Sree Moolam Popular Assembly

Last updated

The Sree Moolam Popular Assembly in the erstwhile state of Travancore was the first popularly elected legislature in the history of India.

Its predecessor legislative council was formed in Travancore in 1888 with eight appointed members. Sri Mulam Thirunal Ramavarma, who became maharajah of Travancore in 1886, established it in an order issued on 30 March 1888. In 1898, the strength of the council was increased to 15, comprising nine officials and six non-officials.

In 1904, a lower house called the Sree Moolam Popular Assembly (known in the local language as Sree Mulam Praja Sabha) was formed with 88 members to provide for increased participation of the people in the administration. [1] Its membership was limited to representatives of landlords and merchants. Although not a legislature, it was intended to give the people an opportunity to bring to the notice of the government their requirements, wishes or grievances, and to make government policies and measures better known to the people. The members of the Assembly were not elected but chosen, two from each taluk, by the District heads from among landholders who paid an annual land revenue of not less than Rs.100, and landholders or traders whose net annual income was Rs.6000 or above.

In 1905, the Sree Moolam Popular Assembly began to have elected members. Out of the new strength of 100 members, 77 were to be elected and 23 were to be nominated. Voting right was limited to persons who paid an annual land revenue of not less than Rs.50, or whose net income was not less than Rs.2000. University graduates with not less than ten years of standing, and having their residence in the respective Taluk, were also eligible to vote.

In 1907, the Assembly was conferred the right to elect members of the upper Legislative Council. The Upper Council had 15 members—nine officials and six non-officials. In 1919, the Council was remodelled raising its strength to 25, out of which eight were elected members. In October 1921, the total strength of the Council was further raised to 50, with the majority elected members.

In 1932, the Legislative Council of Travancore and Sree Moolam Popular Assembly were replaced with a formal bicameral system consisting of an Upper House, the Travancore Sri Chitra State Council, and a Lower House, the Sree Moolam Assembly. This bicameral system continued to function until September 1947 when it gave way to a constituent assembly that later led to the merger of Cochin state and its accession to India following independence.

Members

Among the Sree Moolam Popular Assembly members were:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travancore</span> Kingdom in southern India from 1729 to 1949

The Kingdom of Travancore, also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor or later as Travancore State, was an Indian kingdom that lasted from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At its zenith, the kingdom covered most of the south of modern-day Kerala and the southernmost part of modern-day Tamil Nadu with the Thachudaya Kaimal's enclave of Irinjalakuda Koodalmanikyam temple in the neighbouring Kingdom of Cochin. However Tangasseri area of Kollam city and Anchuthengu near Attingal in Thiruvananthapuram were parts of British India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travancore–Cochin</span> State of India from 1949 to 1956

Travancore–Cochin, officially the United State of Travancore and Cochin and later the State of Travancore–Cochin, was a short-lived state of India. It was formed through the merger of two former kingdoms, Travancore and Cochin on 1 July 1949. Its original capital was Thiruvananthapuram.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kumaran Asan</span> Indian poet

Mahakavi Kumaran Asan was a poet of Malayalam literature, Indian social reformer and a philosopher.He is known to have initiated a revolution in Malayalam poetry during the first quarter of the 20th century, transforming it from the metaphysical to the lyrical and his poetry is characterised by its moral and spiritual content, poetic concentration and dramatic contextualisation. He is one of the triumvirate poets of Kerala and a disciple of Sree Narayana Guru. He was awarded the prefix "Mahakavi" in 1922 by the Madras university which means "great poet".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ayyankali</span> Indian social reformer (1863–1941)

Mahatma Ayyankali was an Indian politician, prominent social reformer, educator, economist, lawmaker, and revolutionary leader. He worked for the advancement of the oppressed people in the princely state of Travancore. His struggle resulted in many changes that improved the socio-political structure of Kerala. His determined and relentless efforts changed the lives of Dalits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuttanad</span> Region in Kerala, India

Kuttanad is a region covering the Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta Districts, in the state of Kerala, India, well known for its vast paddy fields and geographical peculiarities. The region has the lowest altitude in India, and is one of the few places in the world where farming is carried on around 1.2 to 3.0 metres below sea level. Kuttanad is historically important in the ancient history of South India and is the major rice producer in the state. Farmers of Kuttanad are famous for Biosaline Farming. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has declared the Kuttanad Farming System as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) in 2013.

E. V. Krishna Pillai was an Indian writer of Malayalam literature and member of Sree Moolam Popular Assembly of Travancore. He was known to be a multi-talented personality and excelled as an advocate, Member of Legislative Assembly, editor and writer. During his short life, he wrote comedies, dramas, short stories and an autobiography. He was also a columnist and a caricaturist. He was an eminent satirist and a genius in comedy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moolam Thirunal</span> Maharaja of Travancore from 1885–1924

Sir Sri Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma VI (1857–1924) was Maharajah of the princely state of Travancore between 1885 and 1924, succeeding his uncle Maharajah Visakham Thirunal (1880–1885). Moolam Thirunal is considered as the first in Indian to implement the concept of public participation in governance through the formation of Travancore Legislative Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muloor S. Padmanabha Panicker</span> Poet

Mooloor S. Padmanābha Panicker (1869-1931) was a poet and a prominent social reform activist from the Travancore region of present-day Kerala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T. K. Madhavan</span> Indian social reformer

T. K. Madhavan Alias Deshabhimani Madhavan, was an Indian social reformer, journalist and revolutionary, who was involved with the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam. He hailed from Kerala and led the struggle against Social discrimination which was known as Vaikom Satyagraha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travancore royal family</span> Ruling family of travancore

The Travancore royal family was the ruling house of the Kingdom of Travancore.The Travancore royal family signed a treaty with the British in 1788, thereby adopting British dominance. Later, in 1805, they revised the treaty, leading to a diminution of royal authority and the loss of political independence for Travancore. They had to give up their ruling rights over the common people in 1949 when Travancore were forced to merge with Independent India and their political pension privileges were abolished in 1971.

Vettikkavala is a village located in the Kollam district in the state of Kerala, India. The village is famous for Shiva-Vishnu temples which hosts a special deity called Vathukkal Njaali Kunju. An annual celebration of Pongala is held at the temple. The village is also well known for temple arts and a palace constructed by Sree Moolam Thirunal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">V. K. Ebrahimkunju</span> Indian politician

V. K. Ebrahim Kunju is an Indian politician, who was the former Minister for Public Works of the Government of Kerala. He represented the Kalamassery constituency in Kerala from 2011 to 2021.

Kochu Hassan Kunju Bahadoor (1835–1926) was born to a Muslim family in Quilon district in the Indian state of Kerala. His father was a well-known trader in Travancore, Sahib Bahadur Syed Kunju, who imported dates from the Persian Gulf area as well as traded in sulphur and nitrate. Bahadoor was nominated to Travancore Legislative Council by the Travancore ruler and was later a member of India's first elected assembly, the Sree Moolam Popular Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kesava Pillai of Kandamath</span> Indian Zamindar

M. R. Ry. Chempakaraman Padmanabhan Kesava Pillai of Kandamath, Pillai of Kandamath (1830–1924), was an Indian Zamindar, one of the jenmis of Travancore and a member of the Sree Moolam Popular Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">P. K. Narayana Pillai</span> Indian literary critic

P. K. Narayana Pillai, better identified as Sahitya Panchanan P. K. Narayana Pillai, was an Indian literary critic, essayist, scholar, grammarian and poet of Malayalam language. One of the pioneers of literary criticism in Malayalam, he wrote more than 25 books which include Panchananante Vimarssthrayam, a critique of the writings of Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, Cherusseri Namboothiri and Kunchan Nambiar and two books on Malayalam grammar, Leghuvyakaranam and Vyakarana Pravesika. He was a judge of the High Court of Kerala, a member of the Sree Moolam Popular Assembly and the founder president of the Samastha Kerala Sahithya Parishad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M. K. Mackar Pillay</span> Indian industrialist

Manadath Kunju Mackar Pillay was an Indian industrialist, banker, philanthropist, and politician who served in the Sree Moolam Popular Assembly. He was a leading cashew and lemongrass exporter, and founder of the eponymous Mackar Pillay and Sons Limited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kavarikulam Kandan Kumaran</span> Indian social reformer

Kavarikulam Kandan Kumaran was a social reformer and Sree Moolam Prajasabha member from Kerala, India. He was a member of the Sree Moolam Prajasabha from 1915 to 1932. In 1911 August 29 he founded the organization Brahma Pratyaksha Sadhujana Paripalana Parayar Sangam.

P. K. Kunju was a politician from Kerala, India. He was a long-time Member of Legislative Assembly. He was Kerala finance minister from 1967 to 1969. He was a member of the Sree Moolam Assembly in 1937, the Travancore Legislative Assembly in 1948-49 and the Thiru-kochi Assembly in 1954. He was elected to the 2nd Kerala Legislative Assembly as a Praja Socialist Party representative from Krishnapuram and the 3rd Legislative Assembly as a Samyukta Socialist Party candidate from Kayamkulam. The Kerala State Lottery was established when he was the finance minister.

The Travancore Legislative Council was the governing body of the Travancore princely state from 1888 to 1932. This legislature was the first opportunity in post-medieval India for non-royal natives to interfere, at least to some extent, with the sovereignty of princely states or imperial powers. Shri Moolam Tirunal Rama Varma, the Maharaja (King) of Travancore, is considered as the first Indian ruler to implement the concept of public participation in governance through the formation of this council. After passing through many stages of evolution, this assembly later became the basic framework of the Kerala Legislature and is considered to became the core of the legislative system of Kerala itself, which became a state in independent India.

References

  1. "History of legislative bodies in Kerala-- Sri Moolam Praja Sabha".
  2. rinimol. "പ്രജാസഭയിലെ സിംഹഗര്‍ജ്ജനം". Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd (in Malayalam). Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  3. "കാവാരിക്കുളം കണ്ഠൻ കുമാരന്റെ ജന്മദിനാഘോഷം നാളെ". ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam).
  4. Daily, Keralakaumudi. "മദ്ധ്യാഹ്‌ന ഭാസ്‌കരൻ". Keralakaumudi Daily. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  5. "ദേവികുളങ്ങര ഗ്രാമപഞ്ചായത്ത്". എൽ.എസ്.ജി. കേരള. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.