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Tuesday, September 05, 2023

64.Release of ‘The Journal of Social Empowerment’

 


To honour  and disseminate  the writings of the  Hindu sage and social reformer,  Chattambi Swamikal (1853-1924),  recently the   Shri Vidyadhiraja  International Study and Research Centre   was set up   in his birth place, Kannamoola, Thiruvananthapuram.  Yesterday, Sep 05,2023,  four books and two journals  were  released at a function held in the centre.

 As  Associate  Editor, of the Journal of Social Empowerment,   I had  penned an article entitled ‘Empowerment initiatives for the public :  Critical review of  100 years  old official documents of the state of Travancore’.



 

Abstract

European   and Indian historians   who studied the lives of the people of  Kerala have  documented the  plight of the backward communities particularly  of the  nineteenth  and the early twentieth  century.  Thanks  to social reformers like  Sree Narayana Guru, Chattambi Swamy and  Sri Ayankali,  a slow  transformation happened in the lives of  members of the backward   communities. One significant contribution of these leaders was the attempt at sensitizing  their  communities to the need for education for empowerment.



There  are  several  definitions of  empowerment and  writers  like Adams  have  pointed out  the perils of focusing on just one  definition. A minimal definition of empowerment  which   one  may adopt  could be one which implies the capacity of individuals, groups and/or communities to take control of their circumstances, exercise power and achieve their own goals. (Wikipedia)

The  investigator   while  attempting  a  review of  narratives  of empowerment in Kerala, noted the emergence of a pattern.  Most such narratives  seldom  presented the empowerment process  as  the coming together  of  two parties- one desirous of  empowerment   and the external agency making the realization of  empowerment a smooth process. For instance, narratives of empowerment particularly by the newly  empowered   attributed their success  entirely  to  own  sacrifices  punctuated  by   struggle  and  oppression. Similarly there  are  narratives  that  project the view that it was solely  by conversion  to  Christianity that  certain depressed classes  became empowered. And in modern times we have  come across assertions that it was  open  resistance to the indignities  of inequalities  through grass root level political  struggles  that  empowerment happened in Kerala. A critical reading of such narratives gave the investigator the impression that  such narratives  are slightly biased,  or even lopsided.

But when the investigator  stumbled upon certain official documents,  published 100 years ago, in the  southern state of Travancore,  a  completely different picture began to emerge. The entries in the documents underscored the  enlightened vision of the  rulers  who assiduously attempted  empowerment of own subjects through policies and  legislations.  This prompted  the investigator  to  engage in a quest for historical truth.

This paper  attempts    a  review of  three significant official documents  published  one hundred years  ago. The review  besides providing  an insight into the socio-economic  conditions of the 19th and early 20th century,    reveals  how   the   vision,  the  passion and the  sense of  concern for  the well-being of own people displayed by the  rulers of the  state of  Travancore, opened up an avenue for empowerment. This   along with the  steps initiated  for   transforming  the  educational  scenario  led to  a  complete transformation  of the socio-economic well being of  the backward  communities in  Kerala. The  investigator  concludes  by attributing the  current status quo  and the  privileges  which the  once  termed  backward communities enjoy now, partly to  the vision,  initiatives  and support provided by the rulers of the state of  Travancore.  

Key  words:  Backward classes, Education,   Empowerment,  Travancore, Vision

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Cover  page of antique  books  which formed the primary source of the  study