Previously, the land of Kerala was an extreme example of social and economic inequalities. Swami Vivekananda declared it a 'lunatic system.' Over a third of the population here were treated as untouchables. Schools were not available to them. They were denied government jobs. Untouchables were completely forbidden from entering temples, and even worshipping any of the Hindu pantheon of gods, despite what was written in the Vedas and the Upanishads. They lived in poverty. Consistently, they were tutored by the social customs to believe that it was their fate to be born an outcast, and it was their dharma or social obligation to serve others. The 'Karma Theory' did very well to evolve such a social theory.
             It is now a recognized fact in India that extreme social inequality has led to extreme economic inequality thus creating extreme intellectual inequality. It was the utter poverty, undernourishment and malnutrition among the children that stunted the intellectual growth of the community.
             Although that was the situation a few decades ago, today it is a very different story. The shift from a traditional to an egalitarian society here has been documented in a report on Indian Planning which states, "Taking India as an example, some comments relating to the State of Kerala being rated as one of the better developed states are noteworthy." Many of those untouchables now wield intellectual power and professional skills. Among them are doctors, lawyers, judges and engineers etc. Social submission will never return to the urban landscape, as untouchability is mostly unheard of by the younger generation, even though one may be branded to a particular community by birth or marriage. It is clear that this reformation was initiated by one of the greatest saints of India, Maharishi Shree Narayana Guru.
             In the 19th and 20th centuries, India had the good fortune of possessing social, religious, and political re...