Narayana Guru recognized the critical need to unite Kerala's oppressed communities, believing such unity required a robust social organization. Around this time, Dr. Palpu, a court physician to the Maharaja of Mysore and a visionary dedicated to the upliftment of backward communities, approached Guru with a similar idea. Born into the Ezhava community, Dr. Palpu had been denied employment in Kerala, finding work instead in Madras and Mysore. During a visit to the Mysore Maharaja's palace, Swami Vivekananda, who had just famously described Kerala as a "lunatic asylum", shared his concerns about the region with Dr. Palpu and stressed the urgent need for a solution.
Vivekananda suggested identifying a Guru from a backward community to lead social work. Dr. Palpu conveyed to Narayana Guru the necessity of a social organization for the advancement of marginalized people. He proposed that the existing Vavuttu Yogam, which had transformed into the Kshetra Yogam, be further evolved into the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP), a suggestion Guru endorsed.
The SNDP Yogam was registered in 1903 as a joint-stock company, drawing in community members from across various regions. At Guru's wish, Kumaran Asan, who had returned to Aruvippuram after advanced studies in Bangalore and Kolkata under Dr. Palpu's patronage, assumed the crucial role of the Yogam's Secretary. Kumaran Asan, who later became one of Malayalam's literary giants, served as Secretary for sixteen years, while Narayana Guru himself was its first president.
The core objectives of the SNDP Yogam were to propagate Narayana Guru's ideals and to provide essential assistance and encouragement to backward communities, including Ezhavas, in education, temple construction, industry, and handicrafts. In 1904, the monthly magazine 'Vivekodayam' (Dawn of Wisdom), edited by Kumaran Asan, was launched as the Yogam's official mouthpiece. Guru received the Yogam's full support in his temple construction activities and other endeavours.
The Yogam played a decisive role in significant protests such as the Temple Entry Proclamation, the anti-liquor movement, and the Vaikom Satyagraha. With the advent of the SNDP Yogam, backward communities, including the Ezhavas, experienced profound changes. They became convinced that traditional customs hindered societal growth and needed to be abolished for true progress. The Yogam's emergence inspired community members to reclaim their lost social and economic rights.
At the first annual conference of the SNDP Yogam in Aruvippuram, Guru delivered pivotal messages, famously propagating the powerful tenets: "Be enlightened through education" and "Be strong through organization." During his lifetime, Guru presided over twenty-five annual Yogam meetings across various centers in Kerala. These annual conferences were instrumental in socially and culturally awakening the Ezhava community. Furthermore, they laid the groundwork for the formation of other community organizations in Kerala, such as the NSS (Nair Service Society) and the Sadhu Jana Paripalana Yogam.
These organizations actively worked to abolish corrupt practices in all communities and foster communal equality. The SNDP played an exceptionally important role in Kerala's socio-cultural progress, with the organizations led by Guru standing as excellent examples of how organizational work can influence profound social change.
