History / Kerala History

United Kerala Movement - Aikya Kerala Movement | PSC Notes

United Kerala MovementState Reorganisation

1. AIKYA KERALA MOVEMENT — BASIC IDEA

Q1. What was the Aikya Kerala Movement, and what was its main aim?

Answer:

The Aikya Kerala Movement was a movement for the unification of Malayalam-speaking regions into a single state.
During British rule, the present-day Kerala region was politically divided under different administrations.
Although the people shared a common culture, they were governed by different rulers.
The movement aimed to integrate these Malayalam-speaking regions into one united Kerala state.

Q2. Into which four administrative units was present-day Kerala divided during the British period?

Answer:

Present-day Kerala was divided into four units:

Travancore – a princely state.
Kochin – a princely state.
Malabar – a district of the Madras Presidency, under direct British rule.
Kasargod taluk – part of the South Canara district of Mysore State.

Despite political separation, the people of these regions shared a common culture.

2. BEGINNING OF THE AIKYA KERALA MOVEMENT

Q3. How did the 1920 Nagpur Session of the INC contribute to the beginning of the Aikya Kerala Movement?

Answer:

At its Nagpur Session in 1920, the Indian National Congress (INC) decided to form State Congress Committees on a linguistic basis.
Following this decision, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) was formed in 1921.
KPCC was created for all Malayalam-speaking regions.
It included people from:
Malabar
Kochin
Travancore

This helped develop the idea that all Malayalam-speaking people should belong to a single state.

Q4. What role did the KPCC play in developing the idea of Aikya Kerala?

Answer:

From the formation of the KPCC in 1921, people increasingly demanded Aikya Kerala, a state for all Malayalees.
A series of political conferences were organized under the auspices of KPCC from 1921 onwards.
These conferences brought political workers from the three major administrative units onto a common platform:
Malabar
Kochin
Travancore
They encouraged political workers to think in terms of the formation of a United Kerala State.

3. AIKYA KERALA MOVEMENT BEFORE THE 1940s

Q5. What happened at the State People's Conference held at Ernakulam in 1928?

Answer:

State People's Conference was held at Ernakulam in 1928.
It was attended by delegates from:
Malabar
Kochin
Travancore
The conference passed a resolution demanding the formation of a “United Kerala.”
The proposed state was to include all Malayalam-speaking regions.

Q6. What was the importance of the 1928 Congress Session at Payyannur?

Answer:

A Congress Session was held at Payyannur in 1928.
It was held under the presidentship of Jawaharlal Nehru.
The session passed a resolution asking the national leadership of the Congress to take steps to create Kerala as a separate province.
This was to be done when the Constitution of Free India was framed.

Q7. What was the nature of the Aikya Kerala Movement before the 1940s?

Answer:

During this period, activities for the formation of Kerala were largely restricted to passing resolutions on different political platforms.
However, people involved in the national movement generally accepted the idea that there should be a separate state for Malayalam-speaking people.

4. AIKYA KERALA MOVEMENT DURING THE 1940s

Q8. Why did the Aikya Kerala Movement gain momentum during the 1940s?

Answer:

During the 1940s, people began to realize that Indian independence would soon become a reality.
As independence approached, the movement for the formation of Aikya Kerala also gathered momentum.
The question was no longer merely about passing resolutions; political organizations increasingly discussed concrete plans for creating the new state.

Q9. What important meeting regarding Aikya Kerala was held in 1945?

Answer:

In 1945, a combined meeting was held involving:

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC)
Kochin State People's Congress
Travancore State Congress

The meeting discussed:

Plans
Programmes

to be adopted for the formation of Kerala as a separate state.

5. SRI KERALA VARMA — “AIKYA KERALA THAMPURAN”

Q10. Who was known as “Aikya Kerala Thampuran,” and how did he support the movement?

Answer:

Sri Kerala Varma, the Maharaja of Kochin, was known as:

“Aikya Kerala Thampuran.”

In 1946:

He sent a message to the Kochin Legislative Council.
He expressed support for the early formation of a Kerala State.
He favoured a state comprising:
Travancore
Kochin
Malabar

He later personally participated in the Aikya Kerala Conference at Thrissur in 1947 and spoke in favour of a united Kerala.

6. AIKYA KERALA CONFERENCE — THRISSUR, 1947

Q11. What were the major features of the Aikya Kerala Conference held at Thrissur in 1947?

Answer:

The Aikya Kerala Conference was held at:

Place: Thrissur
Date: April 1947
President: K. Kelappan

Important features:

Hundreds of delegates from all parts of Kerala attended.
The reigning Maharaja of Kochin, Sri Kerala Varma, attended the conference.
Kerala Varma spoke in favour of establishing a united Kerala comprising:
British Malabar
Kochin
Travancore

Q12. What did the 1947 Thrissur Aikya Kerala Conference demand?

Answer:

The conference demanded the formation of a Kerala State consisting of:

Princely State of Travancore
Princely State of Kochin
British-occupied Malayalam-speaking areas
Mahe

The conference also:

Passed a resolution moved by Congress leader E. Moidu Moulavi.
The resolution demanded the early formation of Aikya Kerala.
Elected a Standing Council of 100 members to follow up the demand through action.

7. AIKYA KERALA MOVEMENT AFTER INDEPENDENCE

Q13. What did K. Kelappan's Petition Committee do after Indian independence?

Answer:

After independence, a Petition Committee was formed under the leadership of K. Kelappan.
In February 1948, the committee went to Delhi.
It submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
It requested the immediate formation of Kerala State.

8. DHAR COMMISSION

Q14. Why was the Dhar Commission appointed, and what did it do in Kerala?

Answer:

The Constituent Assembly appointed a State Language Commission known as the Dhar Commission.
Its purpose was to:
Examine problems relating to the creation of new states on a linguistic basis.
Submit a report to the government.

In 1948:

The Dhar Commission visited Kerala.
It conducted detailed enquiries into the possibility of forming a Kerala State.

Q15. What did the Dhar Commission recommend regarding linguistic states?

Answer:

The Dhar Commission:

Did not recommend the formation of states on a linguistic basis.
Instead, it recommended that states should be formed on the basis of administrative convenience.

9. ALUVA AIKYA KERALA CONFERENCE — 1949

Q16. Why was another Aikya Kerala Conference held at Aluva in 1949?

Answer:

Another Aikya Kerala Conference was held at Aluva in February 1949.
Its purpose was to persuade the authorities to hasten the process of state formation.
It passed a resolution asking the Central Government to create the new Kerala State without delay.

However:

Travancore State Congress leader Pattom Thanu Pillai opposed the formation of a United Kerala State.

10. FORMATION OF THIRU-KOCHI — 1949

Q17. How and when was Thiru-Kochi formed?

Answer:

Since the Dhar Commission did not support linguistic reorganization, Travancore and Kochin were merged.
A new state called Thiru-Kochi (Travancore-Cochin) was formed.
Date: 1 July 1949
It was formed for administrative purposes.

Q18. What happened to the rulers of Travancore and Kochin after the formation of Thiru-Kochi?

Answer:

The King of Travancore became the Raja Pramukh of the new Thiru-Kochi State.
The King of Kochin was offered the post of Upa Raja Pramukh.
The King of Kochin refused the post.
The source also states that the Maharaja of Kochin gave up his royal powers unconditionally for the good of the people.

Q19. Who headed the first popular ministry of Travancore-Cochin?

Answer:

The first popular ministry of Travancore-Cochin was headed by T.K. Narayana Pillai.
He had been the Chief Minister of Travancore.
The ruler of Travancore became the governor of Travancore-Cochin under the title Rajpramukh.

11. OPPOSITION TO THE THIRU-KOCHI ARRANGEMENT

Q20. Why did some supporters of Aikya Kerala oppose the formation of Thiru-Kochi?

Answer:

Many people opposed:

Appointment of the King of Travancore as head of the new state.
Formation of a state containing only Travancore and Kochin.

They demanded a larger state comprising:

Malabar
Thiru-Kochi

As a protest against the Central Government's decision:

K. Kelappan resigned from the presidentship of the Aikya Kerala Committee.

12. PALAKKAD AIKYA KERALA CONFERENCE — 1949

Q21. What happened at the Aikya Kerala Conference held at Palakkad in November 1949?

Answer:

Another Aikya Kerala Conference was held at Palakkad in November 1949.
President: K.P. Kesava Menon

The conference demanded:

Formation of Aikya Kerala.
Abolition of the post of Raja Pramukh.

13. POTTI SRIRAMULU AND STATE REORGANIZATION

Q22. How did Potti Sriramulu's agitation influence the reorganization of Indian states?

Answer:

In 1953, Potti Sriramulu fasted until death.
His demand was the formation of an Andhra State for Telugu-speaking people.
Following this development, a States Reorganisation Commission was established.
Chairman: Fazal Ali.

14. FORMATION OF KERALA — 1 NOVEMBER 1956

Q23. When and on whose recommendations was Kerala State finally formed?

Answer:

Kerala was formed following the recommendations of the Fazal Ali Commission.
Date of formation: 1 November 1956.

The new state consisted of:

Travancore
Kochin
Malabar
Kasargod

The post of Raja Pramukh was abolished.

Q24. Which Tamil-speaking regions of Travancore were transferred to Madras?

Answer:

The Tamil-speaking regions of Travancore were merged with Madras State.

These included the southern taluks of:

Tovala
Agastheeswaram
Kalkulam
Vilavankod

Also transferred:

Eastern part of Shenkotta Taluk

Q25. Which Tamil-speaking region of Malabar was transferred to Madras?

Answer:

The Tamil-speaking region of Malabar was also transferred to Madras State.
Gudallur was merged with Madras.

15. ROLE OF K. KELAPPAN IN THE AIKYA KERALA MOVEMENT

Q26. What was K. Kelappan's overall role in the Aikya Kerala Movement?

Answer:

K. Kelappan was one of the major leaders of the Aikya Kerala Movement.

He became President of the Aikya Kerala Committee formed in 1945.
He presided over the Aikya Kerala Convention at Thrissur.
He led the Petition Committee to Delhi in February 1948.
He submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru requesting the immediate formation of Kerala.
He later resigned as President of the Aikya Kerala Committee in protest against the Thiru-Kochi arrangement under a Raja Pramukh.

Q27. What territories did K. Kelappan propose for inclusion in Kerala at the Thrissur Aikya Kerala Convention?

Answer:

At the Thrissur convention, Kelappan stated that Kerala should be formed with:

Kasargod
Coorg
Nilgiris
Malabar
Kochi
Thiruvitamkur (Travancore)

Q28. What principles did K. Kelappan say should be considered when creating a separate state?

Answer:

Kelappan was the first, according to the notes, to state that state formation should consider not only language, but also:

Geographical features
Historical background

Q29. Why did K. Kelappan resign from the presidentship of the Aikya Kerala Committee?

Answer:

Thiru-Kochi was created with the Raja Pramukh as its head.
Kelappan opposed this arrangement.
He resigned from the presidentship of the Aikya Kerala Committee as a protest.

His objective was a state:

For Malayalees
Governed by representatives of the people

rather than headed through the old princely arrangement.

Timeline for Revision

1920 → Nagpur INC Session decided to organize State Congress Committees on a linguistic basis.
1921 → KPCC formed for Malayalam-speaking regions; political conferences began bringing Malabar, Kochin and Travancore together.
1928 → State People's Conference, Ernakulam demanded United Kerala.
1928 → Payyannur Congress Session, presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru, demanded a separate Kerala province.
1945 → Combined meeting of KPCC, Kochin State People's Congress and Travancore State Congress; Aikya Kerala Committee under K. Kelappan.
1946 → Kochin Maharaja Sri Kerala Varma, “Aikya Kerala Thampuran,” supported Kerala State.
April 1947 → Aikya Kerala Conference, Thrissur, presided over by K. Kelappan; E. Moidu Moulavi moved the resolution; 100-member Standing Council elected.
February 1948 → Kelappan-led Petition Committee went to Delhi and submitted a memorandum to Jawaharlal Nehru.
1948 → Dhar Commission visited Kerala.
February 1949 → Aluva Aikya Kerala Conference demanded immediate state formation; Pattom Thanu Pillai opposed United Kerala.
1 July 1949 → Thiru-Kochi formed by merging Travancore and Kochin.
November 1949 → Palakkad Aikya Kerala Conference, presided over by K.P. Kesava Menon, demanded Aikya Kerala and abolition of Raja Pramukh.
1953 → Potti Sriramulu's fast until death for Andhra; States Reorganisation Commission established under Fazal Ali.
1 November 1956 → Kerala State formed with Travancore, Kochin, Malabar and Kasargod; Raja Pramukh abolished; specified Tamil-speaking areas transferred to Madras.