Pandit Karuppan
| Pandit K.P. Karuppan | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
24 May 1885 Cheranalloor, India |
| Died | 23 March 1938 (aged 52) |
| Nationality | India |
| Occupation | Poet, dramatist, social reformer |
Pandit Karuppan was a poet, dramatist, and social reformer who lived in Kerala, India.
Pandit Karuppan emerged from Ernakulam of Cochin State as a relentless crusader against untouchability and social evils. He was called the "Lincoln" of Kerala for steering socio-economically and educationally backward communities to the forefront. Hailing from a community of inland fishermen who engaged in localised fishing in backwaters and rivers, Karuppan became a Sanskrit scholar, poet and dramatist of repute. As the first human rights activist of the Cochin State, he used his literary skill and organizational ability to combat illiteracy, social injustice, casteism, and superstitions. He campaigned for the rights of lower-caste people, who at that time were not even permitted to enter Ernakulam.
K.P. Karuppan (Kandathiparambil Paapu Karuppan) was born on 24 May 1885, at Cheranelloor, near Ernakulam into a lower middle class family of Dheevara fishermen community to Paapu (locally known as Atho Poojari) and Kochu Pennu. the family was known for its skills in toxicology and for treating snakebite victims.
The Malayalam meaning of Karuppan is "person of black colour," but, ironically, Karuppan had a very fair complexion. Though Karuppan's childhood name was Sankaran, the name Karuppan was given to him by a Tamil Gosai who was a family friend. He predicted that the boy would become a great scholar and suggested the name Karpan (meaning a learned person in Tamil), which later turned into Karuppan.
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