Accamma Cherian and Travancore State Politics

Accamma Cherian (1909–1982) was a freedom fighter, political leader, and anti-feudal activist from the princely state of Travancore. Recognized as a formidable organizer during the struggle for a responsible government in Kerala, her contribution to national movements earned her the title “The Jhansi Rani of Travancore” from Mahatma Gandhi. Her leadership during the Civil Disobedience Movement, Quit India Movement, and anti-Dewan agitations shaped the socio-political narrative of pre-independence Travancore.

Early Life and Entry into Politics

Accamma Cherian was born on February 14, 1909, in Kanjirappally, Travancore, into a Syrian Christian family. She pursued her higher education at St. Teresa’s College, Ernakulam, obtaining her degree in 1931, and later worked as a school teacher and headmistress at St. Mary’s Girls High School, Edakkara. In February 1938, the Travancore State Congress was formed under the presidency of Pattom A. Thanu Pillai to demand a responsible democratic government and civil liberties. Drawn to the cause, Cherian resigned from her teaching career in 1938 to become a full-time activist in the State Congress.

Leadership in Travancore State Congress and Key Movements

The Great Rally to Kowdiar Palace (1938)

The Dewan of Travancore, Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Aiyar, banned the Travancore State Congress in August 1938 and arrested its primary leaders. To maintain continuity, the State Congress operated through a series of “Dictators” or acting presidents. Following the arrest of the 11th Dictator, Kuttanad Ramakrishna Pillai, Cherian was appointed as the 12th Dictator (President) of the State Congress.

• Mass March: On October 23, 1938, Cherian organized and led a rally of over 20,000 volunteers from Thampanoor to the Kowdiar Palace in Thiruvananthapuram, protesting against the ban on the State Congress and demanding the release of political prisoners.
• Defiance of Military Order: Facing armed police forces commanded to fire upon the crowd, Cherian stepped forward and declared, “I am the leader; shoot me first before you kill others.” Her command compelled the security forces to withdraw, preventing bloodshed.
• Outcome: The demonstration forced the administration to acknowledge public pressure, leading to the temporary release of several detained leaders.

Organization of Desasevika Sangham

Following the rally, the Working Committee of the Travancore State Congress directed Cherian to build a organized female cadre.

• Structure: In October 1938, she established the Desasevika Sangham (Female Volunteer Corps).
• Cadre Mobilization: Cherian toured various taluks across Travancore, appointing local captains and enrolling 50 women volunteers per taluk.
• Training and Ideology: Volunteers were trained in physical exercises, instructed to wear Khadi, and deployed to mobilize public support for the State Congress.

Civil Disobedience and Subsequent Arrests

Cherian was arrested on December 24, 1939, for defying prohibitory orders while attending the first annual conference of the Travancore State Congress. She served a one-year prison sentence in the Central Jail, Thiruvananthapuram, where she organized inmate protests against harsh prison conditions and lack of basic amenities.

Role in Quit India Movement and Independent Travancore Agitation

• Quit India Movement (1942): Upon release, Cherian resumed active political duties and served as the acting President of the Travancore State Congress in 1942. She presided over the session welcoming the Quit India Resolution passed in Bombay on August 8, 1942, leading to another period of imprisonment.
• Opposition to Independent Travancore Scheme (1946–1947): When Dewan C. P. Ramaswamy Aiyar proposed an “Independent Travancore” status outside the Indian Union, Cherian spearheaded public agitations against the move. She was arrested in 1946 and again in 1947 for organizing demonstrations demanding full integration with the Indian Union.

Post-Independence Electoral Career and Later Years

Following independence and the integration of Travancore with India:

• Legislative Assembly Member: In 1947, Cherian was elected unopposed to the Travancore Legislative Assembly from Kanjirappally.
• Marriage: In 1951, she married V. V. Varkey Mannamplackal, a fellow freedom fighter and member of the Travancore-Cochin Legislative Assembly.
• Departure from Active Politics: Distanced by intra-party factionalism and changing political dynamics, she resigned from the Indian National Congress in the early 1950s. She contested the 1967 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections from Kanjirappally as an independent candidate supported by left parties, but was unsuccessful.
• Later Roles: She served on the Freedom Fighters’ Pension Advisory Board until her death on May 5, 1982.
• Autobiography: Her autobiography, Jeevitham: Oru Samaram (Life: A Protest), documents the struggles against feudalism, British indirect rule, and gender discrimination within political organizations.

Key Historical Facts and Trivia

• Title Origin: Mahatma Gandhi conferred the title “The Jhansi Rani of Travancore” on Accamma Cherian after learning about her confrontation with armed security forces at Kowdiar Palace.
• Sibling Connection: Her younger sister, Rosamma Punnoose, was also an anti-colonial activist, freedom fighter, and politician who later became the first member to take the oath in the unified Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1957.
• First Female Dictator of State Congress: Cherian was the first woman to be appointed as the “Dictator” (Acting President) of the Travancore State Congress during a state-wide ban.
• Commemoration: A statue commemorating her leadership in the 1938 rally stands at Vellayambalam in Thiruvananthapuram.