• Sanjose A Thomas

The decision by the Kerala government to include St.Kuriakose Elias of Chavara, popularly hailed as ‘Chavarayachan’, into the list of social reformers from Kerala in Std 7 textbook is a welcome one, but adding someone who laid foundations for social reform in Kerala to a list will become meaningful only of we understand the underpinnings of his vision for a new social order. Chavarayachan as we fondly call him lived and worked in the 19nth century Kerala society, which was deeply marred by the atrocities and social trauma imposed by the caste system in almost all spheres of life. Whenever we discuss about social reformers and social reforms in Kerala we usually start with Sree Narayana Guru and from Mahatma Ayyankali and others who were all in their youth or teenage when the Kerala society was experiencing the first wave of reform initiatives taken by St. Kuriakose Elias of Chavara. Chavarayachan was the first indigenous missionary who understood the imperative to start a printing press in Kerala which happened at Mannanam when Kerala was still in the slumbers of ignorance and social backwardness. The printing revolution that happened later in Kerala is deeply linked to the vision of Chavarayachan who oversaw the role of printing ink in transforming a social system more than anything say bullets or drums. But the real social revolution in Kerala happened when he took the bold and risky initiative as Vicar General to convince his Bishop to issue an order urging all parishes to ensure that they have a ‘Pallikoodam’ (school) along with a ‘Palli’ (church), where education should be imparted to all, irrespective of caste, religion, gender and language. That was a risky initiative as it could eventually invite the wrath of the forward sections of Kerala society, who could view it as a direct challenge to their centuries-old policy of discrimination and social exclusion. But Chavarayachan thought of it as a golden opportunity to educate the masses of Kerala and thus redeem them from the darkness of obscurantism. Chavarayachan was the first Indian who not only dared to admit the untouchables to schools but also provided them with Sanskrit education, which was then forbidden to the lower castes, thereby challenging social bans based on caste, as early as the earlier part of the 19th century. Fr Kuriakose Chavara knew that the schools he started in Mannanam and Arpookara would be successful only if the poor students, especially dalits, were given midday meals. This later inspired Sir C P Ramaswamy Iyer to recommend the scheme to the King for implementing in all government run schools. It continues even today in the government schools of Kerala.
Finally, he was instrumental in joining hands with Palackal Thoma Malpan and Porukara Thoma Kathanar to start an indigenous congregation for men named CMI and later an indigenous congregation for women named CMC, which paved the way for a strong spiritual renaissance amongst the Indian Christian community in Kerala, especially among the Syrian Christians. Chavarayachan also foresaw the need for a well trained group of men and women who could carry forward his legacy both in education and in other areas of social intervention. His literary contributions to Malayalam at a time when the language was trying to stand on its own, emerging out of the shadows of Tamil and Sanskrit, is not well known. His work ‘Anastasiayude Rakthasakshyam’ (The martyrdom of Anastacia) can be rightly regarded as the first semi-epic poem in Malayalam. He also wrote elaborately on the need to reform family life in Kerala, with special emphasis on Christian spirituality, and authored a number of chronicles, letters and prayer texts that are in use even now. Many of us, especially the younger generation, who relish “Prior Mango’ may not be aware that St. Kuriakose Chavara had popularised it. It is named after him, who was endearingly called “Prior” based on his position as the Prior or head of the religious congregation he founded.
Chavarayachan played a crucial role in shaping the destiny of Kerala society by helping it discover itself and break the shackles of socio–cultural and economic backwardness at a painful and desperate period of its history. St Kuriakose Elias of Chavara can be rightly regarded as the progenitor of renaissance in Kerala society and can be held at par with Raja Ram Mohan Roy of Bengal and Mahatma Phule of Maharashtra.