction of Law, and it has to be stopped.

Attimari was evolved by head load worker’s unions dehors the Kerala Head Load Woriers’ act. Rules, and the Kerala Head Load Workers (Regulation of Emplyment and Welfare) Scheme by use of their muscle power.”It is high time that the authorities put an end to such practice which is beyond the scope of the Act, Rules and the Scheme.”

The Hon. Court set aside the concurrent orders passed by the District Labor Officer and the Joint Labor Commissioner, Kollam, upholding the right of headload workers represented by CITU and INTUC unions to carry out the loading and unloading work at the District Depot of Kerala Civil Supplies Corporation.

The Hon. Court also stated that the unions have no right to demand that they are exclusively entitled to do the so called “attimari” work and claim wages for it. Attimari work is an artificial creation of certain unions having muscle power to extract money from hapless employers who are unable to resist the might of unions with political clout.

The Judgment also rules out the right of extracting “nokku kooli”, which means that job has to be done by workers engaged by the employers but under the “on looking” of the gang. To this strenuous job of “onlooking” the gangs can demand any sum as per their whims! In short the employers are forced to engage two sets of employees. One for doing work and the other for just a show! Complaining with the police is futile as police is strictly instructed not to interfere, as these are mere labor problems.

The strange thing is that the people of Kerala always react to injustice in every field and social activists with extra ordinary power to get provoked at the slightest signal are mute spectators to such extortions. The so called activists and the general public are all tied in an invisible chain, the iron chain of fear.

Those who strongly react to the American aggression in Iraq, turn a blind eye to the aggression on human rights taking place under their very own nose! Reason is that they are not afraid of the America, but that is not the case with the local politicians and their goons!

Response from readers are welcome.