Shri Chithira Thirunal Bala Varma Maharaja.
In 1932, the Maharajah appointed a committee to examine the question of temple entry. This opened the possibility of reversing the opposition to the practice that had been shown by his predecessors, Moolam Thirunal and Regent Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bai. Subsequent to a meeting with Gandhiji, Bayi had released those who had been imprisoned by Moolam Thirunal for involvement with the Vaikom Satyagraha and had opened the north, south and west public roads that provided access to Vaikom Mahadeva Temple to all castes. She refused to open the eastern road to the temple because it was used by Brahmins. She avoided acting on Gandhi ji’s advice by pointing out that she was a regent for her minor nephew, Chithira Thirunal maharaja and so had no power to do so.
Annoyed with this response Gandhi ji asked the 12-year-old prince, who immediately promised that it would happen during his reign.This incident was later quoted by KR Narayanan, the former Indian president in his speech referring to the progressive mind of Chithira Thirunal.
During the Vaikom Sathyagraha, Mahatma Gandhi visited Kerala. At that time, Sree Chithira Thirunal was a young man, and had not ascended the throne. Gandhiji asked: “When you attain majority and assume full authority, will you allow Harijans to enter the temple?”. The twelve-year-old Maharajah said without hesitation, “Certainly”. This was not the result of anybody’s advice. He spoke his own mind. It came from his own thinking and that is why I say, in spite of all the advice and influences in which he was enveloped, he had a mind and he had a policy of his own.
Look at the developments which his highness has done :
a. The temple entry proclamation – It wasn’t done by any other king as it went against the “tradition” and had created sparks between Chitra thirunal maharaja and other kings of Kerala. Casteism was at its peak. Once Swami Vivekananda called Kerala as a lunatic asylum due to this. But his highness was different.
b. Established the University of Travancore (now called as the University of Kerala).The Women Studies Journal Samyukta reports that, 40% of the Travancore’s revenue was set apart for education, during the reign of Sree Chithira Thirunal Maharaja.
c. Established Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.
d. Established Travancore Public Transport department now renamed as Kerala State Road transport corporation.
e. Established Pallivasal Hydro-electric Project.
f. Established FACT, Fertilizer and Chemicals Travancore.
e. First ruler of Asia to abolish capital punishment.
f. He broke the superstition and took the voyage trip to a foreign country and he was the first keralite king to do that.
g. He was the first ruler of Kerala to visit the pope. (Coincidently today for the second time {Atal ji did it first} an Indian prime minister has visited the pope.)
f. He decided to use electric lights for the first time for the Lakshadeepam when there was scarcity of oil and cost escalation. Under his decision, Padmanabhaswami Temple was electrified except inside the Sreekovil.
g. Brought forth Pension system for the employees of Padmanabhaswami Temple.
h. The famous Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology was created with the personal funds of Sree Chithira Thirunal, after Privy Purse was cancelled by the government of India.
i. Established many charitable trusts for helping the needy financially in medical, educational and cultural fields. Sree Chithira Thirunal Maharaja also sponsored the higher education of a young K. R. Narayanan who went on to become the 10th President of India.
Historians like A. Sreedhara Menon credit him for the industrialization of Travancore as well. suppressed a communist uprising.
During his reign, many communists were killed {which is given as a negative aspect by the (Marxist) historians}. He surpressed a very strong communist uprising.
