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Research paper presentation at the University of Michigan, USA
on ‘Regional Pathways to Learning : The Role of Public Action, Vernacular and
the Print in Muslim Education in Kerala’
Dr. Sajitha Bashir, Adviser – Science and
Technology Education Global Practice, World Bank
presented a research paper “Regional Pathways
to Learning: The Role of Public Action, Vernacular,
and the Print in Muslim Education in Kerala”
at 2nd Annual Sustainability and Development
Conference at Ann Arbor, Michigan (USA) on 13th
October, 2019. The co-author of the paper was
Dr. Manisha Priyam (Associate Professor, NUEPA
New Delhi and Board of Trust Member of Vakkom
Moulavi Foundation Trust). The conference was
hosted by the University of Michigan.
The paper put forth the following argument : The
modern state of Kerala in India achieved universal
completion of primary education by 1985, several
decades before the rest of India. It has also attained
universal secondary education for some time now.
The outlier status of Kerala has been attributed
to various factors such as enlightened monarchy
in Travancore, defensive modernization by the
Travancore princely state, Christian missionary
activities and political action after independence.
However, these factors alone do not explain the
manner in which one of the most important but
backward communities, the Muslims, were able
to catch up with others in the state. The role of
‘public action’ – specifically, the use of the print
and the vernacular developed a critique within
groups regarding social practices and generate
demands within the community resulting in a
religious dissent or reform. It presents reasoned
critique about the ‘modernizing’ princely state and
British colonial rule, purticularly in the sphere of
education.
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This latter became the basis of ‘public action’
which was political in nature. Through the role
of print, issues of corruption, governance and
popular participation were discussed. It created
a public sphere of reasoning and argument.
This challenges to the concept of education as
being solely the sphere of state action, including
the benevolent king. This helped to bring in
Muslims as active participants in determining
education policy and widened public debate on
the basis of state authority. The role of Vakkom
Moulavi, an important Muslim social reformer
of the early 20th century in Travancore, has
increasingly become recognized.
The researchers assessed his contribution within
the theoretical framework of the emergence of
the public sphere through the role of print and
the literature on the development of Kerala.
An analysis of articles in Swadeshabhimani,
the paper started by Vakkom Moulavi, on
governance and on education was done to
highlight the use of the special vernacular
common to Muslims of Kerala (Lipi) to reach
them. A comparison of the influence of the
Arab/Muslim reformers of the Middle East in the
use of print media was conducted in the paper.
Data on the growth of literacy and educational
participation in the Muslim community in
Travancore between 1890 and 1930 was
analyzed. The findings suggested that pathway
of Muslim education in Travancore in the early
20th century has relevance for Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs)
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