KOZHIKODE: The Hindu Aikya Vedi has asked the government to initiate steps to clear the mystery behind the boat tragedy which killed eminent poet Kumaran Asan in 1924. In a statement, Vedi state secretary R V Babu said Asan had faced threats from religious fundamentalists after he wrote the narrative poem ‘Duravastha’ which strongly condemned the ‘Mappila atrocities’ on Hindus. “Asan had rejected the demand from some Muslim organisations to withdraw the poem. Later, he died in a boat accident. This cannot be considered as mere accident,” he said.
Babu said the king of Travancore had provided police security to the poet, which was later withdrawn. “The cabin of the boat which was used by Asan was locked from outside and some other boats were present in the vicinity. Such things have raised doubt that the incident was a well-planned murder,” the statement said.
The statement added that there were attacks on K P Kesava Menon, freedom fighter and Mathrubuhmi editor for speaking against the revolt. “Renaissance leader Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker was killed in an attack by religious extremists,” the statement said. “In these circumstances we demand the government to unravel the mystery behind the death of the great poet and former general secretary of the SNDP Yogam,” Babu said.
Kumaran Asan was among the 145 passengers who took the journey in a boat from Kollam to Alappuzha on the night of January 16, 1924. The boat met with an accident at Pallana which killed the poet.
‘Duravastha’, written by Asan in 1922, has become the main campaign material for the Sangh Parivar in its programme on the Malabar rebellion. Lines from the poem are recited at the programmes organised by the Vedi across Kerala to narrate ‘the atrocities committed on Hindus.’