"Explore the rich tapestry of the Malabar region, where centuries of history, culture, and tradition come together.

Get In Touch

img

8281168513

img

mail@malabarjournal.org

img

University of Calicut,
Edapally - Panvel Hwy, Thenhipalam,
Kerala 673635, India

Malabar History journal

  • Home
  • Malabar History journal
Blog Image

Morazha Struggle

Since the formation of the karshaka sanghams (peasants organisation) under the initiative of those in the Congress Socialist Party within the Congress, there were many struggles taking place in Malabar, especially in north Malabar against the exploitation of peasants and landless agricultural labourers. The struggle was primarily led by the communists within the Congress, who had come to become an influential section wihn the Cogres. The right wing of the Congress party implicitly supported and protected the interests of the landlord class.

Morazha struggle started on 15 September 1940. In the backdrop of WW2, the peasant organisations decided to protest the decision of the British government to participate in the war as well as demand food for peasants in the light of droughts and food shortages. The police issued a prohibition order against the conferences. However, the organisers decided to go ahead with the conferences. In spite of the ban by the police, meetings took place in 12 centres with clashes erupting in five places.

The police unleashed brutal lathi charge on the gathering with the intention of dispersing them. In the ensuing confrontation, a Sub Inspector of the police died. It can be labelled as the first agrarian revolt in northern Malabar. KPR was the hero behind the Morazha struggles, for which he was arrested and sentenced to death. Upon Gandhi’s intervention owing to nationwide protests against his death sentence, the order was revoked. Even though KPR is considered the hero behind the struggle at Morazha, he has called Araakal Kunhiraman to be the true hero of the struggle.

The demands raised by the agitation included, reparatory measures to handle the fluctuations in agricultural product prices, fair prices for agricultural products, and punishment for officers collecting war funds forcibly.

It was on the same day that Abu and Chattukutty were murdered in police firing in Thallasery along with one more martyr in Mattanur. Many participants were beaten up brutally by the police on that day.

1940s were an important decade that witnessed many peasant struggles led by the communists giving them an upper hand and establishing mass left politics in Kerala.

In Morazha, the assembled crowd was sought to be dismissed by the police party, and one of the sub-inspectors shot on the crowd with a revolver. Despite the gun firing, it is claimed that nearly 60 uniformed volunteers stood firm and fought forming two lines in self defence. The counter attack was supposed to be so strong that one of the police persons died.

The struggles of 15th September marked the turning point in the history of the left and agrarian struggles in Kerala. All the top leadership including AKG and EMS were detained after the incident. These incidents also forced the Congress High Command to remove the leftist and communist leadership from KPCC.

References

  • Prakash Karat. “Organised Struggles of the Malabar Peasantry, 1934–40.” Social Scientist, Vol. 5, No. 8 (March 1977): 3–17.
  • N. P. Ullekh. Kannur: Inside India’s Bloodiest Revenge Politics. New Delhi: Penguin, 2018.