THE BANISHMENT OF SIR RAMUNNI MENON

An excommunication 8 years before Thatri,in 1897

Three important questions:1.Who introduced Music as a subject in Madras University?2.Who proposed a monthly allowance to Mathematical genius,Ramanujan's wife,Janaki Ammal?3.Who stayed in M S Subbulakshmi's home before her?Please take your time to answer,while I tell you the story of Ramunni Menon.

In 1892,the 20 year old Kankoth Ramunni Menon(1872-1949) from Villadam,Thrissur,traveled down to Tripunithura to meet the King,Chingamasathil Theepetta Thampuran(The King who died in the month of Chingam),Kerala Varma V(1888-1895).Menon had studied in Maharaja's College ,Ernakulam and Presidency College,Madras,passed BA Zoology,and was planning to go to England for higher studies.After meeting the King,he met the heir apparent,Rama Varma,who wielded great influence over the King.

King Kerala Varma

Rama Varma,who later came to be known as His Abdicated Highness,after his abdication in 1914, casually asked Menon,whether the question of his social position after his return from Engaland had been considered and a definite understanding on it arrived at-it was the practice among higher castes then to excommunicate the person who crossed the sea.Rama Varma told him the precaution was highly necessary as the majority of the people of the State was still very orthodox in social and religious matters, and might object to his re admission into society.Menon said,if he could have Rama Varma's sympathy and support,there would be no trouble.

Rama Varma replied that his sympathy,or for that matter,the sympathy of the King,would be of no avail in such matters,so long as society was not ready to accept a drastic change.Menon then told Rama Varma,that the King has given him,permission.Rama Varma,by his on version,was surprised,and asked him,whether there was any discussion as to his position,on his return."No",Menon said.

Ramunni Menon

Rama Varma,met the King the very next day,and asked him,why he consented to Menon's request.The King said,the man was determined to go,and if the request was declined,he might approach the Resident,and other influential persons and through them bring pressure,and it would be difficult to with stand.Rama Varma asked,whether the King had at all thought about Menon's position,after his return from England.The angry King barked:"That is an event to come after two or three years.Who is going to live till that time?'".
King Kerala Varma(1845-1895)was the son of Manku Thampuran and younger brother of King Rama Varma(1864-1888),who died in Mithunam.He was well versed in English,and went on a pilgrimage to Kasi,Gaya and Calcutta in 1893 and died in September,1895.

Menon went to England,did his MA in Zoology at Christ's College,Cambridge,and had first class in both parts of the Natural Sciences Tripos.On his return from England in 1896,he wrote to Rama Varma,who had ascended the throne,in 1895.In the letter Menon said that,his first duty on his return from England was to pay the King his respects,but that he was obliged to put it off for fear of social difficulties.The King replied that,his precaution was wise,in the sense that the King should not misunderstand him.Menon reached Tripunithura after some time,and did not attempt to mingle with his people,didn't enter temples,or touch the public wells,or tanks.

Rama Varma

Rama Varma told him that the objection of the orthodox section of the people to his readmission to caste privileges and rights was still very strong,and if the question was hastily brought to the front,the chance was that it would have to be decided against the reformers.Rama Varma asked him to wait for few years.

Rama Varma,one day in 1897, received the news that Menon was going to marry from one of the influential Kuruppam houses.Varma warned a branch of that house in Tripunithura,against the alliance,and they sent a telegram.By that time, the Sambandham has already taken place,and the bride continued to enter temples,and enjoyed all the caste privileges.The orthodox people protested,and apprehending grave consequences,Varma called the Dewan P Rajagopalachari(1896-1901 in Cochin;1906-1914 in Travancore.Father of former Minister,S Varadarajan Nair) and explained the situation.Both felt sorry for Menon,who didn't heed the advice to wait.Varma told the Dewan to take immediate action to preclude the couple from enjoying caste privileges.It was resolved to issue a temporary order prohibiting Menon and wife from entering temples and enjoying caste privileges,pending an enquiry,at an early date to arrive at a final decision.The issue of the order created a huge sensation.

Iyengar

The leading Nairs were taken into confidence,and were requested to give their views.In the Thrissur Palace,a two day conference of the Vaidikas was arranged,and on King's request,Sir V Bhashyam Iyengar,attended.Legal Luminary Sir V C Desikachar,the Dewan and district Judge Ramachandra Iyer also attended.The scholars were unanimous in their view that Menon had forfeited his caste and could not be re admitted even after prayaschitham.The papers were given to Iyengar for his views.Iyengar advised the King was the final authority,but he would recommend readmission of the accused after necessary explanatory rituals.He also suggested taking Menon's explanation on the polluting acts brought against him,and that if he admitted them,his wife also must be asked whether she and Menon were not living as man and wife.What action was decided upon should apply equally to both.The couple replied to the questions sent to them,admitting allegations.Final order was issued confirming the initial order.

Rajagopalachari

Some time later,Dewan met Menon accidentally and asked him why he acted so hastily in marrying the Thrissur girl without giving a chance to offer the Darbar's advise,and if he was in a hurry to marry,why he could not select a lady from British Malabar,where these things didn't matter much.According to Rajagoplachari,Menon said,he acted on the advice of certain enemies in the garb of friends.Rama Varma kept a big file on Menon,even after abdication.

The decision of Rama Varma may conform with the edicts in the Manusmrithi,but his final decision was neither democratic,nor secular.He ignored the sane advise by the expert,Bhashyam Iyengar,who asked the King to readmit Menon after purifying rituals;he ignored an individual's right to study,wherever he want.The King's own family proved him wrong in later years by Lalan Thampuran marrying the sister of V K Krishna Menon,who studied in England.Oh!Krishna Menon belonged to British Malabar!Nonsense.
Rajagopalacahri,who presided over the decision to banish the young Ramunni Menon,became the Dewan of Travancore in 1906,at 44,had a sambandham with a Nair woman,Ambujam,and S Varadarajan Nair,Former KPCC President and Minister was born.There is a road in the city,in his consort's name,Ambuja Vilasam Road,where she stayed. 

Christ's College,Cambridge

Madras University

Ramunni Menon went to orthodox Madras where scholarship was valued,much better than in Cochin,joined the Madras Education Department in 1898 and became the Zoology Professor at Presidency College,his alma mater,in 1910.Students held him in high esteem;his classes were known for lucidity of expression.He,for several years studied certain forms of Coelenterates,and was conscious to a degree,with the result that he was not able to produce the amount of research work,that one must have expected.

When he retired in 1927,he was made Vice Chancellor of Madras University,and he planned out three University Labs for Zoology,Botany and Biochemistry during his tenure,till 1934.He was honorary Director of the Department of Zoology of the University,which he built up.Zoology in South India,owes a lot to him,which I didn't know,as a student of Zoology,in his former Maharaja's College.

Indira Menon

He completed new University buildings,was life member of the Senate,and was elected to the Madras Legislative Council,twice.He represented the University at the Congress of Universities at Edinburgh in 1931;he was Chairman of Inter University Board during 1932-'33,and was Member of the Council of States of India,till it was dissolved in 1934.

He was not one of those who wanted to be in the lime light,and to the solace of Rama Varma,he was too, conservative,concentrating on Music and Sanskrit in final years.

He was knighted on the new year day of 1933,invested with Knighthood on 3 March by the Viceroy Earl of Willingdon at Newdelhi,and thus became Dewan Bahadur Sir Ramunni Menon.

He proposed  to G H Hardy,in a letter dated 28 July 1920,a monthly annuity of Rs 20 per month to Ramanujan's wife,Janaki Ammal,for handing over her husband's documents.He introduced Music as a subject in the University and in 1944 presided over the Madras Music Academy's annual celebrations,and he was one of the founding fathers of the Tamil Isai Sangham.He was maternal grand father of Musicologist Indira Menon,and her sisters,singer Kalyani Menon and Historian Narayani Gupta.Menon wanted the best tutelage for his grand daughters,and so T Brinda was brought in as Guru.Indira's father VRK Menon was in the ICS; nephew,Ramu Damodaran,of  the IFS,became a famous news caster.

Indira was born in 1935 in the house that M S Subbulakshmi made famous as Kalki Gardens.It was the residence of Ramunni Menon for a short while,during which time,Indira was delivered.Many years later,Indira went to Kalki Gardens with her mother,and was pointed out the room were she was born.M S told her that it was her boudoir!

Reference:

1.Reminiscences/Rama Varma

2.Ramanujan:Letters and Commentaries/Srinivasa Ramanuja Aiyangar

3.A Life Well Lived/Indira Menon

See my Post,HIS ABDICATED HIGHNESS:THE COMPLETE STORY