Kerala rationalist movement is a continuation of Sri Narayana Movement. Sahodaran Ayyappan a favorite disciple of Sri Narayana Guru, changed the Guru’s sloganOru Jati, Oru Matham, Oru Daivam Manushyanu to Jati Venda, Matham Venda, Daivam Venda Manushyanu. Ayyappan organized the Sahodara Sangham, and started two magazines “Sahodaran” and “Yukthivadi”. In August 1931 M. C. Joseph became Yukthivadi's sole editor-publisher and shifted the publication to Irinjalakkuda. In 1935 a Yukthivadi Sangham was registered at Cochin M. C. Joseph as secretary and Panampilly Govinda Menon as treasurer. M. C. Joseph managed Yukthivadimagazine without any interruption For forty five years until June 1974. The vibrant rationalist movement that is seen in Kerala today is undoubtedly the direct consequence of the ideas spread by Yukthivadi for more than half a century. The existing Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham was formed at Kozikode in 1969 May Adv. M. Prabha as president and P.S. Raman Kutty as Secretary. Yukthi Darsanam is the philosophical text of KYS. Many militant rationalists like MBK, Joseph Edamaruku, P.V. Velayudhan Pilla, U.Kalanadhan, Pavanan, Johnson Eyeroor, Padmanabhan Pallath, Gangan Azikode, Rajagopal Vakathanam, Dhanuvachapuram Sukumaran, Sabhari Girish, Adv. Anil Kumar etc. had led the KYS in different times. The periods of Abraham Kovoor and Basava Premanand is known as the golden eras of Rationalism. The Janayugam Varika, a Weekly owned by Communist Party of India by the chief editorship of Kambisseri Karunakaran, propagated their articles and rationalism in large scale. The organization publishes a monthly magazine, Yukthirekha in Malayalam and a quarterly The Secular Humanist in English. The well-known rationalist Pavanan was founder and editor of Yukithirekha and was president of the organization for several years. Other presidents have included U. Kalanathan. Like many rationalist organizations in India they conduct demonstrations to expose god men as frauds. They also support those who defy fundamentalist taboos and support inter-caste marriages. They have also been involved in public debate over school textbooks. The organization claims over 3,000 members across Kerala.
