A Princely Satyagraha
PR Rama Varma Raja passed away in 2001. He had built a city by then and earned the name Alakode Raja. A statue of his was unveiled in Alakode a few years back and people still speak of him reverentially.
He was married to the younger sister of the Maharani of Travancore and for many years worked as the Devaswom Commissioner of the Travancore state. While growing up in Tripunithura I always looked forward to the pleasant uncle who visited us frequently each month. He always wore a white shirt, perfect and spotless, and a white mundu. He had an official looking briefcase. It appeared to me that the colour of his skin was a pale off white, like milk. Ever pleasant, I was told that he arrived for work related to court cases. I could not believe that he was way past ninety years. After I discovered his year of birth, 1903, I would always calculate the number of years from then to the year I was in. Just to be sure of it.
After his meetings in the court he would immediately return to Alakode, an overnight journey from Kochin. My brother Venu would drop him off to the railway station for a late night train. Once by the time they reached the station the train had started moving. It had gathered speed but my grand uncle sprinted, leaving a stunned Venu behind. There were noises from the platform, people calling out to him. But he ran, fast, and in no time he was in the train. He was intact and so was his briefcase. Venu says that the people in the platform started clapping.
I often remember this incident, narrated so vividly to me on many occasions. Such an unwise decision it is, to run along a moving train. But if you are so sure of your grip, and you know what your body is capable of, I think there is nothing to prevent you from reaching out to that grip on the door, rapidly moving away. I have seen younger men run to get into running trains. Sprinting like athletes and whooshing past me, who would rather let that train leave.
When you built a city and you are ninety, a train gathering speed must be a far lesser challenge.
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A few years after his birth Gandhi in South Africa was writing a letter for the journal he brought out titled Indian Opinion. He had some pre-formed ideas of a truth force by employing non-violent methods. He called this Sadagraha. Gandhi’s uncle modified the coinage into Satyagraha.
Gandhi tentatively decided to use it until a new name was found. Later, no new name was found, but a new idea was invented.
The Satyagraha movement in South Africa had by 1914 seen almost 35 percent of the Indian population in South Africa in jail. They let themselves be arrested voluntarily and were jailed, indefinitely, baffling the authorities who were defanged of their power and violence by the peaceful yet cheerful methods of the prisoners.
When my uncle was in Presidency College as a student of history in the early 20s, he would have read about Gandhi and the nationalist movement in India.
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In 1924 PR Rama Varma Raja had finished his BA in History from Presidency College in Madras. He wished to study for law now, but was faced with a worrisome piece of information. The stipend had been cut off and he would have to return to Poonjar. He was not the only one studying there. There were younger brothers and younger cousins undergoing various courses. They were the first set of young men to leave Poonjar for a modern education. Two of his direct brothers were studying for engineering and medicine. Many others were pursuing their degrees in the arts. All of them being the first in the tide to understand and receive an ‘English’ styled education with degrees and diplomas. But now they all had to return. The modernization project for the youngsters appeared to be short lived.
During those years the practice in Poonjar was to wait for a boy to turn sixteen and then marry him off to a Nair family. The oldest male member, tilted as the Valiya Thampuran took all decisions on behalf of the family. When the youngsters had left for studies there was a progressive Valiya Thampuran, someone who understood the importance of modern education.
But he had passed away. There was the general impression that the new Valiya Thampuran was more conservative.
Poonjar in 1899 had shrunk to a principality under the Travancore state. However the royal family was much revered due to its Pandya ancestry, one of the oldest dynasties in the world. The Poonjar raja’s were peace loving. They had purchased large parts of their terrotory after shifting from Madurai and had never invaded to expand.
The new Valiya Thampuran was entirely dependent on his manager Shankunni Pillai for all decisions related to administrative matters. Citing the expenses incurred for sending all the young men in the family for studies, Shankunni Pillai has recommended that the Valiya Thampuran recall all of them. Shankunni Pillai also probably had alliances kept ready for the young princes. Marry them off to various families and save the money that is being spent in far off places like Madras.
Their funds cut off now, all of them had to abruptly discontinue their studies and return home. They were Ramavarma Raja (Aniyan), Keralavarma Raja (Unni), Ramavarma Raja (Midukkan), Ramavarma Raja (Kunjiramavarman) Godavarma Raja and PR Ramavarma Raja (Kochumaruvan).
Ramavarma Raja (Kochumaruvan) tried his best to reason with the Valiya Thampuran but then Shankunni Pillai who was calling the shots did not permit the old man to change his decision. They were denied of their stipend for an education.
After continuously approaching the Valiya Thampuran and being denied their stipend and permission to pursue studies, the youngsters were at loss.
Gandhi had recently called off Satyagraha after the Chauri Chaura incident. Gandhi felt that Indians were not prepared for non-violent resistance. But young princes of Poonjar were preparing for their non-violent protest against the Valiya Thampuran.
One morning the princes decided to start their Satyagraha in front of the Valiya Thampuran’s residence. The manager was the first to arrive and warn them. A threat that he will use the police to send them back home.
The manager then brought the police who threatened them with dire consequences. But then a police officer would have been at loss on actually arresting them.
From the third day they strengthened their resolve by fasting. They stayed away from food. Ramavarma Raja also took this a step further. They would now camp in the verandha of the Valiya Thampuran’s palace. It was customary practice that the food brought in for the eldest member be served to him by the cooks or the male servants of the household. The princes dismissed the servants and took up the task of serving him.
The old man would have been terribly embarrassed. Starving young men serving him during all hours of his meals. The manager was still unshaken and unmoved by the actions of the young men.
Soon people started flocking outside the palace to watch the Satyagraha of the princes and to witness the starving Satygrahis serve food to the Valiya Thampuran. Rama Varma Raja’s mother along with other members of the family approached the Valiya Thampuran and informed him that if any of the princes die, all the female members in the family have decided to starve to death. As she declared this she had in her arms her newly born daughter, Ambika Thampuratty, who now in 2018 is the eldest surviving member of Poonjar royal family.
As news spread and the crowds increased, the Government under the Travancore state came in to intervene. The negotiations failed as the Valiya Thampuran was chained to the decisions of the manager. Shankunni Pillai would not cede to the demands of the princes. On the seventh day a delegation from the public appealed to the Thampuran to find a solution as they were unhappy to see the young princes starving themselves to death. Nothing happened again. But that evening in the pressed darkness of the night, Shankunni Pillai, who faced significant public ire, was beaten up. The injured manager immediately tended his resignation and left Poonjar the same night.
The Valiya Thampuran finally agreed to negotiate but he had a demand. It was clear that he had no abilities to take decisions, and now his manager was gone. He made a condition that if Kochumaruvan can stay back and take care of the affairs in Poonjar, he will restart the stipend and permit the others to go and pursue their education.
The agreement was reached and the Satyagraha was called off.
An idea perfected by Gandhi in 1907 in South Africa had now rescued the princes in Poonjar.
We call this the Satyagraha of our uncles.
