 k. kelappan (august 24, 1889 - october 7, 1971) was a founding member and president of nair service society, a reformer, an indian freedom fighter, educationist and journalist. he is also known as kerala gandhi. post independence he held various seats in gandhian organizations. ==early life== kelappan was born in the small village of muchukunnu in calicut, kerala. he studied in calicut and madras and graduated from the university of madras before starting his career as a teacher at st. berchmans high school, changanassery. kelappan was the founding president of the nair service society and later became the principal of a school run by the society. ==as reformer== he fought for social reforms on one hand and the british on the other. he was called kerala gandhi. he worked hard for eradication of untouchability and worked for upliftment of harijans. he set up many harijan hostels and schools in kerala. ==role in indian freedom movement==  he joined studies in law at bombay which he gave up to join the non-cooperation movement led by mahatma gandhi and joined the freedom movement. during the malabar rebellion, he faced a group of rebels who came to loot the ponnani treasury and persuaded them to retreat by appealing to their good sense. he gave the lead to the payyannur and calicut salt satyagraha and was chosen as the first satyagrahi from kerala in the individual satyagraha movement launched by gandhiji. he played a dominant role in the famous vaikom satyagraha and was the leader of the [[guruvayur saty
1889_births 1971_deaths 1st_Lok_Sabha_members Indian_National_Congress_politicians_from_Kerala Indian_civil_rights_activists Indian_independence_activists_from_Kerala Lok_Sabha_members_from_Kerala Malayali_people People_from_Kerala People_from_Kozhikode