Punnapra-Vayalar uprising - Revision history

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References

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:23, 23 December 2021
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	==After effects==		==After effects==

	The killings of communist comrades turned the Communists and even many non-communists totally against Iyer. When, on 3 June 1947, United Kingdom accepted demands for a partition and announced its intention to quit India within a short period, the [[Maharaja]] of Travancore desired to declare himself independent.<ref name="midnightp260">[[#Dominique Lapierre\|Dominique Lapierre]], p. 260</ref><ref name="midnightp261">[[#Dominique Lapierre\|Dominique Lapierre]], p. 261</ref><ref name="cpandindependenttravancore">{{cite journal\|url=~~http~~://~~www~~.~~hindu~~.com/~~fline~~/~~fl2013/stories/20030704000807800~~.~~htm~~\|title=C.P. and independent Travancore\|author=A. G. Noorani\|volume=20\|issue=13\|year=2003\|journal=[[Frontline (magazine)\|Frontline]]}}</ref> Supported by the Diwan, C. P., [[Chithira Thirunal]] issued a declaration of independence on 18 June 1947.<ref name="midnightp260" /><ref name="midnightp261" /><ref name="cpandindependenttravancore" />		The killings of communist comrades turned the Communists and even many non-communists totally against Iyer. When, on 3 June 1947, United Kingdom accepted demands for a partition and announced its intention to quit India within a short period, the [[Maharaja]] of Travancore desired to declare himself independent.<ref name="midnightp260">[[#Dominique Lapierre\|Dominique Lapierre]], p. 260</ref><ref name="midnightp261">[[#Dominique Lapierre\|Dominique Lapierre]], p. 261</ref><ref name="cpandindependenttravancore">{{cite journal\|url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/books/article30217602.ece\|title=C.P. and independent Travancore\|author=A. G. Noorani\|volume=20\|issue=13\|year=2003\|journal=[[Frontline (magazine)\|Frontline]]}}</ref> Supported by the Diwan, C. P., [[Chithira Thirunal]] issued a declaration of independence on 18 June 1947.<ref name="midnightp260" /><ref name="midnightp261" /><ref name="cpandindependenttravancore" />

	As Travancore's declaration of independence was unacceptable to India, negotiations were started with the Diwan by the [[Government of India]]. Even [[Sardar Patel]] in presence of Mountbatten had warned Sir CP and Travancore Kingdom against the move for Independence.<ref name="cpp111">[[#Sir C. P. Remembered\|Sir C. P. Remembered]], p. 111</ref>		As Travancore's declaration of independence was unacceptable to India, negotiations were started with the Diwan by the [[Government of India]]. Even [[Sardar Patel]] in presence of Mountbatten had warned Sir CP and Travancore Kingdom against the move for Independence.<ref name="cpp111">[[#Sir C. P. Remembered\|Sir C. P. Remembered]], p. 111</ref>
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	* {{cite book\|title=Sir C.P. Thiruvithamcore Charithrathil\|language=Malayalam\|author=Sreedhara Menon}}		* {{cite book\|title=Sir C.P. Thiruvithamcore Charithrathil\|language=Malayalam\|author=Sreedhara Menon}}
	* {{cite book\|title=A survey of Kerala History\|author=Prof. A. Sreedhara Menon}}		* {{cite book\|title=A survey of Kerala History\|author=Prof. A. Sreedhara Menon}}
			* {{cite book\|title=Freedom at midnight\|first=Dominique\|last=Lapierre\|author2=Larry Collins \|author-link2=Larry Collins (writer) \|author-link=Dominique Lapierre\|publisher=Vikas Publishing House\|year=1997\|isbn=81-259-0480-8\|ref=Dominique Lapierre}}
	{{refend}}		{{refend}}

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← Older revision		Revision as of 17:31, 27 October 2021
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	As Travancore's declaration of independence was unacceptable to India, negotiations were started with the Diwan by the [[Government of India]]. Even [[Sardar Patel]] in presence of Mountbatten had warned Sir CP and Travancore Kingdom against the move for Independence.<ref name="cpp111">[[#Sir C. P. Remembered\|Sir C. P. Remembered]], p. 111</ref>		As Travancore's declaration of independence was unacceptable to India, negotiations were started with the Diwan by the [[Government of India]]. Even [[Sardar Patel]] in presence of Mountbatten had warned Sir CP and Travancore Kingdom against the move for Independence.<ref name="cpp111">[[#Sir C. P. Remembered\|Sir C. P. Remembered]], p. 111</ref>

	Family sources indicate that C. P., himself, was not in favour of independence but only greater autonomy and that a favourable agreement had been reached between C. P. and the Indian representatives by 23 July 1947 and accession to the Indian Union could not be carried out only because it was pending approval by the Maharajah. Nevertheless, an assassination attempt was made on C. P. by [[K.C.S. Mani]] who was an activist of the Socialist group led by [[N. Sreekantan Nair]] on 25 July 1947 during a concert commemorating the anniversary of [[Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma\|Swathi Thirunal]].<ref name="midnightp261" /><ref name="cpp113">[[#Sir C. P. Remembered\|Sir C. P. Remembered]], p. 113</ref><ref name="bio_thehindu">{{cite news\|title=In the Name of Biography\|work=The Hindu\|date=20 April 2003\|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2003042000160400.htm&date=2003/04/20/&prd=mag&\|author=K. N. Panikker\|access-date=13 May 2020\|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103064535/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2003042000160400.htm&date=2003/04/20/&prd=mag&\|archive-date=3 January 2013\|url-status=~~dead~~}}</ref> {{Indcom}}		Family sources indicate that C. P., himself, was not in favour of independence but only greater autonomy and that a favourable agreement had been reached between C. P. and the Indian representatives by 23 July 1947 and accession to the Indian Union could not be carried out only because it was pending approval by the Maharajah. Nevertheless, an assassination attempt was made on C. P. by [[K.C.S. Mani]] who was an activist of the Socialist group led by [[N. Sreekantan Nair]] on 25 July 1947 during a concert commemorating the anniversary of [[Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma\|Swathi Thirunal]].<ref name="midnightp261" /><ref name="cpp113">[[#Sir C. P. Remembered\|Sir C. P. Remembered]], p. 113</ref><ref name="bio_thehindu">{{cite news\|title=In the Name of Biography\|work=The Hindu\|date=20 April 2003\|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2003042000160400.htm&date=2003/04/20/&prd=mag&\|author=K. N. Panikker\|access-date=13 May 2020\|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103064535/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2003042000160400.htm&date=2003/04/20/&prd=mag&\|archive-date=3 January 2013\|url-status=usurped}}</ref> {{Indcom}}

	==Views==		==Views==

imported>Arjun Madathiparambil Muraleedharan at 12:05, 1 September 2021

2021-09-01T12:05:07Z

New page

{{short description|1949 communist uprising in British India}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Punnapra-Vayalar Uprising
| partof = Communist Movements in Travancore against the Diwan
| image = File:Punnapra vayalar.jpg|250px
| caption = Memorial of Punnapra-Vayalar uprising [[martyr]]s located near Kalarcode, [[Alappuzha]]
| date = October 1946
| place = Punnapra and [[Vayalar]], [[Travancore]] [[Princely State]]
| result = Victory of the Government forces, defeat of Communist uprising
| combatant1 = {{flagu|Travancore}} Kingdom of Travanore
| combatant2 = Laborers in Punnapra and Vayalar<br />{{flagicon image|CPI-banner.svg}}[[Communist Party of India]]
| commander1 = [[C. P. Ramaswami Iyer]]
[[K. Kelappan]]
| commander2 = [[T. V. Thomas]], [[M. N. Govindan Nair]], [[R. Sugathan]], [[S. Kumaran]], [[P.T. Punnoose]]
| strength1 =
| strength2 =
| casualties1 = 40 deaths
| casualties2 = More than 1,000 people dead
| campaignbox =
}}

The '''Punnapra-Vayalar killings''' (October 1946) was a militant [[communist]] movement in the [[Princely State]] of [[Travancore]], [[British India]] against the Prime Minister, [[C. P. Ramaswami Iyer]] and the state.<ref name="ReferenceA">Manorama Yearbook 2011, ISSN 0970-9096</ref>
{{Keralahistory}}

Historians like Prof Sreedhara Menon<ref>page 373, 374, A Survey of Kerala History by Prof. Sreedhara Menon, S. Viswanathan Printers and Publishers, Madras, 1996,</ref> (though one website claimed that he had retracted his views later<ref>{{cite news|last1=D|first1=Jose|title=Punnapra Vayalar violence can't be part of freedom struggle|url=http://m.rediff.com/news/nov/04kerala.htm|accessdate=4 April 2014|newspaper=Rediff On The Net|date=1997}}</ref>) maintain this was a proper struggle against the declaration of 'Independent Travancore' by the then Travancore.

==Background==

Sir CP Ramaswami Iyer had proposed constitutional reforms making Travancore an independent country, not joining Indian Union. CP had proposed an 'American model' for Travancore{{Explain|date=August 2021}}. The Communists in Travancore opposed this move with the slogans, 'Chuck the Americans and British agents into the Arabian Sea'. The struggle against the Travancore Kingdom began in 1939 when the merger of socialist parties, which created a new radical communist party took place. The brutal famine conditions in Travancore Kingdom during the Second World War had pushed the peasants towards the Communists. Over 21,000 peasants died in [[Cherthala]] taluk alone during the Famine (1939–43) (the Famine which had a disastrous effect in India, especially in West Bengal) led to discontent in Cherthala and [[Ambalapuzha]] taluks grew against Diwan. In March 1946, Alappuzha was filled up by Travancore Police to crack down the members of ATTUC (All Travancore Trade Union Congress), who used non-violent protest against the Diwan for not helping poor during the Famine.

In response, over 2,000 communists attacked police stations all across Alappuzha and practically established their own communist government. The communist government was established from Cherthala to Ambalapuzha, a stretch of {{convert|40|km|mi}} in Alappuzha. The communist cadres in Alappuzha were given military training by ex-servicemen who had returned home from the Second World War. The communist cadres were armed with country weapons, especially varikundams (spears made out of arecanut tree stems).

On 25 October 1946 (Maharajah's Birthday), the new Travancore constitution was to be implemented, Making Travancore an Independent Country (US model). Over 1000 communists in Vayalar fiercely retaliated this move and attacked and killed Travancore police officials and government officials in that region. Dismayed by the turn of events and to control the violence in the region, the Diwan declared martial law in Alleppey on 25 October 1946. The Travancore army moved from their camp and surrounded the communists at Vayalar by 27 October. The Travancore navy supported the army in isolating Vayalar, which is surrounded by water on three sides. Once the blockade was in place, the army moved in. The communists were defeated and over 470 communists were killed and rest submitted within few minutes. When the communist front line reached the Travancore army, a hand-to-hand combat took place and 40 Travancore soldiers were killed brutally by the communists.

On the same day, at least 130 people were killed in army firings, at different places due to erupting violence in the district. The situation had gone out of control from the hands of Diwan. The local people and press maintain that many more people were killed and the bodies disposed by the army. Following the suppression of the communist local governments, the Travancore police in an attempt to bring peace in the region and used strict methods to repress the political movement in the region and detained many activists without any trial temporarily to handle the situation.

In order to achieve this aggressive police response, the Diwan [[C. P. Ramaswami Iyer]] had sidelined his General Officer Commander (G.O.C.), V.N. Parameswaran Pillai, in favor of the Inspector General, [[Parthasarathy Iyengar]], who shared the Diwan's views.<ref name="trade">{{cite book|title=The history of trade union movement in Kerala |page= 89
|url=https://books.google.com/books?isbn=8178271389|isbn=8178271389
|author=K. Ramachandran Nair |year= 2006 }}</ref> The G.O.C. subsequently resigned.<ref name="trade"/>

==After effects==

The killings of communist comrades turned the Communists and even many non-communists totally against Iyer. When, on 3 June 1947, United Kingdom accepted demands for a partition and announced its intention to quit India within a short period, the [[Maharaja]] of Travancore desired to declare himself independent.<ref name="midnightp260">[[#Dominique Lapierre|Dominique Lapierre]], p. 260</ref><ref name="midnightp261">[[#Dominique Lapierre|Dominique Lapierre]], p. 261</ref><ref name="cpandindependenttravancore">{{cite journal|url=http://www.hindu.com/fline/fl2013/stories/20030704000807800.htm|title=C.P. and independent Travancore|author=A. G. Noorani|volume=20|issue=13|year=2003|journal=[[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]]}}</ref> Supported by the Diwan, C. P., [[Chithira Thirunal]] issued a declaration of independence on 18 June 1947.<ref name="midnightp260" /><ref name="midnightp261" /><ref name="cpandindependenttravancore" />

As Travancore's declaration of independence was unacceptable to India, negotiations were started with the Diwan by the [[Government of India]]. Even [[Sardar Patel]] in presence of Mountbatten had warned Sir CP and Travancore Kingdom against the move for Independence.<ref name="cpp111">[[#Sir C. P. Remembered|Sir C. P. Remembered]], p. 111</ref>

Family sources indicate that C. P., himself, was not in favour of independence but only greater autonomy and that a favourable agreement had been reached between C. P. and the Indian representatives by 23 July 1947 and accession to the Indian Union could not be carried out only because it was pending approval by the Maharajah. Nevertheless, an assassination attempt was made on C. P. by [[K.C.S. Mani]] who was an activist of the Socialist group led by [[N. Sreekantan Nair]] on 25 July 1947 during a concert commemorating the anniversary of [[Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma|Swathi Thirunal]].<ref name="midnightp261" /><ref name="cpp113">[[#Sir C. P. Remembered|Sir C. P. Remembered]], p. 113</ref><ref name="bio_thehindu">{{cite news|title=In the Name of Biography|work=The Hindu|date=20 April 2003|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2003042000160400.htm&date=2003/04/20/&prd=mag&|author=K. N. Panikker|access-date=13 May 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103064535/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2003042000160400.htm&date=2003/04/20/&prd=mag&|archive-date=3 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> {{Indcom}}

==Views==

Historian [[Manu S. Pillai]] described Punnapra-Vayalar as an [[ezhava]] uprising against the Travancore Kingdom. The communists who took part in Punnapra revolt were mostly coir workers of Rural Alappuzha. They still form the backbone of Communist parties in Kerala even today. Punnapra-Vayalar is described by Robin Jeffrey as the only moment in history when an organised working class led an armed revolt against a British-backed kingdom.

==References==
'''Citations'''
{{reflist}}
'''Bibliography'''
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite web|url=http://ier.sagepub.com/cgi/pdf_extract/18/2/97 | title=Punnapra Vayalar revolt}}
* {{cite book|title=Sir C.P. Thiruvithamcore Charithrathil|language=Malayalam|author=Sreedhara Menon}}
* {{cite book|title=A survey of Kerala History|author=Prof. A. Sreedhara Menon}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Punnapra-Vayalar uprising}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100301152214/http://www.cpindia.org/ Communist Party of India web site ]
* [http://janayugomonline.com/%e0%b4%aa%e0%b5%81%c2%ad%e0%b4%a8%e0%b5%8d%e0%b4%a8%c2%ad%e0%b4%aa%e0%b5%8d%e0%b4%b0-%e0%b4%b5%c2%ad%e0%b4%af%c2%ad%e0%b4%b2%e0%b4%be%e0%b5%bc-%e0%b4%b8%c2%ad%e0%b4%ae%c2%ad%e0%b4%b0%e0%b4%82/ K. K. Kunhan's article in ''Janayugom'' (1975)] (in Malayalam)

[[Category:Kingdom of Travancore]]
[[Category:Violence in India]]
[[Category:Communist Party of India]]
[[Category:1946 in British India]]
[[Category:History of Kerala]]
[[Category:Social movements in India]]
[[Category:Political uprisings in India]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1946]]
[[Category:Indian independence movement in Kerala]]