NIVARTHANA MOVEMENT.

This movement was one of the stormiest agitations in the history of modern
Thiruvithamkur.It is called the Nivarthana or Abstention agitation because the agitators
have decided to abstain from participating in the elections to the legislature.The genesis of
the Abstention movement can be traced back to the policy of discrimination followed by
the Government of Travancore in providing representation to various castes and
communities in the legislature and public services.Since the formation of the legislature in
1888, it was represented by the Savarnas while the bulk of the population comprising the
lower castes had no adequate representation in that body.As the main qualification for
voting was payment of property tax, the Avarnas got practically no representation in the
legislature.The legislative reforms of 1932 made permanent the property qualification.The
Ezhavas, the Muslims and theChristians apprehended that the new reforms, would secure
for them far less number of seats in the legislature than they were entitled to on a strict
population basis.They feared that the Nairs would get more seats than what they really
deserved.Therefore these communities demanded that they should be given representation
in the legislature in proportion to their numerical strength.
The passing of the legislative Reforms Act,1932 was the signal for the beginning of
a state wide agitation.The agitationists demanded reservation of seats to different
communities in proportion to their numerical strength.As the Government’s attitude was
not favourable the Abstentionists formed an organisation of their own to achieve their
demands.They called it Joint Political Congress or Samyuktha Rashtriya Samithi. In a
meeting held on Jan 25, 1933, the Samithi took the momentous decision to abstain from
voting in the elections to the legislature.Thus was born the Abstention agitation.As those
communities – Ezhavas,Christians and Muslims-formed about more than 2/3rds of the
population,the agitation had the characteristic of a mass struggle.The Abstentionists
carried on a vigorous agitation all over the state against the new constitutional reforms.It
was in connection with the Abstention movement that C. Kesavan delivered his famous
speech at Kozhencherry (11 May,1935) for which he was arrested and punished.
Although the government adopted a policy of repression, it conceded the demands
of the agitationists.It appointed a public service commissioner to ensure fair representation
to the backward communities in public services. It reduced the property qualification by
widening the franchise.The Government also agreed to allot a specific number of seats in the legislature for the three communities.The final outcome of this agitation was to break up the monopoly of political power enjoyed by the upper caste Hindus.It also marked the end of constitutional agitation and the beginning of direct action in politics. It also paved the way for the formation of Travancore State Congress and the Cochin State Praja Mandal. The agitation thus fulfilled its objectives.