ACCAMMA CHERIAN - JHANSI RANI OF TRAVANCORE

 

ACCAMMA CHERIAN - JHANSI KI RANI OF TRAVANCORE

 

In the struggle for independence, India was fortunate to have received the assistance from countless minds. They initially were forged due to the chains put on them by the colonial society.  They exhibited daring acts both against the society and the British. They still continue to inspire the future generations to act against injustice and for liberty through their deeds. The freedom fighter whom I knew was Accamma Cherian.

 

                                    

Accamma Cherian, well known as ’The Jhansi ki Rani of Travancore’, was born in 14 February 1909 in Kanjirappaly, Travancore, part of the now Kerala. She was born in a Nasrani family ,constituting Christians,  as the second daughter of Thomman Cherian and Annama Karipparambil. She was schooled at a government girls high school and later on earned a BA in history. She became a teacher after completing her education and went on to become the headmistress. Even though she had a well-respected occupation, she gave up her teaching career in order to  join the struggle for liberty in the newly formed Travancore State Congress in 1938.

Travancore State Congress had been formed in order to  join all the Malayalam speaking provinces into a unified Kerala . In 1938, the Travancore State Congress decided to hold a public demonstration for a responsible government. The Dewan of the Travancore state , C.P.Ramaswami Aiyar, decided to suppress the agitation. He declared the state congress illegal . This lead to a civil disobedience movement  .Prominent leaders including the current president Pattom.A.Thanu Pillai of the state congress were arrested and put behind bars. After this , the state congress changed its way of agitation. Each president was given dictatorial powers and the right to nominate its successor as the working committee was dissolved. After the arrest of a president , the successor appointed by that president will claim his spot. After 11 presidents , Accamma was appointed as its president by Kuttanad Ramakrishna Pillai as the 12^th president.

Hardly 29 years of age , Accamma was well aware about the responsibility handed to her by the previous president who saw her as a bold , daring charismatic woman. later she wrote in her autobiography Jeevitham : Oru samaram (Life: A Protest) about the assignment ,”I was aware of the seriousness of the assignment and knew what the consequences could be, yet I volunteered to do the job.”

Accamma led a mass rally from Thampanoor to  Kowdiar Palace of the Maharaja Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma to revoke a ban on State Congress. The agitating mob also demanded the dismissal of the Dewan, C. P. Ramaswami Aiyar, against whom the State Congress leaders had levelled several charges. It is believed that over 20,000 people joined the rally under her leadership. The British police chief ordered his men to fire on the mass rally. The Brave Accamma Cherian exclaimed,” I am the leader; shoot me first before you kill others". The Bold statement from Accamma forced the police authorities to withdraw their orders. Her words inspired the thousands behind her and the whole country hailed her unflinching courage. After hearing the events , Mahatma Gandhiji gave her the title of ‘The Jhansi ki Rani of Travancore’.

 

In October 1938 , She was entrusted by the party to organize the Desasevika Sangh (Female Volunteer corps) to appeal women to join the Desasevika Sangh .For this she travelled tirelessly across the country .  her untiring efforts saw a surge in the woman participation in the freedom movements.

In 24 December 1939, the annual conference  of the Travancore State Congress  was held in which Accamma attended. Almost all leaders including her was arrested and imprisoned for one year. While her stay in prison, she was verbally abused and was insulted and threatened. After that she became a full time party worker and in 1942, she became its Acting president.  She welcomed the Quit India Resolution passed at the Bombay session by the Indian  national congress at her presidential address in 1942. Accamma faced a series of arrests for participating in protests and violating ban orders. Yet it didn’t once falter her notion of an independent state and her desire  of freedom for the whole nation.

After the independence, she was elected unopposed to the Travancore Legislative Assembly from Kanjirapally. She wasn’t too keen on politics and left politics in 1967. She then served as a member of the Freedom Fighters’ Pension Advisory Board.

Her tale ended as she passed away on May 5^th 1982 in Thiruvananthapuram. A statue was erected in her memory in Vellayambalam, Thiruvananthapuram.

Accamma’s life has inspired thousands in her life alone and will continue to inspire the coming generations. Her bold actions for the sake of her people and her battle against injustice without concern for her life shows how patriotic she was. She fought for her people tirelessly and was never in doubt about her mission to liberate India from the British. As a teacher, she was able to teach others a bigger lesson through her life’s work. She wanted other women to fight for their families and for their community.  She had only wanted to do good for the country and was never interested in politics. She will always be a role model to others and will always be one of the most daring freedom fighters of India.

She summed up her life in her autobiography as she wrote, “Shakespeare has said that the world is a stage and that all the men and women merely players; but to me, this life is a long protest – protest against conservatism, meaningless rituals, societal injustice, gender discrimination, against anything that is dishonest, unjust…when I see anything like this, I turn blind, I even forget who I am fighting…”. These words showed her fierce less nature against injustice and  truly sum up her life .