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K.L.S.SANTHANAM-LIBERATOR OF THE SCAVENGER SOCIETY IN KANYAKUMARI DISTRICT

Dr.T.Anitha
Assistant Professor of History, Sree Ayyappa College for Women, Chunkankadai

Abstract
The present paper ‘K.L.S.Santhanam Liberator of the Scavenger Society in Kanniyakumari District’ deals the condition of the scavenger community and the contribution of the trade unionist K.L.S.Santhanam in Kanyakumari District particularly in Nagercoil. Santhanam who had genuine taste for trade union activities, always moved with the workers at the grassroots level. He had a passion for the suffering sections of the working class people that earned his fame and affection. The attitude towards the scavenger community commonly known as Chakkiliyar in Kanyakumari District was not different from the other part of the country. They were treated as untouchables and faced the inhuman activities of the other section of the society. In 1947, Kasi Udayam came up as the saviour of the scavenging workers by organizing a union to fight for their legitimate rights and for their recognition as human beings by the society. K.L.S. Santhanam joined with Kasi Udayam and fought shoulder to shoulder for the rights of the scavenger society. For the Scavenger’s Union, Kasi  Udayam and K.L.S. Santhanam led many agitations and after that the workers got their basic rights. The main demand was for education facilities for their children and help for constructing shelters. After some incidents faced by the Chakkiliyar community the leaders who support them formed a union named Nagercoil Nagarasudhi Thozhilalar Sangam.

Sri Arabindo said about the leadership “Help men, but do not paupers them of their buy of energy; lead and instruct men, but see that their initiative and originality remain intact; take others into thyself, but give them in return and full godhead of their nature. He who can do their, is the leader and the guru”.1

In the case of trade unions, the jobs of leaders are to look after the diverse interests of members and negotiate effectively with the more elite and educated managerial personal, face rivalry from competitions and meet the expectations of the government and the public in general, all within the legal framework.2 However, whether the leader would be able to manifest a right kind of behaviour or not is influenced by various factors like his personal characteristic, attitudes, aspirations qualities and styles, motivation and commitment, negotiating skills, socio-political awareness and involvement.3

Labour unions and strikes are the inseparable limbs of an industry or an establishment. With the dawn of industrial revolution, several industries blossomed, both public and private. The workers employed in industries either fought for behaving their salary or demanded a like in their prerequisites like medical allowance, bonus and other schemes. Though the respective concerns paid adequate attention to fulfill their just demands occasionally at least, their full demands are not totally met. Therefore every concern of workers whether that was big or small met with strikes. Labour problems arise when persons sell their services for a wage and work as directed on the premises of an employer.4  It is a noteworthy feature to state that though many of the demands were not conceded, some pressing problems and demands were achieved through agitation.

Early Life of K.L.S.Santhanam
K.L.S. Santhanam was a native of Orumankulam village of Tirunelveli District. He was born on December 27, 1932, as the fourth son of K.L.S. SanthanamPillai and Shanmugathammal. At the age of six Santhanam was affected by polio and lost the strength of his legs despite this, young Santhanam showed keen interest in studies. He has his primary education in Nagercoil. In 1946, S. Nagarajan, the Editor of VOICE, a newspaper of the locality started the Bahat Singh Youth Federation.  Young Santhanam enlisted himself as a member of that federation in his school life. Keenly observing the national development, he attended almost all public meetings. In 1948 Santhanam joined the intermediate course in the Scott Christian College, Nagercoil. During that period he was influenced by socialistic ideas and deliberated his views with his fellow friends like Nanjil Manoharan and Sankaralingam. Santhanam had participated in the strikes organized by students and he was dismissed from the college. In 1961 he married Jaya and had two sons and two daughters. “Thozhar” Santhanam is so dear to the common people of the southern region. His contributions to the emancipation of the workers are a continuing process.

K.L.S. Santhanam conducted number of agitations to safeguard and highlight the genuine interests of the workers of various categories such as scavengers, salt-pan, hair-cutting, transport, co-operative, head load and estate. K.L.S. Santhanam was the popular labour union leader of southern region. He formed many labour unions in Kanyakumari District. He also gave guidelines and ideas to the members of the unions.5 Many labour unions had acknowledged K.L.S. Santhanam as their honourable President to acknowledge their indebtedness to him.

Santhanam got the opportunity to move with Jeevanantham, K.T.K. Thankamony and other prominent trade unionists of that time. The personality of Com. Jeevantham inspired him the most. That led him to join the main political stream. In 1954 Santhanam joined the CPI (Communist Party of India) and emerged as an active trade unionist under A.I.T.U.C (All India Trade Union Congress), a wing of the C.P.I. At the time of the split in the Communist Movement of India, Santhanam steadfastly stood with the parent organization C.P.I.

Santhanam who had genuine taste for trade union activities, always moved with the workers at the grassroots level. He had a passion for the suffering sections of the working class people that earned his fame and affection. Due to his organizational ability he rose from position and ascertained as the most popular trade union leader of the region. He pleaded so many labour cases in Madurai, Tirunelveli and Nagercoil labour courts.

K.L.S.Santhanam conducted agitation for the cause of scavengers

In our country a unique kind of workers known as scavengers who are deployed for cleaning our surroundings including the night-soils of human beings. Mahatma Gandhi endeavored his best to awaken the social conscience of the people for ameliorating the working and living conditions of this section of society and to restore to them the minimum human dignity not much can be said to have been achieved. Amongst the scheduled castes, the scavengers, i.e., those who handle and carry night-soil are the most vulnerable groups subjected to social and economic degradations.6 The social stigma of untouchability continues to stick, in one form or the other largely because of the unclean nature of their occupation. Sweepers and scavengers render essential service to the community, particularly, in urban areas where the problem of sanitation and environmental hygiene has assumed a new dimension under the impact of rapid urbanization and proliferation of slums.

The nature of their work has made them most despised section of the working class. The working conditions of this population are poor. The practice of carrying night-soil in baskets and buckets as head – load was not only responsible for the spread of insanitation in the area, but also results in the continuation of practice of untouchability.7 Most of them were not allowed to live near the dumping grounds. Even where housing colonies are established, which are in any case, inadequate, the required conditions of sanitation are limited. In most cases, the welfare and development measures necessary for the children, youth, women and men, of the community are mostly nonexistent.

The attitude towards the scavenger community commonly known as Chakkiliyar in Kanyakumari District was not different from the other part of the country. They were treated as untouchables and faced the inhuman activities of the other section of the society. In 1947, Kasi Udayam came up as the saviour of the scavenging workers by organizing a union to fight for their legitimate rights and for their recognition as human beings by the society.8 K.L.S. Santhanam joined with Kasi Udayam and fought shoulder to shoulder for the rights of the scavenger society. He was only in tenth standard when he plunged into this movement.

A.C. Sundaram Pillai was the Municipal Councillor of sixth ward of Nagercoil Municipality at the time. Kasi Udayam along with K.L.S. Santhanam met him and discussed about the problems faced by the scavenging workers. Both of them also requested him to introduce a resolution in the Municipal Council meeting for the welfare of the scavengers. Though many Councillors opposed, the resolution was passed in favour of the scavengers.9 For the Scavenger’s Union, Kasi Udayam and K.L.S. Santhanam led many agitations and after the workers got their basic rights. The main demand was for education facilities for their children and help for constructing shelters. With the support of P.Jeevanantham, Muthukaruppa Pillai and T.S.Ramasamy, K.L.S.Santhanam could end the corrupt practice of officials over the scavenging workers.

During that period the scavenging communities were not allowed to enter the temples. In the festival time a temporary fence (therumarachan) were made on certain distance around the temple by the upper class to avoid the entry of Chakkiliyar community. That attitude of the upper class people hurt the people like P.Jeevanantham, Kasi Udayam, V.Markandan and K.L.S.Santhanam. They planned to make the scavenging workers to enter the temples during the festival time. In one occasion they arranged the Chakkiliyar community to enter the Vadiveesvaram Azhakamman Koil during festival period. When the scavengers cross the therumarachan the temple committee identified the scavenging people, and complained to the police. But the police could not remove them as the scavengers along with Santhanam and Kasi Udayam scrolled on the ground and marked the protest.10

Similar to that in 1955 P.Jeevanantham made arrangements to one Chakkiliyar as Brahmin with a fake name Subramaniyaiyyer in the Boothapandy Car Festival. On the occasion of pull the chariot the fake Brahmin uttered the language of a Chakkiliyar. That was identified by the upper class and they stopped to pulling the chariot because of untouchability. That was caused P.Jeevanantham to leave his native town Boothapandy. After those incidents faced by the Chakkiliyar community the leaders who support them formed a union named Nagercoil Nagarasudhi Thozhilalar Sangam. Markandan became the President and K.L.S.Santhanam as Secretary of that Union. From there onwards they fought for their rights. As a result of the agitation the Government implements certain facilities to the scavenger’s community. They got suitable accommodation and educational facilities for their children. The practice of carrying night-soil as head-load or its manual handling was banned by suitable legislation. Incentive of subsidy/ loan available to such households in urban or rural areas. Further to examine the condition of the Scavengers many committees were appointed. The main committees which have examined the problem in depth are the Scavengers Living Conditions Enquiry Committee (Barve Committee) 1949, the Scavenging Conditions Enquiry Committee (Malkani Committee), 1957 and the Committee on Customary Rights to Scavenging, 1965.11

K.L.S. Santhanam is a gratified leader of Trade Union in Kanyakumari District. He is a politician, legal advisor and also a good social worker. He was born in a forward caste family, but he renders his service to the downtrodden people. He had engaged himself in politics and securing social justice to the poor and the oppressed scheduled communities besides being interested in the welfare of the handicapped.He made many agitations in favour of workers and labours and many rights were bought by him to the labourers.

References

  1. Dr.Venugopalan and Dr.Rama Prasada Rao, Trade Unions in India, Printwel Publishers, Jaipur, 1996, p.105.
  2. Madhusudhan Rao,M, ‘Labour Management Relations and Trade Union Leadership”, Deep & Deep Publications, New Delhi, 1986, p.9.
  3. Ibid., pp. 9-10.
  4. Tyagi, Labour Economic and Social Welfare, Ed, 1982, p.1.
  5. Personal Interview with P. Kaliyappan, dated 21.2.2009.
  6. Report of the Planning Commission, 1990-91, New Delhi, p.1.
  7. Ibid., p.2.
  8. SundaramPillai, A.C., “Palli Paruvathil  Nagara Suddha Thozilalargaludan Indrya Thozil Sanga Methai Santhanam”, K.L.S. Santhanam Manivizha Malar, Kottar, Nagercoil, 1992, p. 69.
  9. Ibid.
  10. Interview with K.L.S. Santhanam, dated 10-12-2009
  11. Sharma.G.K, Labour Movement in India, Sterling Publishers, New Delhi, 1982.