With
the schools set up by SJPS being destroyed regularly, classes were
started in the branch offices of SJPS. With this established they turned
to the courts.
Courts sentenced the untouchables to brutal punishments due to their ignorance of law. So Ayyankali started parallel courts to settle matters between the members of his community instead of going to the court. He wanted to make his people conversant with matters pertaining to law. The community court had branches in each SJPS office and a 'Supreme Court' of which Ayyankali himself was the judge. Hearings were heard every Saturday.
The community court followed verbatim all the practises of the courts and regular lawers came to argue cases. Judgements, directives, and orders were sent to the branches of SJPS through Sepoys employed by the community courts. To arrest those breaking rules and to produce them before the courts, Warrant Sepoys were appointed along with Bench Clerks.
The court did not break any law. It was impartial and passed sentences on those proved guilty. The branch courts sent the appeal on the sentences to the community supreme court headed by Ayyankali himself. Thus a parallel law and order machinery worked under the direction of Ayyankali.
Though Ayyankali could neither read nor write, Keshavan Writer, whom he helped educate, was employed as his private secretary to read out written matter and take dictation.
VJ Thomas Master had been a constant companion of Ayyankali since the inception of SJPS. He was a mission school teacher who left his job to take up social service in the company of Ayyankali. He had command of Malayalam language. He taught himself the ins and outs of rules, regulations and law. He incessantly walked the corridors of power and had the uncanny ability to get hold of government announcements pertaining to their community.
The head office of SJPS was a court. The biggest punishment was social ostracisation. The aim of this court was to mould the members of the community into orderly, law abiding and well behaved people; the qualities which were considered part of education.
There were other aspects of education like concerts, drama, martial arts, dandia and kakkarishi -natakam. Valli-natakam, Harishchandra-natakam based on Hindu religious texts were aimed at creating a sense of justice among the community members.
Courts sentenced the untouchables to brutal punishments due to their ignorance of law. So Ayyankali started parallel courts to settle matters between the members of his community instead of going to the court. He wanted to make his people conversant with matters pertaining to law. The community court had branches in each SJPS office and a 'Supreme Court' of which Ayyankali himself was the judge. Hearings were heard every Saturday.
The community court followed verbatim all the practises of the courts and regular lawers came to argue cases. Judgements, directives, and orders were sent to the branches of SJPS through Sepoys employed by the community courts. To arrest those breaking rules and to produce them before the courts, Warrant Sepoys were appointed along with Bench Clerks.
The court did not break any law. It was impartial and passed sentences on those proved guilty. The branch courts sent the appeal on the sentences to the community supreme court headed by Ayyankali himself. Thus a parallel law and order machinery worked under the direction of Ayyankali.
Though Ayyankali could neither read nor write, Keshavan Writer, whom he helped educate, was employed as his private secretary to read out written matter and take dictation.
VJ Thomas Master had been a constant companion of Ayyankali since the inception of SJPS. He was a mission school teacher who left his job to take up social service in the company of Ayyankali. He had command of Malayalam language. He taught himself the ins and outs of rules, regulations and law. He incessantly walked the corridors of power and had the uncanny ability to get hold of government announcements pertaining to their community.
The head office of SJPS was a court. The biggest punishment was social ostracisation. The aim of this court was to mould the members of the community into orderly, law abiding and well behaved people; the qualities which were considered part of education.
There were other aspects of education like concerts, drama, martial arts, dandia and kakkarishi -natakam. Valli-natakam, Harishchandra-natakam based on Hindu religious texts were aimed at creating a sense of justice among the community members.
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