K Madhavan Nair Author of Malabar Kalapam, the eye witness account of the Muslim Rebellion in 1921

This is a poster of a movie that came out on March 3rd called "Puzha Muthal Puzha Vare".

This movie is based on the book (eye witness account) that my grandfather K Madhavan Nair wrote about the Malabar riots of 1921 when the Hindu genocide happened.

My grandfather is well-known for writing this book however he has done so much more than that.

He was Kerala's first political leader and social reformer which is unknown. He passed away in 1933 at the tender age of 51 after spending 18 years tirelessly working for the upliftment of the poor in Kerala and for the freedom struggle.

Here is a timeline of all his valuable contributions.

𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰...

1882:

• December 2nd born in Thamarkuzhi, Malappuram to Parapurathu Karuthodiyil Kalyani Kutty Amma and Vallattu Thaithodiyil Narayanan Nair
• Mother died at 16 handing over his responsibilities to her brother Kannan Nair who was a teacher in Andhra. From then on it was Kannan Nair who helped with his studies and molded him into who he became. (Ka. Kannan Nair (as he was known) was instrumental in the formation of the Nair Service Society and was the first editor for the Magazine published from Changanassery)
• He graduated from Maharaja’s College of Law now Trivandrum Law college in 1909.
• Started practicing in Manjeri and then moved to Kozhikode in 1915
• 1911 married Karumathil Kalyani Kutty Amma. 5 children 3 boys and 2 girls. 10 grandchildren. Most of them are here today
• He rented a house from Narakassery Krishnan in Chalappuram.

1917

• 1917 April 23rd during the District meeting of the congress organized scores of inter dining across castes in many areas with Annie Besant and other leaders.
• Obtained accessibility to public places for Lower castes including areas around Tali Temple, Kozhikode. The first attempt to break British law in the history of Kerala (divide and rule was their policy).
• Arranged admissions for lower caste pupils to Zamorin College, Kozhikode.

𝟭𝟵𝟮𝟬 April 28 and 29:

• Organized the Malabar district political conference of the Indian National Congress held at Manjeri on 28 April 1920 with Manjeri Rama Iyyer and Annie Besant. Hindu Newspaper Editor Kasturi Rangan presided.

𝟭𝟵𝟮𝟬:

• Attended the Nagpur session of All India congress where he presented a resolution (Prameyam) requesting that Malabar, Cochin, and Travancore be brought together as one state and to be known as Kerala.
• Suggested that a Kerala provincial congress should be formed instead of the Malabar Provincial congress. Abdul Rahman Sahib supported the resolution and was accepted with a unanimous vote.

𝟭𝟵𝟮𝟭:

• Elected unanimously as the First Secretary of Kerala Pradesh Congress on January 30th at his residence in Chalappuram, Kozhikode. (Back then the organization did not have a ‘President’ position). He graciously offered his residence as the KPCC office, which remained so for the next 12 years. (Eminent leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Urmila Devi, Rajagopalchari, Kasturba Gandhi, etc have been guests and high-level meetings were held in the office room. He graciously offered his home to K P Kesava Menon and his family who stayed in that house for 6 months till Mr. KPK re-settled in Kozhikode. (KPK was very active in the political scene of the late 1910s. However, he had left Calicut to practice at Madras. When K Madhavan Nair was arrested in Feb 1921, KPK & Rajaji came down to Calicut and stayed over at the KPCC office cum residence at K Madhavan Nair's request. KPK took over the responsibility of Secretary KPCC and continued in that position even after K Madhavan Nair was released from Jail)
• Arrested on February 15th and sentenced to 6 months in jail for non-cooperation movement in Kozhikode, one of the first leaders in India and the very first person (along with U Gopala Menon) to be arrested for the Freedom Struggle in Kerala.
• Worked day and night after returning from jail, spearheading rehabilitation efforts with his home as the office to feed, clothe and shelter tens and thousands of Hindu and Christian refugee families fleeing Mapilah Lahala (Moplah rebellion).

1922:

• February 15th: Appointed Managing director/founder of Mathrubhumi Newspaper. Mathrubhumi started with the sole intention of spreading the news of the freedom struggle to the masses. Mathrubhumi needed Rs 20,000 to register as a company. Having raised only 12,000, K Madhavan Nair donated the rest. (Kurur Neelakandan Namboodirippad, K P Kesava Menon, T V Sundara Iyyer, Ambalakattu Karunakara Menon, P Achuthan, Dr. A R Menon were the rest of the founder/original board members and directors).

𝟭𝟵𝟮𝟰:

• March 15th: Elected as the director of Kerala untouchability Committee.
• March 30th: Inaugurated Vaikom Satyagraha
• May 15: Met with Gandhiji at Juhu, Bombay to request his support for Vaikom Satyagraha. He along with Kurur Neelakandan Namboodiripad submitted a 20-page memorandum explaining the deplorable condition of lower castes in Kerala and the urgent need for reformation. Gandhiji agreed and visited Vaikom on May 8th, 1925.

𝟏𝟗𝟐𝟒

• Traveled extensively throughout Kerala to visit the ravaged areas affected by a massive flood. Requested Gandhiji to raise funds to rehabilitate the people affected by the flood and worked tirelessly for it.

A few pages from the telegram KMN sent Gandhiji and Gandhiji 's reply (source: sabarmati ashram)

𝟏𝟗𝟐𝟓:

• Elected first president of Kerala Pradesh Congress committee. . K. Kellappan was the secretary.

(An article by Shashi Tharoor in Mathrubhuni regarding the same): https://archives.mathrubhumi.com/features/politics/100-years-of-kpcc-1.5395804

𝟭𝟵𝟮𝟲:

• Elected unanimously to the Madras presidency Legislative assembly. He was offered a position as a minister but refused it stating that it will affect his work as a congress leader. While at the assembly he lobbied extensively for Land reform bills - Janmi Kudiyan Niyamam (Landlord-Tenant Law) in favor of the tenants.

𝟭𝟵𝟮𝟳:

• Attended a 4-day Janmi (landlord) Kudiyan (tenant) Round table conference in favor of the tenants presided by the governor of Madras.

𝟭𝟵𝟮𝟴:

• Rescued Mathrubhumi, when the company was running at a loss and had a debt of Rs.13,000. At a stage where the buildings, printing press, etc. had to be sold to pay the debt. K Madhavan Nair pawned all his belongings including his wife’s jewelry for a loan and paid the debt off.

(From V R Menon's Mathrubhumiyude Charithram Vol 1)

𝟭𝟵𝟮𝟵:

• Due to his untiring work for land reforms, a bill supporting the Kudiyans (tenants) was passed on October 15th, 1929.

𝟭𝟵𝟯𝟬:

• May 17th: K Madhavan Nair was elected leader of Salt satyagraha after Mr. K. Kellappan was arrested and put in jail.
• Established a women’s wing encouraging all women to participate in the noncooperation movement
• Organized scores of meetings as part of the non-cooperation movement. The protests include the banning of salt; burning of foreign clothes; picketing shops that sell foreign goods; making people sign a document that states that they will buy only goods made in India; encouraging everyone to weave and wear Khadar clothes; banning liquor, etc. He even inspired women and children to take part in these projects.
• July 9th: Was arrested and put in jail

𝟭𝟵𝟯𝟬:

• Selected as the director of the Guruvayoor referendum (as part of Guruvayoor Satyagraha) after returning from jail, when Kelappan was asked by Gandhiji to discontinue his hunger strike. (Kelappan's fast made great news on the national scene. It generated heat and led to numerous communications between Gandhiji, Zamorin, and the congress leaders in Kerala). Gandhiji sent Kasturba Gandhi, Urmila Devi, and Rajagopalachari to help with the referendum. Guruvayoor temple was successfully opened to the lower castes after the referendum became a huge success.

(Gandhiji's speech to the press after Guruvayoor Referendum. From Collected works of Mahatma Gandhi http://www.gandhiashramsevagram.org/gandhi-literature/collected-works-of-mahatma-gandhi-volume-1-to-98.php)

𝐀𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬:

• He was a prolific writer who used to write articles and poems regularly in the newspapers of that time.
• Authored Malabar Kalapam the only eyewitness account of the Mapilah Lahala of Malabar in 1921
• During Gandhiji’s visits to Kerala, he did instantaneous translations of Gandhiji’s speeches in Malayalam.
• Gandhiji gave him permission to translate his book " My experiments with truth". Mathrubhumi published his translated version on May 24th, 1928.
• Was the president of the Calicut (Kozhikode) Bar association from 1931 to 1933.

𝘐𝘯 1933 𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 51 𝘥𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘦𝘶𝘬𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘢. 𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 1947 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘶𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘚𝘢𝘵𝘺𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘴, 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘶𝘣𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘪’𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦.

(Written by me his granddaughter after 5 years of research. Resources: Sabarmati Archives, Shodhganga, Mathrubhumi newspaper articles, K Madhavan Nair biography, and various websites which will be provided upon request)