The book written by KPCC executive committee member and former MLA D Sugathan on the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising, which gives a new dimension to the revolt, has kicked up a row.
In his book, ‘Communism Vanchanayude Thatwasasthram’ (Communism an Ideology of Betrayal), Sugathan severely criticises the uprising and the fighters who took part in it.
It is stated in the book that an amount of `8.28 crore is being distributed every year to 1,150 people who took part in the revolt, as pension by considering them as freedom fighters. However, he alleges that the pensioners are aged below 75 years. “How so many people were part of the uprising which took place 66 years ago. At the time of the uprising, were the fighters below 10 years?, he asks. The book says that 115 people in Eravukad ward of Alappuzha municipality were receiving the freedom fighters’ pension.
The book was released by Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram at a function held in Thiruvananthapuram a month ago. The book was published by Priyadarsini Publications Society, the publication wing of the Congress, of which Ramesh Chennithala is the chairman. The book says that the strike was not part of the Independence movement. “The Punnapra Vayalar uprising took place in October, 1946 after the interim government led by Jawaharlal Nehru came to power at the Centre on September 2, 1946,” the book says.
“The Punnapra police camp attack and the police firing were related to a clash between the Latin Catholic landlords in Punnapra. After the clash between two groups, the then Kollam DSP Vaidhya Nathan Ayyar set up a temporary police camp led by sub-inspector Velayudhan Nadar. Twenty-eight policemen were in the camp which was set up in the house of Applon Aroj, a landlord. That is the history of the setting up of the police camp,” Sugathan says in his book. He alleges that all historians who study about the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising begin from the setting up of the police camp in Punnapra. “But nobody has ever checked the reason behind the setting up of the camp. It was attacked by labourers seven days after it was set up,” says the book.
The attack on the camp was the fallout of a conspiracy hatched by T V Thomas, a communist leader and former minister.
“Anti-social elements penetrated into the rally taken out by the labourers and unleashed an attack, in which police inspector Velayudhan Nadar was killed. Following the murder, the police retaliated and numerous fighters were killed. Five policemen also died in the attack. After the attack on the police camp and the killings, police helpers, K G Marian and Peter, went to the Reserve Police Camp at the Alappuzha Recreation Ground - the main police camp in the district - to inform about the attack. When Marian and Peter reached the camp, they saw T V Thomas and DSP Vaidhya Nathan.(page 39).
The Vayalar firing took place two days after the Punnapra attack.
Infuriated over the camp attack in Punnapra, the police reached Vayalar labour camp and attacked the labourers gathered there. That was a one-sided act by C P Ramaswamy’s police.
It is stated that the communist historians were trying to give the colour of communist movements to the incidents in Punnapra and Vayalar. Around 1,150 people are getting `6,000 each a month as pension in connection with the two incidents. The pensioners have no relation with the uprising (page 46).
Reacting to the contents in the book, G Sudhakaran MLA said that there was no need to respond to this kind of false propaganda. “Sugathan has no knowledge about the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising or the Kerala history.
The state government and the Central Government had approved that the uprising was part of the freedom struggle and allotted pension to the fighters. Sugathan is also a supporter of Sir CP and is trying to launch propaganda against Communist parties,” he said.