The recommendation by the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) to exclude those who participated in the 1921 Malabar Rebellion against colonial rule from the list of freedom fighters appeared to have touched a raw nerve in Kerala.
Except for the Bharatiya Janata Party, political parties across the spectrum condemned the move to eclipse the role of the 387 mutineers, an overwhelming number of them Muslims, in the armed insurrection against the British.
Among those “earmarked for delisting” by the ICHR are iconic rebel leaders Variankunnath Kunhamad Haji and Ali Musaliar.
The row over the Malabar Rebellion spilt onto the street on Tuesday. BJP workers marched to the residence of Speaker M.B. Rajesh in Kozhikode to protest against the latter’s “bid to compare Variankunnath to Bhagat Singh.”
Tale of caution
Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] Polit Bureau member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said people viewed the life stories of Variankunnath and Bhagat Singh differently. Nevertheless, E.M.S. Namboodirpad had written that the Malabar Rebellion was essentially an armed struggle against the British. However, some rebels had tried to “change the course of the mutiny midstream” to suit their narrow political ends. Hence, E.M.S. had thoughtfully named his book on the armed insurrection as Exhortation and Caution. The history of the 1921 rebellion also held a tale of caution for society, Mr. Kodiyeri said.
‘Saffronisation’ bid
CPI(M) acting State secretary A. Vijayaraghavan said the BJP had attempted to saffronise the freedom struggle by using ICHR as a cover. The move to blot out the Malabar Rebellion from the annals of the Indian freedom struggle was part of the devious bid.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran has slammed the ICHR’s move. So have Congress leaders V.M. Sudheeran, Ramesh Chennithala and Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan. The Congress also saw a saffron bid to distort history.
BJP view
BJP leader P.K. Krishnadas said the CPI(M) and the Congress had attempted to whitewash “the ethnic cleansing of Hindus” in Malabar in the 1920s as a freedom struggle. The government should abandon the move to erect a memorial for Variankunnath in Malabar. He said the Congress and the CPI(M) were lionising Variankunnath with an eye on minority voters. The CPI(M) appeared hell-bent on promoting ‘Talibanism’ in Kerala. The party was honouring its pre-election pact with Muslim fundamentalist outfits.