Dr. Padmanabhan Palpu was a bacteriologist and notable Renaissance leader of ezhava community.
He was a prominent Indian writer, physician, and philanthropist
Dr Palpu was born on November 2, 1863 in Petta, Trivandrum
Dr. Palpu was a follower of Sree Narayana Guru.
Ramanpilla Asan and M.J, Fernandas are the childhood teachers of Dr Palpu
Palpu was posted as the first health officer during the plague outbreak in Bangalore.
He also served as Deputy Sanitary Commissioner of Mysore
He joined the Vaccine Institute set up by the Mysore Government
He retired as Lymph Institute Director in Mysore in 1920.
Palpu became the first Vice President of SNDP Yogam when it was registered in 1903
His son Nataraja Guru was the direct disciple of Narayana Guru,
In 1884, Dr. Palpu was ranked fourth in entrance examinations conducted by the Travancore State Government.
But he was denied a seat to study medicine due to his lower caste status.
Dr. Palpu later got admission at Madras Medical College.
He returned to Travancore, but Government denied him a career in medicine
He went to Mysore for practice
Dr. Palpu sought the advice of Swami Vivekananda to unite and work towards the progress of the Ezhava community.
Swami Vivekananda advised him to associate some spiritual person with his effort
He published the book, ‘Treatment of Thiyas in Travancore’, a compilation of the memorandums that were submitted to the Travancore Government.
Dr. Palpu was the third signatory of Malayali Memorial which was submitted in 1891
Dr. Palpu formed the Ezhava Maha Sabha or Greater Ezhava Association.
More than 300 people attended its first meeting Ezhava Maha Sabha held at Thiruvananthapuram.
The meeting decided to submit a mass petition to the government signed by ten thousand Ezhavas demanding the abolition of the discrimination against them.
On 1896 September 3, the Ezhava Memorial, signed by 13176 people was submitted to the government
Dr. Palpu sent Barrister G.P.Pillai with a letter secured from Sister Niveditha, the disciple of Swami Vivekananda, to England.
This was to get some Member of the British Parliament to represent the case of the Ezhavas.
Dr. Palpu went to England for higher studies.
There he met Dadabhai Navroji, with his help, a memorandum was submitted to the State Secretary for India.
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