K. Kelappan
A commemorative postage stamp on the Birth Centenary of Kerala Gandhi, Koyapalli Kelappan Nair, Founder President of Nair Service Society :
Issued by India
Issued on Aug 24, 1990
Descriptions of designs : Stamp is based on Art Work supplied by CPMG Kerala Circle. FDC is designed by R. Sharma, Cancellation designed by Nenu Gupta.
Type : Stamp, Mint Condition
Colour : Single Colour
Denomination : 100 Paise
Overall size : 3.91 x 2.90 cms.
Printing size : 3.55 x 2.54 cms.
Perforation : 13 x 13
Paper : Indigenous Un W/M Gravure Coated and Gummed Stamp Paper
Number Printed : 10,00,000
Number per issue sheet : 35
Printing Process : Photogravure Process
Printed : India Security Press
Name : Koyapalli Kelappan Nair
Born on Aug 24, 1889 at Muchukunnu, Calicut, Kerala, India
Died on Oct 7, 1971 at Kozhikode, Calicut, Kerala, India
About :
- K. Kelappan was born in a small village of Calicut district in Kerala on August 24, 1889. In the days of his college life at Calicut and Madras he acquired an abiding interest in social service and higher values of life. He began his career as a teacher at Changanachery and was the founder President of Nair Service Society. Thereafter, he joined studies in Law at Bombay. When Mahatma Gandhi gave his call for boycott of the British, Kelappan gave up his studies and decided to dedicate his life in the service of his Motherland. He lead an eventful life fighting the evils present in our society on the one hand and fighting the British on the other. He blossomed forth as an ideal Satyagrahi. He was an energetic revolutionary, social reformer and crusader for justice to the downtrodden. During Malabar rebellion he faced a group of rebels who came to loot the Ponnani Treasury and persuaded them to retreat by appealing to their good sense. He gave the lead to the Payyannur and Calicut salt satyagraha and was chosen as the first satyagrahi from Kerala in the individual satyagraha movement launched by Gandhiji. He played a dominant role in the famous Vaikom Satyagraha and was the hero of Guruvayoor Satyagraha in 1932. It was at Gandhiji‘s request that he ended his fast at Guruvayoor. He went to jail several times during the freedom struggle. He worked hard for eradication of untouchability and worked for upliftment of Harijans. He set up many Harijan hostels and schools in Kerala. He was in the forefront of Swadeshi Movement and did his best to build up a base for Khadi and Village industries.
- After the independence of the country he gave up party politics and joined Sarvodaya Movement. He was the President of almost all major Gandhian organisations like Kerala Sarvodaya Sangh, Kerala Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, Kerala Sarvodaya Mandal and Gandhi Peace Foundation, Calicut. Apart from above he was an educationist as well as an accomplished and forceful journalist. He helped in starting “Mathrubhoomi“ and was its editor for a number of years. He worked for unification of Kerala into a new linguistic State. He never aspired for power or position. His whole life was a saga of selfless service to the nation. Since the people of Kerala came to understand Gandhiji and his programmes essentially through Kelappan, he was popularly known as Kerala Gandhi. His life of service ended on October 7, 1971.
- Text : Courtesy : Sh. Kelappan Centenary State Committee Kerala.
