Vincent Kundukulam
History is an ever-enriching resource for learning. Those who are interested in matters of faith have to reflect on history, which is closely connected with the life of people. Reading history in the light of faith help us to understand how we can meet the events and problems in life according to God’s will.
The Kerala region of the 19th century was badly affected by casteism, religious superstitions and social obscurantism. A large majority of people carried the burden of discriminations based on race, color and caste. While the religious practices of the elite community were affected by rigid traditions and manipulating rituals, the ordinary people practiced a mixture of magic, sorcery and demonology. These multiple settings induced a certain number of social and religious leaders to take initiatives to renew the culture.
Among the various factors that inspired the indigenous leaders in this direction comes first the Christian missions. They propagated values of justice and equality through their educational institutions. Their services reached up to people irrespective of caste and creed. This is because according to Christian faith, all men are created in the image and likeness of God. Discrimination of any sort is opposite to Christian faith.
We find in Kerala two distinct approaches adopted by the social reformers towards religion. People like Sri Narayana Guru, Vakkam Abdul Khadir Maulavi and V.T. Bhattathiripadu did question neither the existence nor the pertinence of religion. What they attacked was the malpractices in the religious sector. Given the role religion can play in man’s life, their attention was to rectify the mistakes in Hinduism with the help of renewed interpretations of the Scriptures and alternative models of ritual practices. But people like Ayyankali and Sahodaran Ayyappan saw religions as barriers in the path of social justice and hence, they were reluctant to use religious potentials for the reformation of society. They drew the force and means for social change from the secular ideologies like atheism, socialism and secularism.
As Christians, we don’t deny the space secular ideologies occupy in search of truth because there exists also a great deal of potentials capable of bringing in social transformation. It is worth quoting here what Pope Francis writes in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium: ‘the light of reason and the light of faith both come from God (EN, 242).
Similarly, it is interesting to note that the leading figures of Kerala renaissance were mostly Hindus. It gives us evidence to say that God’s Spirit is working in the whole humanity irrespective of creed and caste. The fact that they don’t belong to Christian faith does not deprive us of from recognizing them as ambassadors of God because, when someone works for the cause of justice, peace and love through righteous means, then contribute to the fulfilment of His salvific plan on earth. The cry of the poor is always in the ears of God. It is up to God’s Divine will, to use the appropriate persons for His mission on earth.
The methods used by social reformers for social change are worth discussing. Sri Narayana Guru, in a move to liberate religious ceremonies from the clutches of devious Brahmins, invented new objects like lamp, mirror etc. as mediums for religious function. Auspiciously, the interpretations given regarding these symbols helped the devotees to refresh their understanding of God and spiritual life. The ride in Villuvandi and the Kallumala agitation by Ayyankali are symbolically speaking, very powerful tools for social transformation. This must inspire the leaders of structured religions to re-examine the effectiveness of the religious symbols, signs and metaphors they use in ceremonies. To keep the religious rituals meaningful and relevant for the ‘present’ is a challenge for theologians of all times.
kundu1962@gmail.com
