Martyrs of the communist movement of Kerala, including the ones killed at the Punnapra-Vayalar, Kayyur, Karivelloor, and Kavumbayi uprisings, will remain as freedom fighters in the annals of India’s struggle for independence.
A three-member committee appointed by the Indian Council of Historic Research (ICHR) to review the entries in the fifth volume of the ‘Dictionary of Martyrs: India’s Freedom Struggle (1857-1947)’ is understood to have left the martyrs of the Left movement untouched. The fifth volume covered freedom fighters from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
The ICHR had recalled the publication and appointed a review panel after a section of the Sangh Parivar historians strongly objected to the inclusion of the martyrs of communist movement and the 1921 Malabar Rebellion in the compendium, which was released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier.
Solely on 1921 rebellion
The committee is understood to have recommended the deletion of the Malabar Rebellion leaders Variamkunnath Kunhamed Haji, Ali Musaliar, and 387 other ‘Moplah martyrs’ from the list. The review panel deliberated exclusively on the 1921 rebellion and did not touch upon the other uprisings in Kerala, all the original entries in the dictionary except the ones related to the 1921 rebellion from the State would stay, ICHR sources said.
The names of 84 martyrs of Punnapra-Vayalar uprising, who participated in the movement for responsible government in Travancore, and against Diwan C.P. Ramaswamy Aiyar’s ‘notorious proposal for setting up an American model of administrative arrangement’ have found place in the dictionary.
Nearly 80 other martyrs, including those killed in the police firings at Neyyattinkara, Kollam, and Puthupally, and those who lost their lives while participating in the civil disobedience movement would stay on the list, according to indications.
There were no objections to the inclusion of Kayyur martyrs, including Aboobacker and Chirukandan of Kayyur, “who walked to the gallows shouting Inquilab Zindabad and Communist Party Zindabad” and “died as brave communists.” Abu and Chattukutty, who were killed in the Tellichery police firing on September 15, 1940, have also passed muster.