This movement was an example of a regional movement born out of conflict between the depressed classes and upper non-Brahmin castes. It was started by Sri Narayan Guru Swamy among the Ezhavas of Kerala, who were a caste of toddy trappers and were considered to be untouchables. The Ezhavas were the single largest caste group in Kerala. Sri Narayan Guru initiated a programme of action- the Sri Narayana Guru Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam1902. The SNDP Yogam took up several issues, such as
- The right of admission to public schools
- The recruitment to government services
- Access to roads and entry to temples
- Political Representation
The movement as a whole brought transformative structural changes such as upward social mobility, shift in traditional distribution of power and a federation of ‘backward castes’ into a large conglomeration