Watch Free Classes
UPSC » Daily News Analysis ‘Mannathu Padmanabhan: The “Bharata Kesari” of Kerala’ : 3 January

Daily News Analysis ‘Mannathu Padmanabhan: The “Bharata Kesari” of Kerala’ : 3 January

Table of Content
Why in News? 
  • The Prime Minister and other leaders paid tributes to Mannathu Padmanabhan on his birth anniversary (January 2), honoring his role as a pioneer of social justice and the Kerala Renaissance.

Mannathu Padmanabhan

  • Founder of NSS: On October 31, 1914, he founded the Nair Service Society (NSS) to uplift the Nair community by reforming outmoded customs (like Marumakkathayam or matrilineal inheritance) and promoting modern education.
  • Anti-Untouchability Leader: Though he belonged to a forward caste, he was a staunch advocate for Dalit rights. He led the famous Savarna Jatha (a march of forward castes) from Vaikom to Thiruvananthapuram in 1924 to support the entry of lower castes into the Vaikom Temple.
  • Satyagraha Participation: He played a pivotal role in both the Vaikom Satyagraha (1924) and the Guruvayur Satyagraha (1931), which were landmark movements for temple entry and social equality in India.
  • Political Impact: He led the Vimochana Samaram (Liberation Struggle) in 1959 against the first Communist ministry in Kerala, which eventually led to the dismissal of the state government under Article 356.
  • Honors & Titles:
    • Bharata Kesari: Honored with this title (meaning ‘Lion of India’) by the President of India in 1959.
    • Padma Bhushan: Awarded India’s third-highest civilian honor in 1966.
    • Personal Reform: He famously dropped his caste surname (Pillai) in 1950, declaring that names should not be indicators of caste.

DO YOU KNOW? Marumakkathayam
  • Marumakkathayam was a matrilineal system of inheritance practiced mainly in Kerala among communities like the Nairs.
  • Property was passed through the female line, usually from a man to his sister’s children, not his own.
  • The system emphasised joint family ownership and was later abolished by law.

Vaikom Satyagraha (1924–25)

  • A social reform movement in Kerala against untouchability.
  • It demanded the right of lower castes to use public roads around the Vaikom temple.
  • Leaders included K. Kelappan, T.K. Madhavan, with support from Gandhi.
  • It led to greater acceptance of temple-entry reforms.

Guruvayur Satyagraha (1931–32)

  • A movement demanding temple entry for all castes at the Guruvayur Temple in Kerala.
  • Led by K. Kelappan and supported by Indian National Congress leaders.
  • Though immediate entry was not granted, it strengthened anti-caste and social equality movements.
  • It contributed to later reforms like the Temple Entry Proclamation (1936).