Introduction – India celebrates the 75th anniversary of her independence from the colonial rule on 15th August 2022.It was the culmination of world’s most extraordinary freedom movement led by a saint barrister cum politician Mohan Das Karamchand Gandhi whom the world today lovingly addresses as “Gandhiji”. This gentle prophet led the quest for freedom without raising his arms or carrying weapons. The world watched with awe and wonder how this apostle of peace performed miracle of Indian Independence without war or armed rebellion. Hundreds of thousands of freedom fighters adhered to his call to adopt eternal principles of Truth, Peace and Nonviolence (Satyagraha, shanti and Ahimsa) as the weapon to fight the might of the imperial power, a power that claimed that sun never sets in its empire. People of India from every region, religion, race, colour and social strata had whole heartedly participated to deprive Britain of her most prized and largest colony. However, there is a wrong perception and observation in our country and elsewhere that Christian community in India were passive, indifferent and kept themselves aloof from this national movement. In this contest two Christian freedom fighters who sacrificed everything for the sake of nations freedom are introduced here.

Mrs. Akkamma Cherian (Catholic Church) led the famous Travancore palace march in 1938 demanding responsible government. Mr. Thevarthundiyil Titus (Marthomite church) was the only Christian chosen by Gandhi to accompany him on his 24-day foot march to Dandi beach in 1930 to break the salt law. His given name was Titus Theverthundiyil, while “Titusji” was the honorific given to him by Mahatma Gandhi. Both belonged to the British Indian princely state of Travancore but they were never acquainted with each other even though they hailed from central Travancore. Titus was born in a family of peasants in 1905 where was Akkamma was born four years later in 1909 in one of the wealthiest families of the region. Akkamma’s progressive parents had the courage to educate and empower their daughters in the feudal conservative society that had gender bias against girls. Akkamma went on to achieve graduation and teaching training diploma to become the headmistress of a reputed school in 1933 at the age of 24. Titus too after passing his 10th class studies, went on to become a teacher at a local school at the age of 16. His dream of higher studies could not be fulfilled as his father did not have means to support him. Both Akkamma and Titus used to read news papers and other publications to update themselves events in India and the world. They were naturally attracted and impressed by Gandhi and his methods of fight against the might of the imperial rulers.
Titus maintained a diary during his stay in Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram (1929-1934) – which was mandatory for all the inmates – he surrendered it as per the compulsory custom. When All India Radio invited him to talk about his association with Mahatma in Hindi, due to his inability to read and speak the language, Titus narrated the experience to his son, Thomas Titus who till then was ignorant, transliterated it in Hindi but in Roman script.

Thomas Titus narrates that his father left his teaching job and studied dairy science in Allahabad in North India and went on to become a dairy manager in one of the dairy farms in 1928. Titus a diploma holder in dairy management, was intimated to attend a job interview with Mahatma Gandhi for the post of manager of Satyagraha Ashram’s Dairy. Ironically, his elder brother had applied on his behalf. Titusji remarks, “I decided to attend the interview not for the job but for availing the opportunity of having a personal talk with the Mahatma.” Mahatma explained the employment conditions, no salary with all expenses taken care of by Ashram and two hours daily to be devoted to kitchen and house work. Interestingly, Titusji’s request for some money for remitting to his father was agreed by Gandhiji. Unable to decide, Titus asked for time. “On the way back to his workplace an inner voice urged me to accept the offer,”. He eventually joined on October 29, 1929. He abided with all the rules of the hermitage, including spinning which Titus admits, got on his nerves initially. “I got used to it and it turned out to be a pleasure,” he reveals and adds, “From the yarn I spun I could get more clothes I needed for the whole year.”
Titus highlights several facets of Gandhiji’s personality through his writing. For example, aware that Titus’s father was worried about his son, Gandhiji during his visit to princely State of Travancore, met him to assure that his son was in safe hands.
The Dandi March, also known as the Salt March was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience led by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. The march lasted from 12th March, 1930 to 6th April, 1930 as a direct-action campaign of tax resistance and nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly. On 12th March, Gandhiji set out from Sabarmati with 78 male Ashram inmates including Titus on a 241-mile march to the coastal town of Dandi on the Arabian Sea. Gandhi had warned his chosen team about the dangers of joining for the march. He told them to be bold enough to risk life and muster courage to face merciless police brutality, imprisonment. Gandhi had given a choice to the inmates to opt out of the march if they wish to, but Titus was firm in his decision to follow the footsteps of his master perhaps inspired by the words of St. Thomas who said “Let us also go to die with him.” John 11:16. Thomas Titus younger son of Titus reveals “My father was the only selected Christian member of the historic Dandi March 1930.”
Gandhiji instructed them to maintain discipline, observe diet restriction, complete their daily quota of spinning and praying every evening. Besides they had to teach villagers about clean drains, toilet, environment and accepting whatever food is offered. The offer of a consignment by a biscuit manufacturer was turned down by Mahatma terming it “a luxury”.
At Dandi, Gandhi and his supporters defied British policy by making salt from seawater. Civil disobedience broke out all across India, involving millions of Indians making salt. British authorities unleashed brutal, barbaric and merciless methods on the violators. The incident, recorded by American journalist Webb Miller, prompted an international outcry against British policy in India. Titus was imprisoned for six months and later released from jail. He returned to Sabarmati and continued his job as dairy manager of the ashram till 1934 and shifted to Bhopal in central India where he lived rest of his life.
Titusji narrates how Mahatma’s followers passed on his message to others, like the way Titusji did to his wife. Though initially reluctant she gave away her jewelry for the country’s cause. The ashram life made her industrious, disciplined, humble and simple and helped her develop respect for manual and hard labour.
Summing up Titusji wrote, “His teachings and philosophy is not merely a theory or ideology but a pragmatic idea that can be practiced in our daily life making percept and practice possible.”
Titusji’ had complete devotion to Mahatma Gandhi. He challenged a bishop about reaching heaven through Christ and remarked, “I don’t want to go to a heaven which does not have Gandhiji. If such a good person does not have a place in heaven, how can I have a place.”
Titusji left this world in 1980 at the age of 75 wearing his handspun white coarse thick clothes that had become his signature dress since 1930.
Jeevitham Oru Samaram(Life a protest) the autobiography of Akkamma Cherian elucidates her journey from a peaceful academic life as an educator to the turbulent waters of freedom movement.
Travancore state congress came into to being in 1938 in the princely state of Travancore and decided to demand Responsible government. The word “responsible government” was an anathema for Sir C.P Ramaswami Aiyyar, the much despised the Divan (equivalent to Prime minister) of Travancore. He used his special powers to crush congress. All jails and lockups were full in no time. The Congress working committee was dissolved and a Strikers’ Union was formed in its place. The President of the committee was called ‘dictator’, and the dictator had the right to nominate a successor. The first President before his arrest nominated the next president. In this manner, 10 presidents were nominated and were arrested one after another.
The Congress decided to look out for a bold and daring woman to be the 12th President so that she could lead a march to the palace and submit a petition to the king. The 11th President nominated 29 years old Akkamma Cherian as the 12th president. Akkamma wrote “. I preferred public service rather than peaceful life as a teacher. I believe it to be the duty of every educated man and woman. That is why I resigned from the teacher’s job”
The birthday of the Maharaja was a huge event of celebration in Travancore. The State Congress selected that day, 23rd October1938, to conduct the march and submit their demands to the King.
As thousands of volunteers from every corner of Travancore moved to the capital, Akkamma the 12th President travelled by train to Trivandrum because Travancore police can’t arrest anyone from train as the railways belonged to the British. They did not want to be arrested before the march.
Akkamma Cheriyan’s speech before the march proved the women’s potential for excellent and courageous leadership. She urged each volunteer to stick to the vow of non-violence amidst provocation by the police and army. She led the march from the front in an open jeep. The marchers waited at the palace gate for an audience with the king. As they were waiting a truck full of soldiers rushed to run over the volunteers. The volunteers fell on the ground in a prone position to block the truck. The armed soldiers alighted from the truck, marched ahead crushing and injuring volunteers with heavy boots. Next, it was the turn of the cavalry to crush and break the bones and ribs of the volunteers. colonel Watkis, the British army chief of the king, came out of the palace and informed them that they cannot meet the king without appointment. Therefore, they must disperse. Then he pulled out the revolver and said “I will shoot the crowd and disperse them”.
Then Akkamma replied, “I am leading them, you shoot me first before you shoot my people”.
The colonel did not expect that reply. He took his hands off the trigger, raised his cap, said “Good night”, and went inside. The same Colonel Watkis had shot dead a young volunteer, two months ago. He had challenged Colonel Watkis like Akkamma to shoot him. Akkamma considered 23 October 1938, as the most significant day in her life. People across the country hailed her for her Unflinching courage and Gandhiji gave her the title of ‘The Jhansi ki Rani of Travancore’.
Akkamma’s untiring efforts led to a surge in women volunteers (Desa sevika Sangh) in the state Congress. Akkamma was arrested and jailed four times between 1938 and 1947 for the cause of freedom. The harassment, verbal abuse and ill treatment of Akkamma in jail received wide publicity. It reached the ears of Mahatma Gandhi. He wrote Harijan weekly on 18 February 1938 “I have before me a letter describing the ill-treatment of Srimati Akkamma Cherian, a political prisoner.
Her treatment was surely disgraceful. She is a cultured woman. She gave up headmistress ship of a school in order to join the struggle for liberty”.
After independence, she was elected unopposed as member of the local legislative assembly. In 1951, at the age of 42 Akkamma married V.V. Varkey, a freedom fighter and a member of Legislative Assembly. She quit politics in the early 1950s in protest. Akkamma wrote in her autobiography, “Shakespeare has said that the world is a stage and that all the men and women are merely players; but to me, this life is a long protest – protest against conservatism, meaningless rituals, societal injustice, gender discrimination, against anything that is dishonest, unjust…when I see anything like this, I turn blind, I even forget who I am fighting…”
Akkamma had intestinal problems. She knew that death was imminent. She asked the doctor ‘Why is it so difficult for the soul to leave the body? The doctor was shocked and stood for a while.”. She was courageous even at her deathbed. She died on May 5th in 1982.