{"id":4197,"date":"2025-03-17T23:19:31","date_gmt":"2025-03-17T17:49:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arshaworld.org\/avs\/?p=4197"},"modified":"2025-03-18T12:19:56","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T06:49:56","slug":"hindu-renaissance-a-distorted-form-of-nationalism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arshaworld.org\/avs\/hindu-renaissance-a-distorted-form-of-nationalism\/","title":{"rendered":"Hindu Renaissance: A Distorted Form of Nationalism"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Article 6<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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This is a continuation of E.M.S.’s evaluation of Sri Narayana Guru. Refer to the previous articles in the series for more context.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Reference: E.M.S.’s discussions on Kerala Renaissance and Sri Narayana Guru can be found in his Malayalam works such as “Onnekal Koti Malayali” (1946), “Kerala Malayalikalude Mathrubhumi” (1948), \u201cKeralathinte Desheeya Prashnam\u201d (1952), “Keralam: Innale, Innu, Naale” (1966), “Indian Swatantrya Samara Charithram” (1977), “Kerala Charithravum Samskaravum” (1981), “Kerala Charithram Marxist Veekshanathil” (1990), along with articles, responses, and speeches published in periodicals like Desabhimani Daily, Desabhimani, and Chinta Weekly. These discussions are compiled in the E.M.S. Sampoorna Kritikal (100 volumes).<\/p><\/div><\/div>

(Many of E.M.S.’s books and articles are mere repetitions. Although they were written at different times, they have been compiled in the same way, with even the lines remaining unchanged.)<\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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7. In the book “Indian Swatantrya Samara Charithram”, E.M.S. refers to the activities of Sree Narayana Guru in the nineteenth chapter titled “Hindu Punaruthanam: Desheeyatheyude Vikrutha Roopam – Hindu Renaissance: A Distorted Form of Nationalism”. (Part – 4) The heading clearly reflects his perspective. In the content, examine how E.M.S. evaluates the work of the spiritual leaders who led renaissance in Bharat, such as Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Vivekananda, Maharshi Dayananda Saraswati, and Sree Narayana Guru.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>

\u201cThe movements led by people such as ‘Sree Narayanan’ aimed to reform the Hindu community and culture in a bourgeois manner.\u201d

He writes, ‘The weakness born out of bourgeois nationalism is the restlessness of the Hindu Renaissance.’

\u201cThe movements of Jyotirao Phule in Maharashtra and Sree Narayana in Kerala should be evaluated as part of the movement to reform the Hindu community and culture in a bourgeois manner.\u201d

The pictures of these Renaissance greats, who were ‘Hindu revivalists,’ were also included in this chapter.<\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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8. In the question-answer section of the Chintha magazine, E.M.S. further elaborates on this stance: “There is no inconsistency in saying that Raja Ram Mohan Roy, who passed away before Marx and Engels wrote the Communist Manifesto, was a precursor to the bourgeois nationalist movement. Although it was a few decades later, Sree Narayana Guru, who spread the message of social equality from one end of Kerala to the other, and the social reformers who were his predecessors, contemporaries, or successors, were the representatives of Raja Ram Mohan Roy in this region.

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(Desabhimani Weekly, March 30, 1997)<\/div>
E.M.S. has referred to not only Sree Narayana Guru but also figures like Swami Vivekananda as ‘advocates of bourgeois nationalism’ in several instances.<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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9. Gurudeva (Sree Narayana Guru), a ‘petty bourgeois.’<\/div>
K.P. Vijayan’s book “Brahmin Communisavum Mattu Pathanangalum – Brahmin Communism and Other Studies” includes a chapter titled “E.M.S. – Chintakanum Vishwasiyum – E.M.S. the Thinker and Believer” (Page 127). In this chapter, he quotes E.M.S.’s words.

A petty bourgeois group that rose from a section of people oppressed under the dominance of caste, lordship, and hegemony. The best representative of the gradual rise of this petty bourgeois class in the middle and large scale is Dr. Ambedkar. A similar phenomenon in Kerala took shape in the form of the social reformers beginning with Sree Narayana Guru.

Those who opposed E.M.S.’s stance, which assessed Gurudevan as a petty bourgeois and a bourgeois social reformer, have had to part ways with the CPI(M). An example is P. Gangadharan.

E.M.S. has accused not only the present leaders of the SNDP but also the founding leaders of the SNDP, Dr. Palpu and Kumaran Asan, of being bourgeois political spokespersons. For example: E.M.S. Sampoorna Kritikal – 77 (Volume – 64).<\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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10. “Guru’s ideas are incomplete” – E.M.S.<\/div>
E.M.S. does not agree with Sree Narayana Guru’s thought that “it is enough if a person is good, regardless of their religion.” He states, “Because this is incomplete. For individuals to be good, there must be good politics. Without considering this truth, it is impossible to think about individuals becoming good.” (E.M.S. Complete Works – Volume – 41, Page 299).

Stance on the Sree Narayana movement.<\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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11. The Sree Narayana movement is not revolutionary!<\/div>
E.M.S. argues, “Claiming that the Sree Narayana movement was revolutionary since its inception is not in line with the Marxist perspective.”<\/div>
He points out the reasons for this:

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(1) It was confined to spirituality.

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(2) It distanced itself from the key principles of Indian nationalism.<\/div>
(E.M.S. Sampoorna Kritikal, Page 30, Volume 64)<\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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12. A much lower step than the Kudiyan movement!<\/div>
“Although more popular than the Kudiyan movement, the movement for social equality for the oppressed and backward castes (such as the SNDP Yogam) was much lower in substance, despite having a broader appeal.”<\/div>
(Keralathinte Desheeya Prashnam – E.M.S., Page 188)<\/div><\/div><\/div>
Through comparison, E.M.S. has also used the Tarka Sastra strategy of “making Gurudeva seem insignificant by comparing him to certain great figures” (‘Tulayithwa Seemitham’).<\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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13. By elevating Vagbhatananda, Sree Narayana Guru is being undermined.<\/div>
Refer to the article “Vagbhatananda’s Atmavidya” written in Desabhimani on 27-4-1997. (E.M.S. Sampoorna Kritikal: Volume 94, Page 58.)<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Pay attention to the beginning of this article:

“Over the past century, there has been a growing tendency, particularly in Kerala and more specifically in the Thiruvithamkoor (Travancore) region, to portray Sree Narayana Guru as the sole source of the modern renaissance that has emerged in Kerala. As a result, the significant contributions to the Kerala renaissance made by figures such as Brahmananda Shivayogi from South Malabar and Vagbhatananda Gurudevan from North Malabar have not been given due recognition,” writes E.M.S.

Here, two questions arise: Who ‘portrayed Sree Narayana Guru as the sole source of the renaissance’? Is it because someone elevated Gurudeva in such a way that Brahmananda Shivayogi and Vagbhatananda were not given due recognition?

Pay attention to the comparisons in E.M.S.’s books!<\/p>

E.M.S. writes,<\/strong><\/p><\/div><\/div>

“Although he did not gain pan-Kerala recognition like Sree Narayana Guru, another individual who significantly contributed to the growth of the community is Vagbhatananda Gurudevan, born in the Kottayam taluk of North Malabar. He, who excelled in scholarship and eloquence, surpassed even Sree Narayana Guru in these aspects. Initially through the Brahmo Samaj and later through his own establishment, the Atmavidhya Sangham, he actively worked against caste discrimination, idol worship, alcoholism, and other such practices, and managed to convert even some upper-caste Hindus into his disciples. There is no doubt that he played a very important role in the social development of North Malabar.”<\/p>

“Keralam Malayalikalude Mathrubhoomi – Kerala: The Motherland of Malayalis” (Volume – 9), Page no: 289, 290,<\/div>
“Kerala Charithram Marxist Veekshanathil – Kerala History in Marxist Perspective,” Page – 194.<\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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There is no doubt that both these great individuals carried out renaissance activities in their own ways. Both were scholars. However, the relevance and intention behind the comparison that “Vagbhatananda surpassed Gurudevan in scholarship” is unclear. Just like Vagbhatananda, Sree Narayana Guru also had upper-caste Hindu disciples.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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14. The comparison between Sree Narayana Guru and Brahmananda Shivayogi by E.M.S.<\/div>
“One thing becomes clear from this lengthy quotation. As a popular movement, no matter how high Sree Narayana Guru’s thoughts were, it was the thoughts of Shivayogi that had the upper hand in strongly opposing the various forms of feudal ideological structures.”

The phrase “Shivayogi’s thoughts are a ‘higher philosophy’ than Gurudeva’s” raises the question: Who is determining this?

“The popular movement established by Sree Narayana:

The ‘higher philosophy’ that was considered more advanced than Sree Narayana\u2019s, had to establish the identity of the modern working class. Sree Narayana and Shivayogi passed away before this happened. This is what later evolved into the present-day communist movement in Kerala.”<\/div>
(“Sree Narayana Guru and Brahmananda Shivayogi” 5-1-1997), E.M.S. Sampoorna Kritikal – Volume 94, Pages 56, 57.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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15. Sahodaran Ayyappan – “Development, Progress”<\/div>
Sree Narayana Guru’s saying, “One caste, one religion, one God for man,” was \u2018developed\u2019 by Sahodaran Ayyappan into “No caste, no religion, no God, only man.”

E.M.S. writes,\u201cI doubt whether Narayanan truly recognizes the significance of this progress from Sree Narayana to Sahodaran\u201d (E.M.S. Sampoorna Kritikal – Volume 94, Pages 31, 32).<\/div>
E.M.S. was not someone who didn\u2019t understand the meaning of phrases like “developed” and “the significance of this progress from Sree Narayana to Sahodaran.”<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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(To be continued…)<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Article 6 This is a continuation of E.M.S.’s evaluation of Sri Narayana Guru. Refer to the previous articles in the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":944,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,27],"tags":[101,94,95,96,82,97,98,87,100,85,84,99,83,88,81,86],"class_list":["post-4197","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-blog-english","tag-amshamseer","tag-bjp4ind","tag-congress","tag-cpi","tag-cpim","tag-master","tag-mv-govindan","tag-mvgovindan","tag-paloli","tag-pinarayi-vijayan","tag-pinarayivijayan","tag-pjayarajan","tag-rss","tag-sanatandharma","tag-sivagiri","tag-sreenarayanaguru"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/arshaworld.org\/avs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Acharya-K-R-Manoj-Ji.jpg?fit=1344%2C768&ssl=1","wpmagazine_modules_lite_featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/arshaworld.org\/avs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Acharya-K-R-Manoj-Ji.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"cvmm-medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/arshaworld.org\/avs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Acharya-K-R-Manoj-Ji.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1",300,300,true],"cvmm-medium-plus":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/arshaworld.org\/avs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Acharya-K-R-Manoj-Ji.jpg?resize=305%2C207&ssl=1",305,207,true],"cvmm-portrait":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/arshaworld.org\/avs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Acharya-K-R-Manoj-Ji.jpg?resize=400%2C600&ssl=1",400,600,true],"cvmm-medium-square":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/arshaworld.org\/avs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Acharya-K-R-Manoj-Ji.jpg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1",600,600,true],"cvmm-large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/arshaworld.org\/avs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Acharya-K-R-Manoj-Ji.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1",1024,768,true],"cvmm-small":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/arshaworld.org\/avs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Acharya-K-R-Manoj-Ji.jpg?resize=130%2C95&ssl=1",130,95,true],"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/arshaworld.org\/avs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Acharya-K-R-Manoj-Ji.jpg?fit=1344%2C768&ssl=1",1344,768,false]},"categories_names":{"23":{"name":"blog","link":"https:\/\/arshaworld.org\/avs\/category\/blog\/"},"27":{"name":"blog-english","link":"https:\/\/arshaworld.org\/avs\/category\/blog-english\/"}},"tags_names":{"101":{"name":"AMShamseer","link":"https:\/\/arshaworld.org\/avs\/tag\/amshamseer\/"},"94":{"name":"BJP4IND","link":"https:\/\/arshaworld.org\/avs\/tag\/bjp4ind\/"},"95":{"name":"Congress","link":"https:\/\/arshaworld.org\/avs\/tag\/congress\/"},"96":{"name":"CPI","link":"https:\/\/arshaworld.org\/avs\/tag\/cpi\/"},"82":{"name":"CPIM","link":"https:\/\/arshaworld.org\/avs\/tag\/cpim\/"},"97":{"name":"Master","link":"https:\/\/arshaworld.org\/avs\/tag\/master\/"},"98":{"name":"MV 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