T. M. Varghese, Thandaneth (1886–1961) was an Indian nationalist, freedom fighter, and statesman. During a long career in the public life of Travancore, he was Home Minister of Travancore-Cochin (1952–1954), Deputy President of Sree Moolam Assembly (1937), Minister of Travancore (1948), and Speaker of Travancore-Cochin Assembly (1949–1952).
He was born in a Mar Thoma Syrian Christian family as the eldest son (with five siblings) of Thandaneth Matthai at Pallickal, (near Kayamkulam). His education was at Kattanam, Mavelikkara and Trivandrum. Since his father died in his youth, his education was supported by his maternal uncle P. K. John, Puthenpurackal, a prominent lawyer of the time. At the age of 16 he married Aleyamma Vadakkethalackal from Mavelikkara who was then only 9 years old (this was not unusual for the time). After earning a degree from the Government Law College, Trivandrum, and an apprenticeship under his uncle, he began practicing at Kollam. He bought a piece of land at Kammankulam near Government High School, Kollam, and after he began his practice, he prospered quickly in fame and wealth.
Maharaja Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma issued a proclamation on 21 October 1932 to constitute a new system of legislature in Travancore. This came into effect on 1 January 1933. According to this order, the seats were divided among the community as given below: Community (Population (in ten thousands), No. of representatives in the Assembly):- Christians (160.4, 10); Ezhavas (86.9, 3); Nairs (86.8, 36); Other Hindus (47.9, 15); Muslims (35.3, 3) Low Caste (91.7, 1) Europeans (578 people, 2). Total population 5,090,000. Total seats in the Assembly 70.[1]
Christians were involved in business, tea & rubber estates, and professions. Ezhavas were hard working people. Muslims were in business. All these communities helped the state to improve economically. But when it came to the assembly seats and the public service they were clearly left behind and the Nair and foreign Brahmin communities enjoyed undue advantages. Therefore representatives of Christian, Ezhava, and Muslim communities met the Dewan who gave them only a vague reply. Therefore the leaders of the three communities met at the L. M. S. hall, Trivandrum, on 25 January 1933. They decided to form the Joint Political Party (with N. V. Joseph, Naduvathussery, as General Secretary [2] and T. M. Varghese as one of the prominent Christian leaders) and abstain from participation in the elections. This is known as the Abstention (Nivarthanam) movement.
Travancore Christians from the Mar Thoma and Syrian Orthodox communities had met at Trivandrum on 21 November 1932 and formed All Kerala Christian Union (Kerala Kristava Maha Sabha). A general meeting of this Union was held at Kozhencherry in 1935 from May 9 to 11. On the first day T. M. Varghese proposed a resolution that, ` The election of the Travancore Legislative Assembly is not justifiable, the government officers have exerted unlawful influence in its formation, and it is against the wishes of Christian-Ezhava-Muslim people, it is requested that the government should immediately disband the present assembly and elect a new one. ' On the last day there was a meeting of the Joint Political Party. C. Kesavan, one of its leaders and a close colleague of T. M. Varghese at the Kollam Bar, addressed the gathering and said, ` I am talking about C. P. (Ramaswami Aiyar, adviser to the Maharaja from 1931, and Dewan of Travancore, 1936-1947). We don’t require this pest. Travancore got a bad name after his arrival. This country will be gone to the dogs unless this man leaves. ' [3] This angered the government and C. Kesavan was arrested on 7 June 1935 and sentenced to two years imprisonment. Three lawyers T. M. Varghese, K. T. Thomas and Barrister George Joseph appeared for defending C. Kesavan.
The government at last conceded the demands of the Joint Political Party to a certain extent by introducing communal reservation in appointments to the public service. On August 1936 a new constitution was promulgated and elections for the Travancore State Assembly were held during April–May, 1937. T. M. Varghese won the election as a candidate of the Joint Political Party. In the Sree Mulam Assembly he was elected as Deputy President, then the highest position achievable by open elections.
C. Kesavan who was imprisoned in 1935 was released in 1937 after the elections. Welcoming Kesavan at Kollam and Alappuzha, T. M. Varghese said, ` In the name of and on behalf of the 5.1 lakhs (5,10,000) of people of Travancore, I accord with pleasure, a hearty welcome to the most-self sacrificing individual C. Kesavan. ' [4] The Dewan (ex officio President of the Sree Moolam Assembly) was furious and, following his directive, a no confidence motion was moved against the Deputy President. In the voting that followed, 42 supported the motion, 24 were against, and 2 abstained. Thus T. M. Varghese was removed from his position as Deputy President.
During 1937–1938, a number of leaders and newspaper editors were persecuted. There was no enquiry on this and T. M. Varghese brought a resolution for discussion in the Assembly, but the Dewan did not accept it.
In February 1938, T. M. Varghese tabled a motion in the Sree Moolam Assembly that, ` The proceedings of the Assembly may be suspended to discuss the point of `Responsible Government' (Utharavadha bharanam- government responsible to the people). ' The Dewan allowed this motion to be discussed. T. M. Varghese declared. ` There is no need of a Dewan between the 5.1 million people of Travancore and their Maharaja. ' Pattom A. Thanu Pillai, A. J. John, Anaparambil, and K. T. Thomas spoke supporting the motion. The motion was rejected by the Dewan following the discussion. This precipitated the formation of the Travancore State Congress the same month.
Arrests and imprisonments followed (T. M. Varghese was imprisoned four times). Many newspapers were banned and lost their publishing licences. Agitations spread and continued intermittently for nine years in spite of rigorous attempts by the Dewan to suppress it. T. M. Varghese spent a considerable amount of the fortune he had earned from his legal practice to sustain the Congress in difficult times. Finally on 30 July 1947 Travancore decided to join Indian Union. On 15 August, India attained freedom. On 19 August, Dewan C. P. resigned. The government issued a proclamation on 4 September 1947 declaring `Responsible Government'.
In the elections of 1948 that followed, T. M. Varghese was elected from Pathanapuram and became a minister (chiefly the portfolio of education) in the three member Cabinet of Travancore led by Pattom A. Thanu Pillai. On 22 October 1948 the ministry resigned due to inner conflicts arising from Pattom's unwillingness to consult with his colleagues and party members. In 1949, after the formation of Travancore-Cochin, he was elected as the Speaker of the Assembly, continuing until 1952. Again in 1952 T. M. Varghese was elected from Ranni and became Home Minister until 1954 in the ministry headed by A. J. John [5]. He was elected from Ezhumattoor in the interim elections of 1954 and retired from politics in 1957 after soaring disagreements with Panampilly Govinda Menon.
On 24 December 1961, when he attended the Christmas celebrations at the Mar Thoma Church, Kollam, he was in a joyous mood. The next day, however, he fell ill and on December 31 he died. The body was laid to rest at the cemetery of the same church, Kollam.
A memorial hall at Kollam and a school at Kayamkulam have been founded in his honour. A statue is installed at Kesavadasapuram junction, an arterial location in Trivandrum [6]; the inscription at the pedestal reads:
