Malabar Migration

Knanaya Malabar Migration( Rajapuram & Madampam) The migration started from early decades of the 20th century and continued well into the 1970s and 1980s. The first organized migration to Malabar was envisaged by the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Kottayam, Knanaya Catholic under the direction of the then Bishop Mar Alexander Chulaparambil in 1943. Two settlements or colonies were started. The first was to Rajapuram Colony in the present Kasargod District on February 2, 1943. A group of 72 selected families from Kidangoor, Koodalloor, Punnathura and Pala came by train to Kanhangad and proceeded to their destinations at Chullikara, Rajapuram, Kallar and Malakkallu. The second settlement was to Madampam, 30 Kilometers East of Kannur on March 8, 1943. 100 families mostly from Meenachil Taluk traveled by train to Kannur and settled at Madampam and Payyavoor. The settlement was named after the bishop, Alexnagar colony, in the present Kannur District. The idea of organized migration was envisaged and presented to the Bishop by Professor Joseph Kandoth, who was then a professor at the St. Alosius College in Manglore. This migration had a significant demographic and social impact as the Christian population of Malabar increased 15-fold from 31,191 in 1931 to 442,510 in 1971. After effects Central Travancore had experienced a steep increase in population in the early 20th century and pressure on arable land increased. At the same time people realized the potential in the large uncultivated lands in the northern regions called Malabar which was then part of Madras Province under British Rule. Migration initially started in trickles. Land was bought from the local rulers and plantations were set up. Against many odds, the community thrived, thereby attracting more migrants and by the 1950s had reached its peak. ==Communities that migrated==