Question of English Language and Higher Education: Early Twentieth Century Ezhava Women’s Magazines in Kerala
Authors: Sreebitha P V  
Published: September 2022

The emergence of magazines in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century opened up possibilities for the project of modernity among various caste communities of Kerala. Ezhava community has brought out a considerable number of magazines (Vivekodayam, Sahodaran, Sahodari, Sthree, Sanghamitra, Mitavadi, and the like) in the name of community and reform. My interest in the proposed paper is to critically engage with the discourse on English and higher education for women in the Ezhava women’s magazines such as Sanghamitra, Sahodari, Sthree. Women’s articles appeared in the Thiyya magazine, Mitavadi, and Ezhava magazines like Mitavadi, Vivekodayam and Sahodaran would also be referred as it addresses the question women’s education.[1] The paper argues that the resistance of Ezhava reformers in facilitating English and higher education to women needs to be problematized in the context of contemporary discourse on English education and lower castes in India. The paper also discusses the inextricable link between English language and caste. It brings out Ezhava women’s voice in the subject and records the historical wrong that discouraged Ezhava women’s access to the English language and higher education.

[1]Sanghamitra started publishing in November 1920 from Kollam. Though it was edited by P. K. N. Vaidyar, an Ezhava male, it is said that it was published for Ezhava women. We also see many articles by women from different communities in this magazine. Sahodari was published from January 1925, P. R. Mandakini being its publisher and P. R Narayanan as its manager. In the first issue of Sahodari, it is stated that “…communities like Nairs, Christians and Muslims have women's magazines. We do not forget the fact that there was Sanghamitra, a magazine for Ezhava women which ran for a short term. We introduce Sahodari because we feel that it is important and necessary to have a magazine with the aim of the progress of Ezhava women”. Another magazine, Sthree was edited by Parvathi Ayyappan, an Ezhava woman, and claimed to be a journal for women and all those who are keen on women's progress. The editorial stated that the magazine would deal with matters concerning women and argue for women's freedom/liberation. They also note that there is no space for community arguments in Sthree. Mitavadi (weekly) started at Thalassery in the year 1906, with Moorkkott Kumaran as its editor. T. Sivasankaran was the owner of Mitavadi. It is said that Moorkkot Kumaran was attracted to the policy of Mitavadis and to bring popularity for their arguments he desired to bring out a magazine called Mitavadi. Moorkkoth Kumaran and T. Sivasankaran with the interest in the progress of Thiyyas began this magazine. After some time, Mitavadi (Monthly) was published from Kozhikode in 1907, with Murkkoth Kumaran and C. Krishnan as its editors. It is said that C. Krishnan was strongly against Hinduism. In 1913 he started to publish Mitavadi on his own in and in 1921 he made it a weekly. Vivekodayam was the first magazine that was published for the Ezhava community's development. Vivekodayam began as a bi-monthly in the year 1904 from Thiruvananthapuram. In the first issue of the magazine Vivekodayam (1904), its founder N. Kumaran Asan called it the powerful mouthpiece for the Ezhava community reformation. Sahodaranwas edited by K. Ayyappan, a rationalist as well as a social reformer. Ayyappan was against Hinduism and he converted to Buddhism. This magazine was addressed to all outcastes. Though its primary aim was to fight against caste discrimination, various issues concerning Ezhavas were also discussed in this magazine. It should also be noted that very few issues of the magazines Sthree, Sanghmitra, and Sahodari (of which are said to be Ezhava women’s magazines) are available.