The prominent scholars of Kerala History have mentioned about the Sree Narayana Movement. But they have not sufficiently assessed the inherent weakness in that movement. Nor have they assessed the Ayyankali Movement and P. R. D. S., the movement of the Dalits. For the first time in India, Ayyankali gave leadership to the open struggle of the Dalits. Ayyankali was born in 1863 in venganoor in Trivandrum. He experienced from childhood, the bitter effects of the caste distinction. He was illiterate. Yet he openly came forward to fight for the right of the Dalit people. In 1863 he went about in a Villuvandy as an open protest against the denail for freedom of movement. The Chaliya street upheavel in 1898 for freedom of movement and the riots in Nedumangad market in 1912 were significant. In 1907, the First Dalit Organisation-“Sadhujana Paripalana Sangham”-was formed for the first time in India. This samgham led many struggles The perinattu riot for school admission, the discarding of “Kallumala” that the pulayas had worn as part of the caste regulation that hurt their pride and similar activities were also significant. The subject of conversion to christianity was not directly connected with Ayyankali Movement. But Vellikkara Chothi and Pampadi John Joseph who had co-operated with the movement had viewed this as an important issue. That was why, John Joseph, Dalit Christain had furthered the formation of Cheramar Mahajana Sabha (1921). It was part of a movement against the discrimination by the upper castes that prompted him to form this organisation for uniting exclusively the pulayas (Cheramar). This movement later created adverse effect to the unity of the Dalits. Similarly we find in Swami Subhananda, the first Dalit, Sanyasi, a level contrary to the effect produced by the conversion of the Dalits to Christainity. He was a Dalit Christain by name Pappan Pathrose. He went to Tapogiri in Cheenthalor and did penance and accepted the life of a Sanyasi. He organised ‘Athma Bodhodaya Sangham” (1931). It was a Kerala version of religious reformatory movement like Sree Narayana Movement among dalits. But sorry to say it was also an another movement for Hindu revivalism.
Reference has been directly and indirectly made to the conversion of Dalits of Christianity, we have to examine the influence it has on the self-consciousness and identity to the Dalit people. It was for the first time that the community of Dalits, that was free from religion, was subjected by Christianity to come to the fold of religion. It was through conversion that they changed from tribal traditions to organised practices and worship. Such change was the first that they had to undergo. It is beyond doubt that the kind of approach to the Christian missionaries on the one way and the oppression of the upper castes, on the other was persuaded them in their conversion. We have to Examine the social and political implications of this conversion to Christianity and took. Place by the end of the 19th century. Conversion took the place as part of the movement for colonisation. We notice in history the downfall of the supermacy of an “agent class” the Nairs in Kerala during the regions of Marthanda Varma in Travancore, Sakthan Thampuran in Kochi and Tippu Sulthan in Malabar. The failure of the armed insurrections of Veluthambi and Paliyathachan accelerated this downfall. At this stage, it was the need of the English Ruler’s to create a class of “agents/workers” for their administrative purposes and motto. That was why the Christian missionaries were sent into the social field of Kerala. At that stage in history, they could not give rise to a prestigious social class. Yet the converted class could in those days function as a powerful sociological group.
But it may be concluded that, really the conversion never did not encourage the development of the Dalit orginality/identity. It created and identity crisis (Ninety percent of the converts belonged to the Dalits) It was the context of this identity crisis, there P.R.D.S. emerged. In other words P.R.D.S. faces the identity crisis of Dalit conversion. Hindu supremacy had no affected the Dalit Christians in this sense. It had existed as an oppressive socio-political institution. The powers of Hindu supremacy closed door before the Dalits, the doors of higher knowledge called to be of Hinduism. So the critical situation created by the identity crisis resulting from the Dalit conversion faced by P.R.D.S. was singular. Amid it did not face similar situation ever posed by Hinduism.
The advent of P.R.D.S. was not a chance occurrence. It was the effect and teachings of Poikayil Sree Kumara Guru Deva, Poikayil Appachan, the founder of P.R.D.S. that gave life to this movement.
At that time Kerala was compraised of three Independent Kingdoms. The founder of P.R.D.S. was born on 5th of Kumbham 1054 M.E. as a slave to Syrian Christian family by name Sankaramangalam family. ‘Kandan’ and ‘Lechi’ were his parent. They gave him the name of ‘Komaran’ later was changed to ‘Kumaran’. Kumaran had to do the slavish work of Sankaramangalam household. Because his master followed the Christain faith, the slave boy kumaran had to become a Christain faith, the slave boy Kumaran had to become a Christian by name Yohannan. He learned reading and writing. It was at that time that he came to know of the Bible. In those days, the dalit divisions like Parayas, Pulayas and Kuravas practised untouchability among themselves. From boyhood, the awareness that Parayas, Pulayas and Kuravas were his own people when he became mature. Yohannan left the Sankaramangalam family and trade farewell to his mother. He set out to organise his people. He felt that he had to work within the Christian religion in order to be one with his people who had embraced Christian religion. Then he joined the Marthoma Church. But Yohannan was intimated by the discrimination that witnessed in that church. Dalits were second rate members in that church. One day, the dead body of a default Christian was buried in the burial ground of the church. The same night the leaders of parish got the dead body out. This caused much commotion. Thus Yohannan left the Marthoma Church. Then be worked in the “Brother mission” and the separatist sect. There also he confront discrimination. So be turned away from them. By this time, Yohannan came to be widely known as a Christian teacher (“updates”) He had preached. The messages from the Bible in many places. But soon it became clear that these preaching and activities were a disguise. Yohannan used the Bible itself as a disguise. Yohanna ‘Upadesi’ was vehement in defying the false Bible culture among the dalits. This defiance led him to leave different christian groups. His subsequent activities were secretive and disguised. He organised meetings in open places, market places and by the side of roads many of dalits stood and united behind him. There were attacks on many meetings. The meetings of ‘Kuzhiparampil Pathrose’ a dalit christian were subjected to attacks. The topics of his speeched were “sons of wickedness and sons of God” and seven churches in Asia and the like. His orations were ironical. The attack on a thronged meeting at ‘Othara’ (in Pathanamthitta district) was a major incident that time. The meeting was in ‘Pandal’ with hanging hurricane lamps. The upper caste people smashed the lamps and set fire to the ‘Pandal’. The audience in defence and Yohannan upadesi went up to a tree and spend night long spent at it. On another occasion when the high caste people were haunting for him, Yohannan had to hide himself under water in a streamlet. When the meeting at Muthalapra was attacked Yohanna upadesi escaped in the guise of a women. There followed a procession of assaults. In many places like Vakathanam, Vellanidi, Kozhukachira, Mangalom meeting were disrupted. If the attack on the meetings at Vettiyadu, a women was killed. It was at this time that the famous Maramon convention was boycotted. A rebel meeting was convened at Muthalapra. Fire was kindled and thousands Bible was thrown into it. Every one was asked to do so. Thousands of copies of Bible were thrown into fire. All these provoked the leaders of the Christian Churches. They appointed an enquiry commission Sri. K. V. Simon, a poet and preacher was a member of the commission. In his book ‘The History of the Separalist churches of Malankara” he devoted a chapter “The work of Poikayil Yohannan and P.R.D.S. to deal with the dalits, According to him “……….. just as Pumchaminnil Mammen Upadesi rose in the Marthoma Church in the wake of the upheaval of removal, a ceratin Poikayil Yohannan rose among the untouchables who were with the sperrylites. He was a convert from the Paraya community and a serf to the Sankaramangalam family of Eraviperoor. At last he became a member of this (the separatist church) preached some new doctrines and misled many including two prominent members. Thus he attempted form a new organization. The main aim of Yohannan and his associated was to do away with Caste distinctions…….” Reference is also made to the objectives and doctorine of Yohannan.” The Bible is not for this time or this generation. The Church should end in this world with the end of the periods of the Apostles. Among the generations form that time to the present there is not a single one who has been slaves…..” There is no second coming and no thousand year region….” As a result of these doctrine, many of those who had formerly termed themselves “Saved ones” needing nothing more than the sermons and doctorines of Yohannan. Sp they burned the Bible in bulk. The word of Yohannan was the law for anything.
Thus the Dalits in crowds rallied behind Yohannan and causes much cemmotion. They grace up work on land and in field and champed at sites of meetings. They went from one meeting to another. The land lords were in trouble because they had no one to labor in land and in fields. They tried to frame false cased against him and to kill him. Thus they moved against the ‘peace rally’ at Maramkulam. They complained to the courts that Yohannan was speaking against the British.
If yohannan was produced before the Second Class Judicial Magistrate at Changanacherry. During the trial, the Magistrate wanted to know the name of his ‘Sabha’. In reply he gave the name “Prathyaksha Raksha Daiva Sabha”-PRDS . This was in 1910. But the doctorines and activities of the Sabha had already started.
“Extract from circular No. 9/1962 Published from the head office of P.R.D.S. on 18.11.1962 page 9,10)
In 1908 Yohannan got himself divorced from all Christian denominations and started working independently. He convened a meeting and Kulathoor in Mallappally (Pathanamthitta District) and Introduced the subject “Guarantee of Salvation” (Raksha Nirayam) He spoke about the early history of Dalits, their lost prestige and spiritual cultural identity regeneration. Here the conducted meeting like Thothu Yogam and Thrithwa Yogam”. The meeting continued for months and Dalits largely took part in them. They called Yohannan “Appachan” to mean that he was their saviour. The recognised as their teacher and their guide. All the while disruptive activities were gaining strength among Dalits in Kerala. In the first meeting of Cheramar Mahajana Sabha at Podipara, Eraviperoor in Pathanamthitta Dist., Kerala on4.1.1921 Appachan spoke strongly agaisnt such activities.
It has already been mentioned that the activities of Poikayil Yohannan, the founded of P.R.D.S. was disguised. He used Bible verses to deceive the high caste people. He defied the same tactfully. Yohannan complied many songs with this meaning. They derived the wisdom of the Bible. For example one of his sing says:
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