Is Accamma Cherian, one of Kerala's most fearless freedom fighters marginalized?

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Accamma Cherian:postal cover, /mbstamps.blogspot.com

Accamma Cherian, one of Kerala's most daring freedom fighters, made, no doubt, solid and memorable contributions to India's independence struggle.  That despite her extraordinary role in the movement, she remains relatively unknown outside her home state is unfortunate. Several factors, including gender bias, political marginalization, and the erasure of regional contributions in the national narrative, have contributed to her fading into obscurity.

Early Life and Entry into Politics

Born in 1909 to a wealthy Catholic family in Travancore (now Kerala), Accamma Cherian excelled in academics, studying history before becoming a teacher and later a headmistress in Edakkara. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, she resigned from her teaching job in 1938 to join the Travancore State Congress. Her decision to leave behind a secure career and step into the uncertain and often perilous world of political activism was a testament to her commitment to the cause of freedom and her inherent ability to fight for the nation's freedom and Indian womanhood.

Accamma Cherian with Nehru

Historian J Devika has called Cherian one of the first-generation feminists of the state. She  died in 1982 in the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram (formerly Trivandrum) unsung. A statue built in her memory stands in a park was named after her in the city.

The Iconic Protest of 1938

Cherian's defining moment came in October 1938, a tumultuous period when she singularly led a mass rally of over 20,000 people to the royal palace in Travancore to protest the ban on the Congress party as  several front line Congress leaders like Pattam Thanu Pillai and Kuttanad Ramakrishna Pillai were in jail.  Mrs. Cherian was tasked with leading the protest.  Dressed in khaddar (Indian hand-spun fabric) and standing in an open jeep, she marched fearlessly to the palace gates. To the then Dewan of  Travancore Sir C. P. Ramaswami Aiyar,  an eminent Administrator and lawyer, the violent agitation became a serious issue  as he was responsible to both the royal family as well as to the British Raj. The british rulers were behind the Dewan. When the police chief threatened to open fire on the protesters, Cherian boldly declared, "I am the leader; shoot me first before you kill others." Her courage and her bold stand compelled the authorities to retreat, and the protest succeeded in pressuring the government to release the jailed leaders.

This act of defiance earned her the title "Jhansi Ki Rani of Travancore" from Mahatma Gandhi, in reference to the 19th-century queen who led a rebellion against the British at Jhansi, MP. .

Marginalization in Post-Independence India

Despite her prominence during the freedom struggle, Cherian, like many women activists, was sidelined after India had gained independence. In 1947, she was elected as a lawmaker in Travancore’s first free elections. However, she soon faced political marginalization, being denied a ticket to contest in parliamentary elections during the 1950s. A senior party leader argued that women were already "empresses of the home" and should not engage in politics.

Accamma Cherian en-media.thebetterindia.com

Cherian criticized the exclusion of women who had fought for the nation’s independence. Disillusioned, she quit politics and lived a quiet life with her husband, fellow freedom fighter VV Varkey Mannamplackal.

Legacy and Memory

Accamma Cherian’s contributions were largely forgotten in the decades following her death in 1982. She is one of many women who played a vital role in India’s freedom movement but were pushed to the margins in post-colonial India. A statue in her honor stands in Thiruvananthapuram, but outside Kerala, her story remains little known.

Cherian’s legacy highlights the importance of recognizing regional heroes and the vital role of women in India’s independence, whose stories deserve a more prominent place in the national narrative.

http://www.yentha.com/news/view/features/statues-of-trivandrum-accamma-cherian

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-62559091

https://www.navrangindia.in/2015/12/accamma-cherian-jhansi-rani-of.html

https://thebetterindia.com/tags/accamma-cherian/

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