37 Facts About Pandit Karuppan

Pandit Karuppan was a poet, dramatist, and social reformer who lived in Kerala, India.

Pandit Karuppan emerged from Ernakulam of Cochin State as a relentless crusader against untouchability and social evils.

Pandit Karuppan was called the "Lincoln" of Kerala for steering socio-economically and educationally backward communities to the forefront.

Pandit Karuppan was born on 24 May 1885, at Cheranelloor, near Ernakulam into a lower middle class family of Dheevara fishermen community to Paapu and Kochu Pennu.

The Malayalam meaning of Pandit Karuppan is "person of black colour", but Pandit Karuppan had a very fair complexion.

The name Pandit Karuppan was given to him by a Tamil Gosai who was a family friend.

Pandit Karuppan predicted that the boy would become a great scholar and suggested the name Karpan, which later turned into Karuppan.

Pandit Karuppan studied Sanskrit Kavyas under Mangalappillil Krishnan Asan of Cherai and returned to Cheranelloor to study with Annamanada Rama Pothuval.

Pandit Karuppan studied the Kavyas Makham and Nyshadham and Bhoja Chambu from Rama Pothuval.

Soon Pandit Karuppan was appointed Sanskrit teacher at the St Theresa's Convent Girls' High School in Ernakulam.

The Maharaja of Cochin over-ruled them and warned that girls unwilling to study under Pandit Karuppan would be sent out from the school, ending the protests.

Pandit Karuppan pressed the Government to establish a separate department for this purpose leading to the establishment of the department for the Protection of the Depressed Classes with the then Director of Public Instruction, Rao Sahib C Mathai as ex-officio Protector and Karuppan as full-time Assistant Protector.

Pandit Karuppan persuaded the Government to provide scholarships, fee concessions and a number of other incentives for the education of children from the depressed classes.

Pandit Karuppan wrote Aacharabhooshanam to generate awareness among the depressed classes against superstitions, the book being printed and distributed free of cost to the public by the Government.

Pandit Karuppan was instrumental in starting fishery schools under the re-organised Fisheries Department.

When his three-year term on the Legislative Council expired, Pandit Karuppan was nominated for a second term but he requested that the Diwan give the post to some other member of the depressed classes.

Chanchen, a Pulaya leader, as MLC and Pandit Karuppan tendered his resignation to make way for Chanchen.

Pandit Karuppan was then appointed as Secretary to the Elementary Education Committee and the Bhashaparishkarana Committee.

Pandit Karuppan wrote the play under compulsion from guru Rama Pisharody in 10 days but, nervous and embarrassed to treat his beloved Maharaja as a character for the stage, Pandit Karuppan gave symbolic names to the characters in the drama.

Pandit Karuppan's creation was judged best and won the prize.

Baalaakalesam was first staged in Maharaja's College, Ernakulam and Pandit Karuppan's friend Kottilil Narayana Marar, who was an upper caste Hindu, provided financial assistance to print the book.

The poem Udyanavirunnu was penned by Pandit Karuppan to reflect his angst at being not invited to a garden party that the Maharaja hosted for a visiting Governor of Madras in which all other MLCs except him was invited.

Pandit Karuppan decided to quit his teaching job to spend more time and energy spearheading social reforms.

Pandit Karuppan put strong pressure on his fellow countrymen to become better educated and accept a healthier lifestyle.

Pandit Karuppan organised the first Sabha, Kalyanadayini Sabha, at Anapuzha, Kodungalloor.

Pandit Karuppan gave equal emphasis to the emancipation of other communities too as seen through the formation of the Cochin Pulaya Maha Sabha for the uplift of the Pulaya community in 1913.

Subsequently, Pandit Karuppan persuaded other communities like Velas, Sambavas, Ulladas and Kudumbis to form similar Sabhas to give momentum to their fight against social evils and discrimination.

Pandit Karuppan waited for a favourable opportunity to tackle the issue.

Pandit Karuppan then took them to the exhibition site in a procession, having already asked them to arrive and wait in their country boats on the Vembanad lake.

From that day, the Pulayas could enter Ernakulam Town and Pandit Karuppan had secured the right to walk on public roads for the Pulayas and other depressed classes.

Pandit Karuppan had a special appreciation for Christianity whose missionaries had helped in Kerala's education by starting a number of educational institutions that admitted students without discrimination of religion or caste.

When His Grace Alexis Henry Leppeesier visited Cochin in 1925, Pandit Karuppan wrote a welcome poem.

Pandit Karuppan had written poems highlighting the greatness of the Buddha and Prophet Mohammed.

Aggrieved by the death of Sree Chattambi Swamikal, Pandit Karuppan wrote a condolence poem titled Samadhi Sapthakam.

Pandit Karuppan died of pleurisy on 23 March 1938 at the age of 53.

The Pandit Karuppan Smaraka Grameena Vayanasala is a library founded in 1953 in Karuppan's native village of Cheranelloor.

The admirers of Pandit Karuppan have formed an organisation to promote the memory of this great Sanskrit scholar, poet and social reformer.