THE COCHIN STATE POLITICAL
CONFERENCE

(TRICHUR : 20TH NOV. 1937)

Dr. Paltabhi Sitaramayya's
Presidential Address

FRIENDS,

I come to you less on your invitation aiKirtflij^Je of my
own accord. It is a part of my progranup^SSpresit as many
States in India as possible in coruj^dMp^with the States'
work that I have undertaken. IlG*rtucky *hat ^bis long-
eherished desire of mine should nave found a reflection in
your decision to invite me to preside over your political
conference. Under the circumstances I need make no
apology for coming here to-day. If for nothing else it is
the duty of a follower of the Mithakshara Law under the
Patriarchal State to visit a part of the country which is
adjacent to his own but which follows a Matriarchal State j
under a Mannakatayam Law, The Malayalese and our-
selves, as Andhras, had lived side by side with each other
for years together in jails and during our College days also'
earlier we lived side by side with the Tamils and the
Kanarese and the Oriyas without realising the vast differ-
ences in customs and manners which subsist between
.Malayalese and the rest of the country. I am free ttf
confess that it is only latterly when all of us assembled once
again under the hospitable roof of His Majesty in tJbje
penitentiaries of Vellore and elsewhere that We had the
time and leisure to study these systems in detail. And aftc^r
and years spent in the company of friends from