5.  Fight for Justice

    This second order from Munroe did not solve the problems. Instead, the upper caste Hindus gathered all their might to protect the existing social order. It again resulted in social unrest and tensions. Many people belonging to the Nadar community were imprisoned. CSI Amaravila was set on fire many times during the period 1813-1859, when the Upper Cloth Agitation was going on. The upper caste people tortured those belonging to this community in as many ways as they could. They exercised their influence on the Regent. Once John Munroe went back to England, the Regent Rani Gauri Parvathi Bhai issued a second order prohibiting the Nadar women from wearing upper cloth (1829). 

    However, the Nadar community was not in a mood to obey the royal order. They continued to wear upper cloth. Hence the social tensions and oppressions continued. In the 1830s, Swathi Thirunal reigned over reigned over Travancore. He maintained a friendly relationship with the Christian missionaries because he wanted to provide western education to the royal family members. With the help of the missionaries, he founded the Maharaja’s school, which later became the University College, Trivandrum. English education was officially permitted in 1835. Utilising this opportunity, the missionaries obtained royal permission to shift the LMS headquarters from Nagercoil to Trivandrum. Kannammoola, which was a barren land, was given to the missionaries. Rev. John Cox worked hard to build up a mission centre here. 

    Nevertheless, Swathi Thirunal maintained a conservative outlook on social issues. He held the view that it was improper for the Nadar women to wear decent cloth. The agitation against the Regent’s order of 1829 continued throughout his regime. He was not ready to heed to their demand. Vaikunta Swami (Aiyya Vaikuntar), Hindu spiritual leader of Nadar community, provided ideological support to the agitation during his regime, which was going on under the LMS missionaries. Undoubtedly, his ideas were radical and ahead of his time. He can be rightfully called the first social reformer of South India.  But it would not be correct to call him the leader of the Upper Cloth Agitation. It may be noted that the Agitation began when he was an infant, and continued even after his death in 1851. Also, the agitation was only for the freedom of those women who were converted to Christianity, and not for the entire women of the community. (Finally, when the agitation ended in a success, the order by the Travancore Queen permitted only the Nadar Christian women to wear decent cloth, as befitting to the customs of their new faith).