Malayapuram Singaravelu Chettiar - Early Life - Chettiar and Maha Bodhi Society

Chettiar and Maha Bodhi Society

Around this time, Chettiar had shown growing willingness to combat social evils such as untouchability. The leading voice of the oppressed classes at the end of the 19th century was Iyothee Thass(also referred to as Pandit C. Ayodhya Dasa and Iyothi Thass) (1845–1914). He was born into an untouchable family and had concluded that rationalist ideas of Budhism could be used as a weapon against untouchability. He and some other untouchables from Tamil Nadu decided thence forth to call themselves Buddhist, and live accordingly. In 1890 he started Sakya Budhist Society and later in 1900, South Indian Budhist Association in Madras. Influenced by Iyothee Thass, Chettiar also became growingly open to Budhist ideas.

Anagarika Dharmapala, the Ceylonese Budhist missionary founded the Maha Bodhi society for revival of budhism in 1891. Iyothee Thass and Col. Olcott of the Theosophical Society, Adyar in Madras, wanted to convene a meeting on Dharmapala's arrival in Madras. The meeting that took place on 8 August 1898 was held at Royapettah house of Chettiar. Later on September 28 the Madras branch of the Maha Bodhi Society was inaugurated in the presence of a large gathering. At this meeting a resolution was moved by Chettiar to form, in Madras, the first branch of the Maha Bodhi Society. Much later, in 1923, when Chettiar issued the manifesto of his newly formed Party Labour and Kishan Party of Hindusthan, he signed it as 'M. Singaravelu (Indian communist) President, Madras Maha Bodhi Society'.