In Politics, an organized minority is a political majority.- Jesse Jackson
These words are literally true in the recent politics in the state of Kerala.
The Church which has owned the majority of Educational institutions in the state declared war against the Government and the ruling party in the state (LDF) trough their prayar meeting. The Leaders of Churches who are preaching the society the importance of Love and Patience also starts threatening the elected government and the Laws passed in the Legislative Assembly through the democratic methods.
Church has been following method of putting and anti minority image to the people who are trying to explore the facts that the minorities are enjoying the undue benefit which the majority does not have. For example they have called the previous Chief Minister Mr.A.K.Antony as anti minority due to the comments as follows:-
"We should see the reality in Kerala. The minorities in Kerala are organised. Other communities in the State have a complaint that these organised (minority) communities are securing more benefits from the government using their organisational clout and that they are bargaining for more benefits. There is such an atmosphere of grievance in Kerala. At the same time, it was the minority communities that benefited more through the large-scale migration to the Gulf, the United States and Europe. This has created an economic imbalance in Kerala's towns and cities. There is no point in shutting your eyes to this reality.
"Simultaneously, one can see the attempts of various political forces to take advantage of this situation. The minority leaders in the State should be willing to see this reality. They should also show some restraint. My personal opinion is that no organisation should believe that it can make the government do anything using its organisational clout. As Chief Minister I have a responsibility to advise them. Call it soft or hard (Hindutva). I am not such a sensitive man.
Now they are against the present Governement
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
KERALA HISTORY IN BRIEF
Kerala History
Kerala is first mentioned (as Keralaputra) in a 3rd-century-BC rock inscription left by the Mauryan emperor Asoka. In the last centuries BC this region became famous among the Greeks and Romans for its spices (especially pepper). During the first five centuries AD, the region was a part of Tamil(kam and thus was sometimes partially controlled by the eastern Pap;ya and Coga (Chola) dynasties, as well as by the CAras (Cheras). In the 1st century AD Jewish immigrants arrived, and Syrian Orthodox Christians believe that St. Thomas the Apostle visited Kerala in the same century.
Much of Kerala's history from the 6th to 8th century AD is obscure, but Arab traders introduced Islam later in the period. Under the Kulasekhara dynasty (c. 800-1102) Malayalam emerged as a distinct language, and Hinduism became prominent.
The Cogas often controlled Kerala during the 11th and 12th centuries. By the beginning of the 14th century, Ravi Varma Kulasekhara of Venad established a short-lived supremacy over southern India. After his death, Kerala became a conglomeration of warring chieftaincies, among which the most important were Calicut in the north and Venad in the south.
A rock inscription dating from the reign of Emperor Asoka, who ruled India in the 200's B.C., refers to the Chera people. It is probably the first historical mention of Kerala as a distinct region of India. The region was ruled by the Chera dynasty until the A.D. 400's. Traders from as far away as Rome brought gold coins and took away pepper. During this period, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism were introduced to South India by monks and migrants.
St. Thomas, the Christian apostle, is traditionally said to have founded the "Syrian" Church at Muziris (Cranganore) before A.D. 100. Jewish migrants established a settlement in Cochin in the 900's.
After the decline of the Chera dynasty, 200 years of confusion followed. During this time, Islam was introduced into Kerala by Arab merchants, whose descendants are locally known as Moplahs. In 825, the Kulasekhara dynasty began a new calendar, founded the city of Quilon, and set Kerala on a new path to greatness. Over the next 200 years, Malayalam developed as a separate language, which was close to, but distinct from, Tamil. Arts and learning flourished.
A hundred years of conflict with the Chola dynasty of what is now Tamil Nadu destroyed Kerala's prosperity and split it into small, warring states. Ravi Varma Kulasekhara, a local ruler, established a short-lived empire, uniting Kerala. His sudden death in 1314 caused Kerala to fall apart once more into small, mutually hostile areas.
In 1498, the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama landed at Calicut, and on Dec. 25, 1500, the Portuguese navigator Pedro Alvares Cabral arrived and began the Portuguese dominance of trade on the Malabar coast. The Dutch pushed out the Portuguese in the 1600's but were themselves decisively crushed in 1741 by King Martanda Varma of Travancore. Martanda Varma unified Travancore under his control. Between 1766 and 1790, the region was devastated by invasions from Mysore led by Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan.
After the death of Tipu Sultan in 1792, the East India Company of Britain annexed Malabar. A series of treaties brought the states of Travancore and Cochin also under their control. British control of Kerala was punctuated by rebellions. Pazhassi Raja of Malabar led a five-year revolt against British rule which ended with his death in 1805. Another uprising, under Velu Thampi of Travancore, also ended with the death of its leader in 1809. The Moplahs rose in rebellion from 1849 to 1855, and again in 1921.
The positive aspects of British rule included the establishment of an education system and the extension of plantation agriculture, especially tea. They improved Cochin as a major port and set up a network of communications, including better links with the rest of India. These links became the basis of development after India gained its independence in 1947.
Two years after India's independence was achieved in 1947, Cochin and Travancore were united as Travancore-Cochin state. The present state of Kerala was constituted on a linguistic basis in 1956 when Malabar and the Kasargod, taluka of South Kanara were added to Travancore-Cochin. The southern portion of the former Travancore-Cochin state was attached to Tamil Nadu.
Dravidians were among the earliest known inhabitants of India. Their descendants now live mainly in southern India and trace their ancestry back at least 4,500 years. Dravidians and Indo-Aryans form the two major ethnic groups of India.
The origin of the Dravidians remains unknown. But ruins of the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus Valley Civilization, which began about 2500 B.C., revealed an advanced culture thought to be Dravidian. About 1500 B.C., a people of central Asia called the Aryans conquered the Dravidians in northern India and drove some of them south. From about the A.D. 300's to 600's, Dravidian kings valued Brahmans (Hindu priests and scholars) from northern India for their literary skills and adopted much of their heritage.
Since the early 1900's, however, Dravidians have organized movements against remaining aspects of the Brahman heritage. During the 1960's, Tamil-speaking Indians were especially violent in protesting against a ruling that would have made Hindi, an Indo-European language, and India's only official language. Today, four of the country's 18 official languages are Dravidian.
The term Dravidian also refers to a family of about 20 languages. Four of the languages are spoken by about 200 million Indians, about a fifth of the country's population. The Indian government has formed separate states based on these four languages. Tamil is spoken in the state of Tamil Nadu, Telugu in Andhra Pradesh, Kannada in Karnataka, and Malayalam in Kerala.
The era of foreign intervention began in 1498, when Vasco da Gama landed near Calicut. In the 16th century, the Portuguese superseded the Arab traders and dominated the commerce of Malabar. Their attempt to establish sovereignty was thwarted by the zamorin (hereditary ruler) of Calicut. The Dutch ousted the Portuguese in the 17th century. Mar¡handa Varma ascended the Venad throne in 1729 and crushed Dutch expansionist designs at the Battle of Kolachel 12 years later. Marthanda Varma then adopted a European mode of martial discipline and expanded the new southern state of Travancore. His alliance in 1757 with the raja of the central state of Cochin, against the zamorin, enabled Cochin to survive. By 1806, however, Cochin and Travancore, as well as Malabar in the north, had become subject states under the British Madras Presidency.
The move toward democracy in Kerala was first expressed through social reforms. The most influential reformer was Narayana Guru, whose slogan was "One caste, one religion, one God for mankind." The Communists played an important part in the anticolonial movement in Kerala. Prominent among them were K. P. Kesava Menon, A. K. Pillai, E. M. S. Namboodiripad, K. Kesavan, T. M. Varghese, P. Krishna Pillai, and A. K. Gopalan. In 1947, the Communists organized armed insurrections against the state of Travancore in the villages of Vayalar and Punnapra.
In 1949, the two separate states of Travancore and Cochin were united. In 1956, the boundaries of the newly united states were revised to include neighbouring Malayalam-speaking areas, and the whole territory was officially named Kerala.
The state's history since independence has been dominated by efforts to raise living standards through economic development and a successful family planning policy. Important economic changes have included the development of local hydroelectric schemes, the modernization of the fishing-fleet with Norwegian assistance, and the development of manufacturing industry through state sponsorship. Kerala's political history since 1956 has been rather troubled, with rival parties holding power for short periods and with interludes of rule from Delhi, India's capital. The Communist Party, which broke the control of the Congress Party over the state in 1957, has shown itself to be restrained but effective in government. But Kerala's large number of political parties has ensured that the state is more often than not governed by a coalition (group of parties).
Kerala is first mentioned (as Keralaputra) in a 3rd-century-BC rock inscription left by the Mauryan emperor Asoka. In the last centuries BC this region became famous among the Greeks and Romans for its spices (especially pepper). During the first five centuries AD, the region was a part of Tamil(kam and thus was sometimes partially controlled by the eastern Pap;ya and Coga (Chola) dynasties, as well as by the CAras (Cheras). In the 1st century AD Jewish immigrants arrived, and Syrian Orthodox Christians believe that St. Thomas the Apostle visited Kerala in the same century.
Much of Kerala's history from the 6th to 8th century AD is obscure, but Arab traders introduced Islam later in the period. Under the Kulasekhara dynasty (c. 800-1102) Malayalam emerged as a distinct language, and Hinduism became prominent.
The Cogas often controlled Kerala during the 11th and 12th centuries. By the beginning of the 14th century, Ravi Varma Kulasekhara of Venad established a short-lived supremacy over southern India. After his death, Kerala became a conglomeration of warring chieftaincies, among which the most important were Calicut in the north and Venad in the south.
A rock inscription dating from the reign of Emperor Asoka, who ruled India in the 200's B.C., refers to the Chera people. It is probably the first historical mention of Kerala as a distinct region of India. The region was ruled by the Chera dynasty until the A.D. 400's. Traders from as far away as Rome brought gold coins and took away pepper. During this period, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism were introduced to South India by monks and migrants.
St. Thomas, the Christian apostle, is traditionally said to have founded the "Syrian" Church at Muziris (Cranganore) before A.D. 100. Jewish migrants established a settlement in Cochin in the 900's.
After the decline of the Chera dynasty, 200 years of confusion followed. During this time, Islam was introduced into Kerala by Arab merchants, whose descendants are locally known as Moplahs. In 825, the Kulasekhara dynasty began a new calendar, founded the city of Quilon, and set Kerala on a new path to greatness. Over the next 200 years, Malayalam developed as a separate language, which was close to, but distinct from, Tamil. Arts and learning flourished.
A hundred years of conflict with the Chola dynasty of what is now Tamil Nadu destroyed Kerala's prosperity and split it into small, warring states. Ravi Varma Kulasekhara, a local ruler, established a short-lived empire, uniting Kerala. His sudden death in 1314 caused Kerala to fall apart once more into small, mutually hostile areas.
In 1498, the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama landed at Calicut, and on Dec. 25, 1500, the Portuguese navigator Pedro Alvares Cabral arrived and began the Portuguese dominance of trade on the Malabar coast. The Dutch pushed out the Portuguese in the 1600's but were themselves decisively crushed in 1741 by King Martanda Varma of Travancore. Martanda Varma unified Travancore under his control. Between 1766 and 1790, the region was devastated by invasions from Mysore led by Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan.
After the death of Tipu Sultan in 1792, the East India Company of Britain annexed Malabar. A series of treaties brought the states of Travancore and Cochin also under their control. British control of Kerala was punctuated by rebellions. Pazhassi Raja of Malabar led a five-year revolt against British rule which ended with his death in 1805. Another uprising, under Velu Thampi of Travancore, also ended with the death of its leader in 1809. The Moplahs rose in rebellion from 1849 to 1855, and again in 1921.
The positive aspects of British rule included the establishment of an education system and the extension of plantation agriculture, especially tea. They improved Cochin as a major port and set up a network of communications, including better links with the rest of India. These links became the basis of development after India gained its independence in 1947.
Two years after India's independence was achieved in 1947, Cochin and Travancore were united as Travancore-Cochin state. The present state of Kerala was constituted on a linguistic basis in 1956 when Malabar and the Kasargod, taluka of South Kanara were added to Travancore-Cochin. The southern portion of the former Travancore-Cochin state was attached to Tamil Nadu.
Dravidians were among the earliest known inhabitants of India. Their descendants now live mainly in southern India and trace their ancestry back at least 4,500 years. Dravidians and Indo-Aryans form the two major ethnic groups of India.
The origin of the Dravidians remains unknown. But ruins of the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus Valley Civilization, which began about 2500 B.C., revealed an advanced culture thought to be Dravidian. About 1500 B.C., a people of central Asia called the Aryans conquered the Dravidians in northern India and drove some of them south. From about the A.D. 300's to 600's, Dravidian kings valued Brahmans (Hindu priests and scholars) from northern India for their literary skills and adopted much of their heritage.
Since the early 1900's, however, Dravidians have organized movements against remaining aspects of the Brahman heritage. During the 1960's, Tamil-speaking Indians were especially violent in protesting against a ruling that would have made Hindi, an Indo-European language, and India's only official language. Today, four of the country's 18 official languages are Dravidian.
The term Dravidian also refers to a family of about 20 languages. Four of the languages are spoken by about 200 million Indians, about a fifth of the country's population. The Indian government has formed separate states based on these four languages. Tamil is spoken in the state of Tamil Nadu, Telugu in Andhra Pradesh, Kannada in Karnataka, and Malayalam in Kerala.
The era of foreign intervention began in 1498, when Vasco da Gama landed near Calicut. In the 16th century, the Portuguese superseded the Arab traders and dominated the commerce of Malabar. Their attempt to establish sovereignty was thwarted by the zamorin (hereditary ruler) of Calicut. The Dutch ousted the Portuguese in the 17th century. Mar¡handa Varma ascended the Venad throne in 1729 and crushed Dutch expansionist designs at the Battle of Kolachel 12 years later. Marthanda Varma then adopted a European mode of martial discipline and expanded the new southern state of Travancore. His alliance in 1757 with the raja of the central state of Cochin, against the zamorin, enabled Cochin to survive. By 1806, however, Cochin and Travancore, as well as Malabar in the north, had become subject states under the British Madras Presidency.
The move toward democracy in Kerala was first expressed through social reforms. The most influential reformer was Narayana Guru, whose slogan was "One caste, one religion, one God for mankind." The Communists played an important part in the anticolonial movement in Kerala. Prominent among them were K. P. Kesava Menon, A. K. Pillai, E. M. S. Namboodiripad, K. Kesavan, T. M. Varghese, P. Krishna Pillai, and A. K. Gopalan. In 1947, the Communists organized armed insurrections against the state of Travancore in the villages of Vayalar and Punnapra.
In 1949, the two separate states of Travancore and Cochin were united. In 1956, the boundaries of the newly united states were revised to include neighbouring Malayalam-speaking areas, and the whole territory was officially named Kerala.
The state's history since independence has been dominated by efforts to raise living standards through economic development and a successful family planning policy. Important economic changes have included the development of local hydroelectric schemes, the modernization of the fishing-fleet with Norwegian assistance, and the development of manufacturing industry through state sponsorship. Kerala's political history since 1956 has been rather troubled, with rival parties holding power for short periods and with interludes of rule from Delhi, India's capital. The Communist Party, which broke the control of the Congress Party over the state in 1957, has shown itself to be restrained but effective in government. But Kerala's large number of political parties has ensured that the state is more often than not governed by a coalition (group of parties).
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