THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: We were in search of the grave of Flory Pereira, martyr of the Liberation Struggle: A search made poignant since this general election is being held in the golden jubilee year of Flory’s martyrdom. She lost her life in the police firing at Cheriyathura during a protest march against the EMS led Government. She was the main campaign plank of Right-wing parties in the General Assembly elections of 1960 soon after the downfall of the EMS ministry.
At the church we met three elderly gentlemen who took us to Flory’s grave, which lies alongside the graves of fellow martyrs, Lazer Pereira and Antony Rebeira, who were also killed in the police firing of July 3,1959.
“It is only during election time that journalists or party leaders come here in search of Flory,” said one of the three gentlemen.
They told us that during the observance of Flory’s martyrdom day last year, a problem arose over the decoration of Flory’s grave by Congress workers. It was felt by some parishioners that the entry of political party activists into the graveyard was not right. This resulted in an altercation.
The parish priest here, fed up with the developments that followed, sought a transfer.
“Now we are left without a priest.
We have been holding talks with Archdiocese representatives to get one,” he said.
Soon a group of people assembled around us and demanded to know the purpose of out visit. We explained.
A man who seemed to be the group leader said: “We are fed up with politics.
All politicians think that people of the coast have no brains. They regard us merely as tools for votes”.
We soon left.
“Tekkutekkoru deshathu, thiramalakalude theerathu, bharthavilla nerathu, Flori ennoru garbhiniye, chuttukarichoru sarkare, pakaram njangal chottikkum, daivathinanne kattayam,” the slogan raised by the then Rightblock parties against the Communist party in the general elections held in 1960, echoed in my ears.
The slogan, which captured the spirit of the Liberation Struggle, narrates the story of Flory. The Liberation Struggle brought down the Communist Government and elections followed.