Hidden Gems of Kerala Chittedathu Sanku Pillai- The Lone Martyr in Vaikom Sathyagraha

“When a tyrant dies, his rule ends but when a martyr dies, his rule actually begins!!!”

Soren Kierkegaard.

He lived only for 35 years on earth...but left an indelible mark in the vibrant history of Kerala's renaissance.

Chittedathu Sanku Pillai was born on 10th April 1887, in a place called Mallapuzhasseri in Pathanamthitta. He was educated in Kozhenchery and Mannar. He started his public life at the age of 22. He showed great interest in Khadi movement, Propagation of Hindi and crusade against untouchability.

Soon he entered into political career. He was nominated as successor of Barrister A.K. Pillai for the post of Secretary, Travancore District Congress. He participated in Gaya Congress in 1922 and Kakinada Congress in 1923. In Kakinada Congress, three eminent personalities from Kerala, viz, K.P.Kesava Menon (Secretary, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee), Deshabhimani T.K. Madhavan and the famous historian, Sardar K.M.Panicker, met Mahatama Gandhi to inform some bad customs prevailing in Kerala especially in Travancore that time. They underlined the problems faced by the lower caste Hindus.

They were not only down-trodden, but not even allowed to walk through the roads adjacent to temples!! A Christian could..A Muslim could ...but not an Ezhava, Paraya or Pulaya...what a terrible discrimination!! Another strange phenomenon was that if a Pulaya was converted to Christianity he was allowed to use these roads..The Kerala leaders discussed the matter with Gandhiji. Deshabhimani T.K.Madhavan suggested Sathyagraha before Haripad temple. But Gandhiji suggested Vaikom temple a better venue as it was a nationally famous pilgrim center. Thus it was decided to start Sathyagraha before Vaikom temple from 30th March 1924 under the leadership of Deshabhimani T.K. Madhavan.

It was withdrawn on 23rd November, 1925. It was the biggest and historic strike which spanned 603 days in Kerala, nay, in South India itself. Eminent socio-political leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Sree Narayana Guru, E.V.Ramasswami Naicker, Akali leaders and Swami Sradhananda visited Vaikom and inspired the protesters. Harijan Sevak Sangh under the leadership of Changanassery Parameswara Pillai, Nair Service Society led by Mannathu Padmanabhan, T.R.Krishnaswami Iyyangar from Palakkad Sabari Ashram, and Barrister George Joseph were in the forefront of Sathayagaraha

From the very beginning of Vaikom Sathyagraha, Chittedathu Sanku Pillai involved actively as one of the organizers. He who arranged to bring in vegetables and other food items from the eastern side of Thiruvalla taluk into the Sathyagraha camp. Akali leaders prepared food for the Sathyagrahis. When leaders like Mannathu Padmanabhan and K.Kelappan were arrested, Sanku Pillai took over the leadership of Sathyagraha. He was instrumental in bringing the Pulaya community to the agitation.

Police and the rowdies of orthodox tried to suppress the agitation by force. Police of Travancore government tormented Sanku Pillai terribly. He was in jail for a month in April 1924 for a speech made in Chengannur against caste-ism and atrocities done on lower castes. The torture of Police and continuous hard work took a toll upon his health. He passed away on 11th December, 1924, when the Sathyagraha was on its peak.

Chittedathu Sanku Pillai was the lone martyr in the historic Vaikom Sathayagraha who was killed by the oppression and torture of Police and the orthodox. He suffered a lot while Mannathu Padmanabhan led a procession of the high castes people from Vaikom to Trivandrum. Many other agitators were also tormented, but Chittedathu Sanku Pillai was the only person who sacrificed his life for the noble cause of removing untouchability.

Sri.Gopalakrishnan Thelliyoor had written the biography of Chittedathu Sanku Pillai under the title : "Chittedathu Sanku Pillai - The Story of the first Political Martyr" in Malayalam, published by Current Books in 2007.

While celebrating the century of the great Sathyagraha, the government should make a special memorial for Sanku Pillai also in Vaikom.

Dr.Subramoniam Krishnan

Read from my upcoming book "Hidden Gems of Kerala- The stories of Unsung Heroes"