Author: Dr Balram Misra
Publication: Organiser
Date: February 1, 2004
Introduction: Proposed beatification
of Devasahayam Pillai
Conversion has often given shelter
to those trying to justify their disproportionate property, or socially
unacceptable marriage bonds. How does it help in cases of sedition, albeit
retrospectively, will be evidenced by a decision of the Catholic Bishops
Conference of India (CBCI) to recommend beatification of an 18th century
Hindu turned Christian, Devasahayam Pillai (or Dev Sagayam Pillai). In
its annual convention at Thrissur (Kerala), the CBCI has unanimously decided
to recommend beatification for Devasahayam Pillai, said to be the army
chief of Travancore, Hindu king Martanda Varma. According to Catholic sources,
Devasahayam Pillai was executed by the king because the former had embraced
Christianity. Catholics treat Pillai as a martyr on the basis of a story
invented by historian Mackenzie. Prof. A. Sreedhara Menon, the noted historian
and author of many books on the history of Travancore says: "Leave alone
execution, not even a single case of persecution was recorded in the history
of Travancore in the name of religious conversion. It is a concocted story
and figment of imagination." According to Prof. Menon, during the 29-year
regime beginning from 1729, Martanda Varma had executed several people,
irrespective of caste, even some members of his royal family, not in the
name of conversion but on charges of treason. He pointed out: "How can
you say that the erstwhile Travancore rulers persecuted Christians when
history records that they had even permitted the dewans like Colonel Munroe
to take over the administration of Devaswoms?"
M.G.S. Narayanan, a former chairman
of Indian Council of Historical Research, said that he had never come across
anyone named either Neelakantan Pillai or Devasahayam Pillai as army chief
of Martanda Varma in Kerala history. The head of Vivekananda Kendra, P.
Parameswaran has rightly pointed out that the CBCI's move is an attempt
to hurt the Hindu sentiments. He says: "The CBCI's act of unanimously passing
a resolution to canonise a traitor to the state simply because he converted
to Christianity shows a very low level of decency and patriotism. How can
such an august body pass a resolution without fully ascertaining the facts?"
Quoting from the Travancore State Manual, he said that Devasahayam was
not an army chief of Martanda Varma, as CBCI claims. He was an employee
of the royal Varma household. Parameswaran insisted that Devasahayam Pillai
was executed because he had tampered with the official palace records and
passed them on to De Lannoy, commander of the Dutch army. Raja Martanda
Varma executed him only after confirmation of the act of sedition. The
Raja had right over the life and property of his subjects-in terms of the
then prevalent laws. "To attribute this punishment to religious vendetta
or intolerance is the height of injustice", said Parmeswaran.
