[This post is from a Facebook post by Reju George in the group Bygone Plantation days, 3 June 2024. He is her grand nephew. Teresa Joseph belongs to a generation of Syrian Christian and Nair who chose to stay unmarried at a time when dowry rates were rising and dowry as groom-price was becoming pervasive across the elite communities. They chose professional work, and other kinds of economic and public activities, as Reju’s memories reveal. Teresa’s work as a philanthropist also throws light on a very poorly researched area of women’s history in Kerala.]
She was born in 1886 , an era of time when pioneering plantations and educational institutions were getting established what is currently known as Kerala state.
An age , where girls from her Syrian Catholic Community were mostly married off early and settled in domesticity, here was one who rose like a phoenix being an inspiration of women empowerment, believing in her dreams & changing dynamics of women’s exposure to the outside world.
A story of a women philantrophist, a visionary entrepreneur and a true planter, growing up in the last decades of 1800s and early 1900 , who build up educational institutions , hospital & charitable organization and rubber plantations and donated her wealth to philanthropy. Women empowerment was a word unknown at that era of time in the region/ community she came from, but she led the way with her successful actions. She fought against the social setup of those times and the narrow minded attitude prevalent in the society of those days.An Iron Lady of the family with a heart of gold.
She is Teresa Joseph Kalpurackal ( 1886 – 1971), known to many as Thresiamma!!!!
Growing up in the Kuttanad region known as rice bowl of Kerala, having one of her elder brothers Fr Ephrem Kalpurackal ( 1865 – 1952 ) , who was the founder of the renowned St Joseph Boys High School in Pullicunnu in 1898 & Chief editor of Karmalakusumam magazine and another brother Joseph Chacko Kalpurackal , popularly known as Chacko Mapillai, the first Indian Rubber Planter who founded the Kuttanad Rubber Company, first by an Indian individual, registered in 1910, would have inspired her to take up a career something unheard in 1900s, in the traditional Syrian Catholic Community she came from.
She was the First women to pass BA-Lt in Travancore region Syrian Catholics. She began her life as a career women in education. It was her effort that the famous Cotton hill girls school in Trivandrum was raised to an high school in the 1930s. She was the first Headmistress and then rose to become then Inspector of Schools of Travancore State & Director of Education.
Another amazing element of her adventurous & daring personality, inspired by her brother Joseph Chacko Kalpurackal got into plantations, which was unheard of then in the early 1900 of a women getting into it, which was a Mans World then.
As a first step ,She purchased about 300 acres of land in Chettachal, Vithura with her meager salary income and planted rubber. Imagine a lady, planting from scratch on a hilly terrain by her own sweat and blood. She personally supervised the planting of rubber and establishing the estates singlehandedly, braving all odds.There is one particular story of hers ..
There is a small but dangerous river (Vamanapuram river) starting from Ponmudi flows through almost centre of the rubber estate.The flood and flow coming in quickly and drowning is very common.Once she visited the estate,the rain started and the water level was increased.There was no bridge and she was in the other bank.She had to swim back with a maid.With this terrible experience,she constructed a suspension bridge (thukku palam) with the help of a PWD supervisor.But she was the full brain.Other contractors quoted large amount for the bridge.It was really an exciting experience to walk through the bridge.Now it is damaged by the floods every year.
She was a very enterprising and a good true planter like her brother, she build considerable assets in the form of land, agricultural land and rubber estates, bungalows, industrial activity , hospital, school etc on her own by her hardwork and commitment. She never married.
There was no bounds to her energy & entrepreneurship. In the 1940s ,She set up a unit for Tapoica powder making which was supplied to the cloth mills of Bombay. Tapoica powder is an adhesive for making cotton cloth. To help the poor children , she set up a rubber balloon making factory in Trivandrum.
But the most beautiful quality about this generous lady was her charitable nature and philanthropy.
St Rita’s Hospital, Nalukody is a famous multi-specialty hospital cum nursing school in Changanacherry stands testimony of her philanthropy, founded by her in 1955. She build and ran the hospital till year 1971. She then handed it over to the Christian Fathers of the CMI congregation , St Joseph Province Trivandrum of the CMI congregation in 1971. Along with the hospital, she donated 100 acres of rubber estate at Nedumangad to support the smooth running of the hospital and meet its expenses.
She gave 10 acres of rubber estate to St Antony’s hospital which was constructed by her brother Joseph Chacko in Kainkary for expenses of the hospital and poor patients needs, managed by the christian institution of CMI congregation.
She stressed a lot of importance to education and empowerment of women.
St Josephs School , Paippad, Chanhanacherry founded in 1938 , which is now a popular higher secondary school is her contribution. The Don Bosco Poor home was another of her generosity.The convent and poor home was managed by her own sister Sr.Gertrude.
She helped many needy to study and financed their higher studies and getting them settled in life. She send many girls to USA & Germany for better nursing courses that time, giving them a new footing in life.She helped so many people to study giving land and money to support their education.
She was Kocheleyamma to her family. One of her grand nephews recollect nostalgically : ” I visited her many times,when I was studying in SB college, Changanaserry. Once I visited her , she was sitting near the Grave Vault specially made for her in the premises of St. Joseph’s convent. She was reading and enjoying the breeze. She said to me, this is the last and final rest place for me, is it good? I felt a strange sadness,but kept quiet. She was very affectionate to me. She gave me a watch and a time-piece to study promptly. Both worked very well,but I slept.I still keeping these as precious and few.” പ്രണാമം
Thresiamma Joseph Kalpurackal passed away on June 17 , 1971 living to ripe age of 85 years. She bequeathed her entire wealth, majorly to philanthropy and rest to her family.
Yes , she led a enriching life , helping the needy and pushing education to settle one in life and build a career, leading the way for women empowerment, the endeavours supported and funded by her entrepreneurship & plantations, but most important her philanthrophic actions which still stands testimony to this day with the institutions she build.
Her great grandnephew fourth generation , renowned singer Job Kurien Kalpurackal has written and sung a beautiful song called Kalam as a tribute to her , whom he calls the Iron Lady of the family , set amidst the location of her estate which he inherited and where he has created a beautiful home from one of the original houses and he says, he is just a caretaker of this piece of heaven before it is passed on to the next generation. Sharing the link of the song and tribute below.
A legacy one can be proud of in today’s world , of a women ahead of her times and for me makes it more special connect , She is my Great Grand Aunt !!!!
Swatantryavaadini 