The unfinished Skywalk in Kottayam
Kottayam, a small town in Kerala has done exceptionally well in many metrics of human development. The Progress Review of the National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) for the year 2023 is a sequel to the Baseline Report brought out in November 2021. The 410-page report documents the MPI data for India’s States & Union Territories by analysing 12 indicators of performance of 707 administrative districts.
Historically, the sole measure of poverty used to be income. Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), is based on the Alkire-Foster (AF) methodology (1) and 12 indicators capture the level of deprivation in health, education, and living standards. The Niti Aayog report (2) on MPI shows the exemplary performance of the Kottayam town and the district: it is the only place in India with zero multidimensional poverty. The measured poverty index has a national average of 25.01 % meaning that a quarter of all households in the country are multidimensionally poor.
A strong tradition of faith, high levels of literacy and education, and vigorous practice of altruism, all went to making this achievement.
Kottayam achieved 100% literacy as early as 1989: the first place in India to do so. What led to this was the early start of education: Kottayam had a college before even Mumbai had one (3). The CMS College opened in 1815, a good 17 years before Mumbai Wilson College came up in 1832. Among its celebrated alumni are the former President of India, KR Narayanan, Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan, internationally reputed theoretical physicist ECG Sudarshan and a Booker prize winner, Arundhati Roy, the author of God of Small Things.
The Baker Memorial Girls’ Higher Secondary School was established in 1816, when Amelia Dorothea Baker, wife of Henry Baker Sr, realised the importance of women's education in the development of society.
In 1821, Dr Benjamin Bailey established the CMS Press. He cut the types and constructed a wooden printing press with the help of local silversmiths from descriptions given in an encyclopaedia and can be considered the first Malayalam typographer. The types moulded by Bailey are characterized by legibility and economy (4).
Mahatma Gandhi University, established in 1983, has many schools of advanced studies dedicated to special areas like Behavioural Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Computer Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Gandhian Thought and Development Studies, International Relations and Politics, School of Letters, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics etc.
In 1867 two newspapers, Santishtavadi and the Travancore Herald started publication in Kottayam. The oldest surviving newspaper in Malayalam, the Deepika was launched from Kottayam in 1887 (4). The Malayala Manorama, floated for the first time in India by a joint stock company, started publication in 1890(4).
Kottayam hosts several book publishers like D. C. Books, Vidyarthi Mithram, and Current Books. Three-fourths of books published in Kerala are from Kottayam. A unique Travancore institution that started in Kottayam in 1945 is the ‘Sahithya Pravarthaka Sahakarana Sangham,’ Writer’s Cooperative, which published books and gave writers financial security and social status.
Kottayam has an outstanding example of one person practising altruism - disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others. This is Mr P U Thomas, who, when confined in a hospital in Kottayam in 1966 had the epiphanic vision of doing good to others. In 1969, he secured a job in the medical college, first as a Gardner, and later as a part-time attendant in the ward for the mentally ill (5). He noticed the helpless, patients, and bystanders of the Kottayam Medical College and started a free food distribution system in 1970. Today he distributes up to 5000 home-cooked food packets daily in the Medical College Hospital, Children’s Hospital and District Ayurveda Hospital in Kottayam.
In 1991, the Navajeevan Trust was formed to rehabilitate wandering mental patients, and in 1995 moved to a building owned by the trust at Panampalam near St. Alphonsa’s birth home (5). He takes care of over 200 mentally ill patients at the centre. The ‘Oru Kaithangu’ (a Supporting Hand) scheme provides 3000 rupees each to 100 kidney patients every month (5).
P U Thomas, who did not study beyond class seven has received over 200 awards “In recognition of outstanding services rendered to the public”, the latest being the SPANDAN Award of 2022 for excellence in Social Service by a layperson, given by the Syro-Malabar Church Synod in August 2022 (5). Pope Francis presented him with a medal for meritorious service. Kerala Catholic Federation recognised him as a “living saint” through an award in 2018.
The Kottayam Public Library began as a modest reading room on seven cents of land with just 35 members and 674 books and has grown remarkably over three centuries. It stands as the largest library in the state, with over 6000 members, and 250,000 books on the ground floor of a three-story building. Recently the library has added a reference and research area along with a special study room for students, research scholars and professionals. The original calligraphic version of the Indian constitution in the library attracts visitors. The library also features the KPS Menon Memorial Auditorium with three air-conditioned halls. One of the stand-up features is a masterpiece by the eminent sculptor, Kanhai Kunjuraman.
Kottayam has been the centre of many political agitations, including the Malayalam Memorial movement, which began here, securing representation for educated people in banks and civil service. The memorandum was drafted during a public meeting at the Kottam public library and presented to Maharaj Shree Mulam Thirunal in 1891 marking the start of the modern political movement in the state.
The TalkIndia programme spearheaded by the Kottayam Public Library and the Mulamoottil Foundation is an innovative initiative under the banner of Thinkers Academy to lead India towards a knowledge society. This program seeks to transform, thinking, learning and the cultivation of innovative ideas as part of our mission. The programme has plans to host a monthly talk series featuring prominent speakers who will address topics that are both relevant and impactful.
The Senior Citizens’ Forum in Kottayam, established in 1987, is the oldest association of Senior Citizens in Kerala. SCF activities include periodic meetings, discussions, charitable activities, visits to interesting places, picnics etc. They are primarily meant to engage the Senior Citizens in intellectual and social activities and provide them with some form of fellowship. With close to 800 fortnightly meetings held with exceptional regularity, the Senior Citizen’s Forum of Kottayam has established a remarkable longevity record. It brings out a monthly newsletter, “Elder’s Voice” and maintains a website (https://www.scfktm.net). It spearheaded the formation of the Federation of Senior Citizens’ Associations Kerala at the state level and is affiliated with it.
A unique place in Kottayam is the “Naalumanikkaattu”, meaning “the 4’O-clock breeze”. It is a park by the state highway, where you can enjoy the caressing cool breeze and relax on the benches, looking at the lush green paddy fields on either side. This was a waste dump once upon a time, recovered by the residents’ association with technical support from the Tropical Institute of Ecological Sciences. Flowering plants smile in the speckled sunlight and children find a place to play on jhoolas and slides. For the visitors, the members of the ‘Kudumbshree’, a women's collective, prepare delicious snacks and serve them on plantain leaves. This allows the Kudumbasree members to earn an income. Despite the crowd of visitors every evening, the place is kept spick and span, thanks to the Kudumbasree members. There is a lending library from where you can pick up books to browse while relaxing.
References
(1) https://ophi.org.uk/md-poverty-and-AF-method
(2) https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2023-08/India-National-Multidimentional-Poverty-Index-2023.pdf
(3) https://www.linkedin.com/posts/josh-joseph-b17912311_kottayam-a-district-in-kerala-india-has-activity-7231233491714088962-xO5L/
(4) http://keralamediaacademy.org/archives/?q=content%2Fbenjamin-bailey
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