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"He is a Hindu and you are a Christian, then how can he become your uncle ?", Jeena's queries echoed in my mind. I remembered the history of my family which my mother used to repeat at times making sure that there was nobody else around. My grandfather was not a Christian by birth. He belonged to the Pulaya caste of Hindu community which occupies a low position in the complex caste system of India, known as 'chathurvarnyam'. When he converted to Christianity with his family, my father was a two year old child. Grandfather had one younger brother and three sisters. When he became a Christian, his younger brother also accepted Christianity with his family. But his three sisters were married off earlier than this incident to men from Pulaya caste. As a result, the three sisters and their children remained in Pulaya caste. After this conversion, they didn't go to their sisters' houses but whenever they met each other elsewhere, they would talk to each other. Moreover, if someone in the family died, it would be conveyed through a messenger. All these three sisters were settled in our own village. Uncle Narayanan was the son of one of the sisters of grandfather. Being a Vth Std student, I didn't know what answer to say to my classmate's question. After that incident, I never told anyone about this kind of relationships in the family.
The newly Christianed grandfather continued as a labourer under his land owner. During that time, various changes were taking place in the outside world. India got Independence on 15th August, 1947,from the British rule. India became a Republic on 26th January, 1950. The State of Kerala didn't exist then. It was formed on the basis of language on 1st November 1956, by merging Travancore - Cochin State with the Malabar district of Madras State & the Taluk of Kasargod of South Canara. In the first elections which was conducted in 1957, the Communist Party of India, won in Kerala. The party was mainly rooted in Kerala, West Bengal & Tripura. Kerala became the first State in India in which a Communist Government was elected through a democratic process. E M S Namboodiripad became the Chief Minister of Kerala. Immediately after the swearing in of the Communist party in 1957, the Government issued a historic Ordinance known as "Land Reform Ordinance". It prohibited the eviction of people from their tenancy land, the land occupied by them for dwelling and homestead. The Ordinance was presented in the next session of the Assembly and passed. In short, it was against the Feudal system. This invited protests from landlords from different parts of Kerala. The Education Bill which aimed for better wages for private schools and teachers, also caused great protests all over Kerala which led to the 'Liberation Struggle'. The final result of all these was the dismissal of the Government in 1959, by the Central Government led by Jawaharlal Nehru, on the basis of Article 356 of the Constitution of India.
My grandfather didn't have any land in his name. He lived somewhere near the South Hill. It was on the basis of Land Reform Act that he owned the 25 cents of land in which we lived. Here, a doubt aroused in my mind. "The Puthiyaveettil family gave my grandfather 'this 25 cents of land', but now, he lives in another place, beyond the paddyfields, why?"
The newly Christianed grandfather continued as a labourer under his land owner. During that time, various changes were taking place in the outside world. India got Independence on 15th August, 1947,from the British rule. India became a Republic on 26th January, 1950. The State of Kerala didn't exist then. It was formed on the basis of language on 1st November 1956, by merging Travancore - Cochin State with the Malabar district of Madras State & the Taluk of Kasargod of South Canara. In the first elections which was conducted in 1957, the Communist Party of India, won in Kerala. The party was mainly rooted in Kerala, West Bengal & Tripura. Kerala became the first State in India in which a Communist Government was elected through a democratic process. E M S Namboodiripad became the Chief Minister of Kerala. Immediately after the swearing in of the Communist party in 1957, the Government issued a historic Ordinance known as "Land Reform Ordinance". It prohibited the eviction of people from their tenancy land, the land occupied by them for dwelling and homestead. The Ordinance was presented in the next session of the Assembly and passed. In short, it was against the Feudal system. This invited protests from landlords from different parts of Kerala. The Education Bill which aimed for better wages for private schools and teachers, also caused great protests all over Kerala which led to the 'Liberation Struggle'. The final result of all these was the dismissal of the Government in 1959, by the Central Government led by Jawaharlal Nehru, on the basis of Article 356 of the Constitution of India.
My grandfather didn't have any land in his name. He lived somewhere near the South Hill. It was on the basis of Land Reform Act that he owned the 25 cents of land in which we lived. Here, a doubt aroused in my mind. "The Puthiyaveettil family gave my grandfather 'this 25 cents of land', but now, he lives in another place, beyond the paddyfields, why?"
