KERALA SASTRA SAHITHYA PARISHATH

This is a brief history of a Peoples Science Movement in Kerala (India)

1. SCIENCE FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTION

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4. The membership to the organization was limited
only for science writers in the beginning.
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5. The first five
years of the
formation of
KSSP ,the main
activities were
Science
Exhibitions ,
Seminars, films
shows.
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6. Then started
publication
Sastragathi for the
public came in
1966 the first
Malayalam science
magazine. At
present
Sastragathy has
got a circulation of
about 10,000
copies.
SCIENCE FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTION

7. Sastrakeralam
started in 1966
for high school
students.
Circulation
15,000.
Eureka for
primary students
started in
1970.Circulation
30,000
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8. Within a decade of its formation ,KSSP changed
both its form and content. Membership opened to
all those who were interested in science.

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9. KSSP gradually transformed into a Peoples Science
Movement from a mere popular science organization.
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REVOLUTION

10. Adopted slogan
SCIENCE FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTION
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11. Again in 1976 KSSP organized Science classes in 3000
centres of Kerala on “Nature, Science and Society”.Its
number gone beyond the its target from 3000 to 12,000.
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KSSP started a new mass contact program in by
conducting 1,000 lectures on “Evolution of the Universe,
Man and Society” from January 1 to 7, 1973

12. More than 1500 faculties turned out. Thereafter thousands
of classes on hundreds of subjects such as Science,
Education, Environment, Gender, Energy, Consumer Laws,
Decentralized Planning, Total Literacy, Health etc are being
conducted extensively.
SCIENCE FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTION

13. Emblem of the organization was accepted in
1971.-The modern man with a book in his
hand fixed his foot on the earth and looking at
the infinite and unknown horizon
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14. STRUCTURE
KSSP has a four tier structure- Units at village level,
Sub regional (Block),District and State. Elections are
held every year and no one holds the same office
for more than two terms.
SCIENCE FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTION

15. KERALA SASTRA SAHITYA PARISHAD
vital statistics
Status A People's Science Movement,
registered as a society.
Foundation 1962.

Jurisdiction Kerala State
Membership 33,000
Members Literally from every walk of life
Structure Unit, sub region (135), district(14)
and state level committees; sub
committees
Major Divisions of work: Education, Environment, Health,
Energy, Art, Literacy, Publication,
Planning, Development, Gender,
Networking and Research.
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16. Finance Own generation through publication and
sale of books, Parishad Owens and Hot
Boxes
Special feature No one holds on to a particular office for
more than 2 Years
Publication 4 monthly periodicals with a total circulation
of about 100,000,75-100 popular/children's
science books with a total face value of Rs.
4-5 million.
R & D work Through Integrated Rural Technology
Centre supported by Government of India
and Govt. of Kerala.
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17. EDUCATION
In the field of education, KSSP’s activities helped a lot to
improve the quality and content of formal school education.
On the one side Parishad has been striving for making
education, a child cantered, life-related and activity-oriented,
joyous and enjoyable process for both teachers and children
and on the other side it has been conducting sustained
agitations to regain and maintain social justice in the field of
education.

18. PEDAGOGIC EXPERIMENTS
Integrated Science Teaching, Living with Science
Camps, Children's Science Festivals
Teacher Exchange Programs, Science Talent
Festivals ,School Science Clubs,College Science
Forums SCIENCE FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTION

19. Enrichment Classes , Education Policy
Children Exchange Program, Curriculum
Development , Make learning a sweet drink,
Balavedis , Publication of alternate policy
document on Kerala's education reformation
,Science Olympiad
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20. Environment
KSSP became known in the field of environment only after its
intervention in the proposal for the construction of a hydel project in
Silent Valley of Palakkad District. Really the organization’s activities in
connection with the Silent Valley issue attracted the attention of
environmental activists and scientists all over the world. At the end,
“the techno-economic and Socio-political assessment of the project”
made by the KSSP study team was given serious consideration by the
Govt. of India and consequently the ‘Silent Valley’ was declared as a
National Park.
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21. PUBLICATION
Started publishing
books with
Futurology in
1976.Then published
the well known book
'The Wealth of
Kerala' along with
11books for children.
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Thereafter KSSP
publishing books
worth millions of
rupees every year and
are being sold by
KSSP activist’s by
door to door
campaign , they could
raise sufficient money
for its working fund.

23. KSSP has already published more than 1,100 titles ranging from
small booklets to substantial reference book. Reference book
like Why Why Why sold more than 200,000 copies which
marked a record in the history of the Malayalam publication. At
present there is a publication wing for KSSP.
SCIENCE FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTION

24. Thus the message of
the campaign
reached the people
in a more effective
and permanent
manner through
these books and
leaflets
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25. SCIENCE FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTION
TOP 10 TITLES
Enthukondu? Enthukondu?200000
Vayichalum Vayichalum... 91000
Vedangalude Nadu 78000
Pakshikalude Atbhutha pra… 66000
Kanakku Kaliyum Karyvum 62500
Manushya Sareeram 59000
Patatha Pakshikal 58500
Piramidinte Naattil 58200
Doore Doore.. 49000
Sinduvinte Katha 48500

26. KSSP created a space for
science book in
Malayalam.
Promotion of books
became contextualized
with other Parishad
activities.
Parishad books are
considered authentic by
the public.
KSSP has inculcated a
voluntary work culture
in the field of
publication
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27. HEALTH
In the health sector KSSP organized so many activities
to pressurize the government to adopt a ‘peoples
Health Policy and Peoples Drug Policy’. At a
particular stage the disastrous role played by the
Multi-national companies in the existing health
delivery system by marketing banned and non
essential drugs on a large scale was well exposed
before the public.
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28. By conducting a state-wide Health survey, scientifically
organized by KSSP, it could present the true nature of the
health –profile of the people of Kerala before the
government. That venture was very much appreciated by
several experts and institutions including WHO
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29. ENERGY
In the energy sector, from 1975 onwards the KSSP has been
campaigning for a rational energy plan for Kerala. It is
involved in large-scale energy conservation programmes-
both electricity and heat energy.”.
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30. A high-efficiency wood-burning stove was developed by
KSSP’s Research and Development Unit IRTC. Many
thousands of such stoves were being fixed in houses by
Parishad activists. Now more than half a million homes have
installed these “Parishad Oven
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31. It has also invented a
Hot Box which about
50% energy in cooking
rice,staple diet of the
region. KSSP started
helping the district
level local
governments to
develop small hydro
stations within their
territory.
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32. DEVELOPMENT
1975:Formation of Village Science Forums. 600 VSFs by the year 1978 ·
1976:Study On Kerala's Natural Resources and Publication of findings
and conducting classes among the public all over Kerala ·
1978-79:Survey of resources and identification of developmental
issues in a village (Vazhayur) as a pilot project
1978:New developmental perspective evolves from the arguments
against the proposed Hydro-Electric project at Silent Valley
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33. 1982- 1984 ·Village Science Marches in all districts by
foot for a fortnight
1989:Panchayath level marches by foot –Theme:
Decentralize power to the people. A critique on post-
independence development approaches;
propagating KSSP's alternatives..
1990-95: Panchayath level resource mapping: Phase-
I: :23 Panchayaths; Phase-II: Kallyasserry Panchayath.
Planning by people themselves to tap local resources
and apply them to generate employment and
income..
1996:Participatory and Sustainable Panchayath Level
Development Planning
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1996-2001:Kerala Govt. launched People's Campaign for
Local Level Development Planning to implement 9th Five
Year Plan-KSSP's active involvement at all levels as a
catalyst, propagandist, participant to materialize its
slogan “Decentralize Powers to the People'

35. KALA JATHA
By the second half of seventies KSSP launched a new theatre
media popularly known all over India as “Kala Jatha” for
dissemination of ideas to the common people and for
popularization of science
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36. This art form was mainly responsible for building up a
Gigantic network of resource persons ,organizers and
learners in the mass campaign for literacy.
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This communication tool has been using many other campaigns
such as decentralization, women empowerment, Education,
Health ,Environment and Energy etc. Now so many other
organizations are also using this tool for their campaigns.

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40. GENDER
KSSP has been organizing a number of activities in the state from
1980 onwards to reduce the gender gap and to maintain the
gender equity and gender equality in society. “Vanitha
Kalajatha”, “Samatha Vijyanotsavam” were some of the
programmes conducted for making society more gender-
sensitized
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41. At present the most important initiative of KSSP on
women issues is a comprehensive study on the status
of women in Kerala. The study focuses to find 'how
Kerala women think and how Kerala women live'
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42. INSTITUTIONS
Apart from the activities in different sectors, KSSP has established
three institutions with financial support from both state and central
governments to provide the knowledge base to support the wide
range of its activities. Of them, the Integrated Rural Technology
Centre (IRTC) is a Research and Development and Training Centre
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43. IRTC undertakes projects in the areas of Energy, Rural
Technology, Agriculture and allied areas, Land and Water
Management, Local Level Planning, Health etc. It arranges
many number of Training Courses also.

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44. EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH UNIT
This is a research centre in Education,
conducting studies in the area of educational
policies, curriculum, teaching methods and
teaching aid etc.
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REVOLUTION

45. ENVIRONMENT CENTRE
Environment centre is established to take care of
environmental issues, to work out developmental
alternatives and to create awareness among the
people regarding environmental protection
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REVOLUTION

46. SOURCES OF INCOME
KSSP raises its income
through selling books, Hot
Box, Parishad Oven and
membership fee. KSSP does
not accept any foreign funds
directly or indirectly. Even the
office bearers of the
organization hardly receive
any remuneration.
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47. SCIENCE FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTION
WORKING STYLE
Over the years KSSP activists have succeeded in
developing a unique working style for the
organization. Parishad workers used to call this
working style as “Parishathikata”. It is absolutely
difficult to define such a term, but it depicts certain
peculiar traits which every member is expected to
imbibe.

48. These traits include mainly informality in dealings, simplicity,
fraternity, team spirit, honesty, straight-forwardness, spirit
of sacrifice, readiness for service, social commitment, spirit
of toleration, punctuality etc. The sum total of all the above
traits will help a member to achieve “Parishathikata”.
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49. KSSP AND POLITICS
Kerala is a highly politicized state. So most of the mass organizations
in the socio-cultural fields work as a wing of one or other political
party. KSSP is a People’s Science Movement having no ill-will or
affection towards any political party. Among the members of
Parishad there are members of almost all the political parties in the
State and non-members of any political party.
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REVOLUTION

50. KSSP AND POLITICS
No political party has got a direct or indirect control over the
policies adopted by KSSP, on various issues, confronting the
people. But KSSP is not apolitical; it has got politics which was
well-clarified when the slogan “Science for Social Revolution”
was accepted. Undoubtedly it stands by the side of the
millions and millions of have nots in their fight for
emancipation from poverty and miseries.
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51. AWARDS
KSSP has been conferred with a number of national and international
awards in recognition of its achievements in various fields of
activities. They include Vikram Sarabhai Memorial by Indian council
of Social Science research for its work in Science in1983,Indira
Paryavaran Puraskar and Vrikshamithra Puraskar for its work in the
field of Environment awarded by Government of India in 1989
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52. Global 500 Roll of Honour of the UNEP for its work in the
environment field and King Sejong Literacy Prize for its
work in science popularization and literacy in 1990, the
Right Livelihood Award for its pioneering work in the fields
of health; peace and development in 1996 etc.
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