[Naveen Prasad Alex’s short piece in Ala recounts the struggles of many women who rose above the social oppression that they suffered as members of the oppressed castes to lead struggles for social justice during the early twentieth century, often referred to as the ‘Malayali Renaissance’. In mainstream and feminist accounts of the social history of these times, greater visibility is often the privilege of women of the oppressor castes — especially those which renewed and refurbished their traditional sources of power and became part of the twentieth century Malayali new elites. This piece seeks to correct this bias, relying upon many important sources in Malayalam.]
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In Kerala’s present-day struggles for social justice, leaders like C.K. Janu and Seleena Prakkanam stand as powerful symbols of resistance, challenging systemic oppression and fighting for the rights of Dalit and Adivasi communities. Yet, their voices often remain sidelined. This ‘invisibilisation’ is not a recent phenomenon. Women have been at the forefront of many struggles for social justice during the Kerala Renaissance, but their contributions remain largely overshadowed in popular history. This essay shines a light on some such forgotten legacies, highlighting the leadership of women in the Kerala Renaissance while connecting their struggles to the ongoing fight for justice. By doing so, we challenge the narrow lens of history and honour the women who shaped Kerala’s social justice movements—past and present.
[The rest of the article may be read here]
Naveen Prasad Alex, originally from Kozhikode, Kerala, is an IMPRS Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön, Germany. He holds a B.Sc. in Biological Sciences from Krea University, India, and M.Sc. in Biology from the University of Turku, Finland. Naveen has published several research papers in various journals, focusing on ecology and evolutionary biology. Beyond his work in the sciences, he is deeply passionate about history and has authored articles in both Malayalam and English for various magazines, exploring historical themes including Ambedkar’s legacy, anti-caste movements, and the Kerala Renaissance.
Swatantryavaadini 