Knaism viewed from the perspective of a Social Movement

The Kottayam Diocese celebrated this year its 100 years of existence shepherding the Knanaya community back home as well as globally. The past 100 years also witnessed several landmark social movements like that of the civil rights, women’s rights, gay rights, etc. Does Knaism share the characteristics of a Social Movement, in terms of being dynamic and evolving given the fact that its members have spread out to the far corners of the Globe?

David Korten author of Agenda for a New Economy: from Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth describes an important characteristic of Social Movements:

Every great social movement begins with a set of ideas validated, internalized, and then shared and amplified through media, grassroots organizations, and thousands, even millions, of conversations. A truth strikes a resonant chord, we hear it acknowledged by others, and we begin to discuss it with friends and associates. The new story then spreads out in multiple ever-widening circles that begin to connect and intermingle.

The old narrative that had guided the Knanaya Community under the leadership of the Kottayam Aramana is:

Endogamy is a hallowed tradition for the Knanaya community that has its origins in the Old Testament. Modern life being rife with high divorce rates due to fierce individualism, endogamous marriages can bring in the much needed stability provided by extended family, and thus promote the unity of the community as a whole.

The last 3 decades has witnessed large scale settlement of Knanaya families outside of Kerala and India, causing a tangible stress on the social identity of the new Knanaya generation raised beyond the close confines of the traditional Knayaya parishes of Kottayam Diocese that had mechanisms in place to force endogamy. Many of the educated among the new generation share a 'global culture' based on the values of fairness, equal opportunity and non-discrimination, and hence affiliations on the lines of caste and religion do not find the top place in their list of priorities, when contemplating marriage. Hence, there is a new story emerging that diametrically opposes the above story:

Endogamy is a very inhuman practice not just within the universal church but also in all societies. Apart from ethnocentrism, endogamy can cause genetic problems, racism, and discrimination; and hence it should be rejected.

Let’s put aside Knaism for a moment and reflect on the civil rights and women’s movement during the last 100 years. For the civil rights and feminist movements, the old story said was:

Women and people of color have no soul. Less than human, they have no natural rights. They blacks can find fulfillment only through faithful service to their white male masters. The key to a woman’s happiness was to find the right man, marry him, and devote her life to his service.

In early sixties as the civil rights movement gained traction, feminism evolved as a result of a vague dissatisfaction plaguing the housewives. It touched a deep chord and became the focus of thousands of living room conversations in which women gathered to share their stories. They were conditioned to believe that failure to find happiness in service to their husbands revealed a character flaw they must strive to correct. Through these conversations, women discovered that the flaw lay not with them, but with the false story. Those whom these discussions initially liberated lent their voices to a growing chorus that spread a story of women’s rights and abilities. As millions of women joined in the conversation, a new gender story came to the fore and unleashed the feminine as a powerful force for global transformation.

Comparison of Knaism with the Civil Rights’ Movement brings to the fore the struggle between the proponents of the old and the new story lines. Thinkers, writers, and activists who embraced the idea of integration engaged in verbal combat with those who defended the status quo as legitimated by the old story. As the new story of possibility gained currency, its proponents engaged in non-violent civil disobedience, causing to create a new reality and set the stage for political demands to replace laws that institutionalized the old story with laws that institutionalized the new one.

The official Centenary celebration of Kottayam Diocese saw a parallel convergence of the nearly 3000 Knanaya members “living-in-exile” led by organizations called KANA and the Knanaya Catholic Naveekarana Samithi on August 6, 2011. Whether this awakened consciousness will expand among the moderate Kananaits all over and also withstand the political demagoguery of the Kottayam Aramana remains to be seen. It is hoped that organizations like KANA and Knanaya Catholic Naveekarana Samithi will join hands with the other great social movements, and unleash and liberate the mind of an average Kananait to transcend the barriers of race, class, and religion and see themselves and the larger world in a new light.

The recent clamour for extending the jurisdiction of Kottayam Aramana beyond the shores of Kerala, reflects the gnawing insecurity of the old guard, resulting in attempts to recreate the cocoon like environment of Uzhavoor, Neezhoor and Kaipuzha in the pluralistic societies of the Free World. Only time will tell, whether this endeavouring is based on felt needs and not irrational fears or wishful thinking. Meanwhile moderates of all hues, from all over and in all times could draw inspiration from Dalai Lama who says:

It is good for children to learn to love their country, their religion, their culture and so on. But the danger comes when this develops into narrow-minded nationalism, ethnocentricity, and religious bigotry.