Accamma Cherian

 Born to the Syrian Christian family, Accamma Cherian was the second daughter of the couple Thomman Cherian and Annamma who was part of the prestigious Karippaparambil house. Accamma was born in the year 1909 on Valentine's day. After her schooling in Kanjirapally and Changanacherry, she went to St Teresa's College Ernakulam to do her bachelor in History, after which she started working at Edakkara. St Mary's School and soon became a headmaster of that prestigious institution, during her teaching career she also did her L.T.degree. Even when she worked as the headmaster she was not able to remain in peace and concentrate on her work, she realised that as a true patriot she can not stay silent, or do anything when her motherland is suffering under the rule of her colonizers. Hence after 6 years working at the institution, in 1938, she resigned from her teaching job and joined the Travancore State Congress and became an active crusader for the independence movement.

Accammas political entry came during the reign of Chithra Thirunal Balarama Varma II as the Travancore monarch and Sir Chetput Pattabhiraman Ramaswami Iyer or popularly known as Sir CP as Diwan of Travancore. During the reign of Sir CP, although there were many positive impacts like the temple entry proclamation of the year 1931, it also filled many not so favorable incidents. First spat with Sir CP and Travancore State congress with Accamma as a member occurred, when congress decided to start a mass agitation asking for a responsible government, but this movement was suppressed by Sir. C. P and congress were declared illegal and ordered to put the leaders behind bar. This was a point when Congress understood that it needed to bring about reformation, and the congress working committee was dissolved and gave the present, dictatorial powers. One by one, 11 presidents of the congress were arrested and put in jail; this included leaders like Pattom A. Thanu Pillai. Many other leaders were also put behind the bar.

Hence when the 11th president Kuttanad Ramakrishna Pillai was arrested, Accamma was made the president of the congress with dictatorial powers. When Accamma became the president with dictatorial powers. Accamma, along with around 20000 protesters, marched on the 12th November 1938, the birth date of Sree Chithra, towards Kowdiar Palace, asking for revoking the ban on state congress and to remove Sir S.P from the post of Dewan against whom many allegations were there, and to set free all the prisoners were taken. A memorandum was made under the leadership of A.J John. The primary purpose of the march towards Kowdiar palace under the leadership of Accamma was to give this petition to the King. Slogans like Mahatma Gandhi Ki Jai, and Congress Ki Jai roared during the march. The words of Accamma Cherian, the person leading the march she wrote that she was wearing white and behind fifty thousand people marched who were dressed in Khadar and Gandhi cap. With enthusiasm they shouted slogans. The roads were filled with supporters of state congress and onlookers. People climbed to trees and balconies to take a glance at the protesters.

What was waiting for them was British officer ordering his men to open fire against these protesters. Seeing this, the charismatic, daringly bold Accamma came forward and made the very popular statement “I am the leader, shoot me first before you kill others.” The historic scene is described in the best way by famous Malayalam writer EM Kovoor, his words, “Not hundreds but tens of thousands wearing white Khaddar Jubba and still whiter Gandhi caps were surging forward in massive waves… Akkamma Cherian was leading that white sea, standing in an open jeep, dressed in Khaddar and a Gandhi cap, like Goddess Durga crushing beneath her feet evil and injustice; her hair played in the wind like black flags hoisted against autocracy…” These words show the power of the leader in Accama, and how she was able to bring a strong opposition and prove that the women freedom fighters took pain and effort in the same level or more than their men counterparts.

This show of power shook the government and the government decided to release the prisoners, and withdrew the ban on congress. Although positive steps like these were taken, the oppressive stand of Sir CP continued.

Even after this Accamma continued to fight till independence and even after, she fought till Travancore became a part of the Indian union. It was her who formed the Desasevika Sangha, a female organization for women, she also traveled across Kerala to mobilize people for the same as well. She was married to V.V Varkey a fellow political colleague

The legacy of Accamma cherian still stays fresh in society. Many more women came forward for the nationalist movement, not only during the freedom struggle movement but also in the contemporary time. Following in her footsteps, many women became part of active politics and there was a women minister in the first democratically elected government of EMS. It is also leaders like her who helped Kerala to be the state we know today. A colossal statue was erected in her memory at Trivandrum.

The tales of women's participation in the freedom struggle are often not shared or not given true light, it is with the participation of the countless number of women from different spheres of society that gave the nation its freedom. The Indian independence movement was not of the elite, or that of men it was of all people of the society and it is upon their tears and blood we stand as freemen, it is their martyrdom which gave us liberty, it is the sacrifice of women which gives us sovereignty today. Women were not a silent part of the freedom movement but rather crusaders and front warriors who brought the British to their feet.

Joel Cherian Varghese