Political Back-Ground of Kerala

The state of Kerala, formed on November 1 1956, was kept under President's rule till the polls in March 1957, with 126 assembly and 16 parliamentary seats. The communist party, with Sri, E.M.S Namboodirippad as chief minister, formed an eleven-member ministry on April 5 1957, with the support of some independents. Political agitation and unrest prevailed for several months, culminating on the take over of the administration and the dissolution of the legislative assembly, by the president of India, on July 31, 1959.

The Mid term election of February next year, brought a three party alliance comprising of the Congress; the Praja Socialist Party and the Muslim League to power. Sri Pattam A. Thanuppillai (psp) was sworn in as the chief minister together with a council of eleven ministers. On his resignation, on 25th September 1962, Sri R. Sankar (Congress) took over. Sri Sankar resigned two years later owing to a political crisis, a no-confidence motion, in September 1964. The motion got carried; legislature was dissolved, on September 10; put under president's rule until the next elections, held in March 1965. A fresh delimitation of constituencies took the total to assembly and 19 parliamentary constituencies. The election proved abortive, as no single party could form a ministry commanding majority support, and again on 25th march, 1965, Kerala was put under president's administration. The state next went to the polls two years later in line with the general election in March 1967. In the mean time a new polarization of the political forces had emerged, leading to new electoral alliances. Politically, the most potent was the new United Front, a combination of seven parties, the Communist party of India, the Muslim League, The Revolutionary Socialist Party, The Karshakathozhilaly Party and the Kerala Socialist Party; which was voted to power and a ministry headed by Sri. E.M.S Namboothirippad (C.P.I-M) took over. The cabinet consisted of four members of the Marxist party two each of the C.P.I, the Muslim League and the S.S.P and one each of the R.S.P, the K.T.P and the K.S.P. Namboothirippad, was forced to resign, owing to a judicial enquiry on 24th October 1969. As distinct from previous crisis, the legislature was intact.

A fresh alignment of force with in the assembly initiated the formation of an eight-member cabinet headed by Sri. C.Achjuthamenon (C.P.I) in November 1969. The ruling alliance consisted of the C.P.I, the K.S.P, the Muslim league, the R.S.P and the Kerala Congress. The assembly was dissolved on 26th June 1970 on the advice of the C.M who tendered the registration of the council of ministers on 1st August 1970. Elections were held next month. The partners of the ruling front, the C.P.I, the R.S.P, the Muslim league and the Praja Socialist Party together with Indian National Congress returned to power with a considerable majority. Sri. C. Achjuthamenon formed his second ministry on 4th October 1970 with Indian National Congress supporting the Government from outside. The cabinet was expanded on two occasions, once when the Indian National Congress joined it in September 1971,in December 1975 to accommodate Kerala Congress nominees.

The fourth legislative assembly, unique in many respects, emerged as the first legislative assembly the state to complete its full constitutional term. In the March 1977 elections, the sixth, the ruling front, won a decisive majority .Sri. K. Karunakaran of the Congress formed a ministry on March 25,1977,which short lived. Sri. K. Karunakaran was forced to tender the resignation of his cabinet on April 25, 1977 following certain references by the Kerala High Court relating to the notorious 'Rajan case'. Sri. A.K Antony, who took over next, resigned on October 27, 1978, the wake of differences of opinion of the congress working committee on the attitude of the congress vis-à-vis parliamentary by election at Chikkamangalur in Karnataka. Sri. P.K Vasudevan Nair (C.P.I on October 27, 1978), his successor, resigned on December 1 1979, leading to the dissolution of the assembly and president's rule was invoked in Kerala up to 24th January 1980. Political alignment in Kerala underwent a sea change involving a drastic regrouping of major political parties, setting the stage for eventual emergence of two political combines, the left democratic front and the united democratic front. In the 1980 assembly polls, out of the 140 elective seats 13 were reserved for the scheduled casts and one for scheduled tribes. The L.D.F, which won 93 seats, assumed office on 25th January 1980 with a 17-member ministry headed by E.K.Nayanar. Despite the thumping majority, there arouse ideological differences among the ruling partners and it culminated in the withdrawal of support to the ministry by the Congress (S). On Kerala Congress (M) and Congress (S) joining the UDF, an eight-member UDF ministry was sworn in, on 28th December 1981 with Sri K.Karunakaran as it's leader. The Con (S) split and the Major group supported the government. A similar split took place in the Janatha Party, and a section supported the ministry. The withdrawal of support by a Kerala Congress (M) member led to the resignation of the ministry and dissolution of the assembly on March 17, 1982. The state came under president's rule for the seventh time. Mid-term elections were held on May 19 1982. The UDF with 77seats formed a 19-member ministry, with Sri K Karunakaran as its leader on 24th May 1982. The UDF regime saw the merger of the INC (I) and the INC (A) in November 1982, the merger of the two rival factions of the Muslim league (IUML and AIML) in August 1985 and the splits in the NDP, the Janatha (J) and the SRP. A faction of the IC (S) joined the UDF. The second ministry in Kerala that could complete its full term, resigned soon after the announcement of the election results on March 24, 1987. The elections to the eighth Kerala assembly were held on March 23, 1987,as in the two previous elections, the UDF and the LDF were the main contestants. The UDF consisted of INC, IUML, KC (J), KC (M), SRP (S), NDP (P) and RSP (S), and two independent candidates; the KC (J) and the IUML had given one each of their seats. Thalipparamba and Azhikkode to the communist Marxist Party with which they had electoral adjustments and understanding. The LDF comprised of CPI (M), CPI, RSP, IC (S) Janatha and Lock-Dal. A third political front had also e merged with the BJP, which put up 127 candidates. The presence of 84 candidates of the newborn communist Marxist party of Sri M.V Raghavan, expelled from the CPM, added a new dimension to the poll. In the elections, the LDF came out victorious by securing 78 seats leaving UDF with 60 seats. An independent and a CMP candidate also won the election. A five-member ministry came in to force with Sri. E.K Nayanar as the Chief Minister on March 26, 1987. On accordance with the thumping victory in the elections to the district council, in December 1990, early general elections to the assembly were declared, and scheduled for 23rd may 1991 though the tenure of the ministry extended up to March 1992. In consequence with the assassination of sri Rajiv Gandhi former Prime Minister, on 21st may, barely two days before the polls, the elections were postponed to 12th June 1991. Elections were held as per the revised schedule in 139 constituencies, barring the Eattumanoor constituency owing to the death of a candidate. The total electorate was 1,95,12,248 and the votes polled were 1,43,33,377 (73.46%) The 9th Kerala assembly was sworn in to power on 24th June 1991 with Sri. K. Karunakaran was the chief minister. Tilting the balance, the LDF emerged as winners in the 10th Kerala assembly, took office on the 20th of May 1996 with Sri E K Nayanar as Chief Minister and a 14 ministry, drawn from CPI (M) CPI, JD, INC (S), KC (J) and RSP.

Nationalism In Kerala

In Travancore, Nairs initiated the agitation, on decline of their dominance, against the monopolization of higher offices by Tamil Bhrahmins inducted from out side. Their appetite for political participation was whetted with the formation of the Travancore Legislative Council in 1888, the first, in an Indian state. The malayaliMemmorial, a memorandum bearing over 10000 signatures, which included Ezhavas, Christians and Muslims, was submitted to the Maharaja in 1891. Actually it was a plea for privileges and positions by the Nadir society. This was soon followed by an Ezhavamemmorial (1896), with over 13,000 signatures, pleading for extension of civic rights, Government jobs etc. to the lower castes. Although both the memoranda came to naught, in the historical perspective, their impact was considerable as they laid the bases for the constitutional style of political agitation in Travancore. The outbreak of the 1st world war gave a new impetus to the political activities in the state. The Home Rule League sprouted in different parts of Malabar and the activities of Congress received enthusiastic encouragement from the people. In 1916 and 1917, the annual meetings of the district congress committee were held with great fanfare under the name of the Malabar District Political Conference. Resolutions were adopted at these conferences, demanding self-Government for India and the release of political prisoners. In Travancore and Kochi, political activities were taken up under the aegis of the congress. Congress committees, started in Thiruvananthapuram and Eranakulam. In 1920, resolutions were adopted at the Nagpur session of the Indian National Congress to organize provincial congress committees on a linguistic basis. A Kerala provincial congress committee was formed, integrating congress activities in the three territorial divisions of Kerala. Delegates from Malabar, Cochin and Travancore attended the first all-Kerala political conference held at Ottappalam, in April 1921, this was the harbinger of the movement for a united kerala, which became a reality, 35 years later. The non co-operative movement was in full swing, in Malabar, the Moppilas were agitated over the Khilafat issue. Gandhiji's visit to Malabar in 1921, give a further impetus to the movement, and a large number of volunteers joined the Satyagraha campaign.

The Khilafat Agitation

The Khilafat agitation spread like wildfire, especially in the Eranad and Valluvanad Taluks, creating alarm in the official circles Prohibitory orders were clamped down in the two Taluks, banning meetings, many people were arrested in the name of law and order. A tragic episode ensued, the Moppila Rebellion or the Malabar Rebellion of 1921. Police attempt to arrest the secretary of the Kilafat Committee, on a charge of stealing a pistol, was foiled by a crowd of 2000 Mopilas. The next day police entered, the famous Mambaram Mosque at Thirurangadi, and seized records and arrested a few Khilafat volunteers. At the spread of a rumour, the mosque was a desecrated, rustic Mopilas besieged the local police station at Tirurangadi. As police opened fire, the mob reacted in a mad fury and violence spread, engulfing Eranad, Valluvanad Taluks and adjoining areas for over two months. Towards the later stages, there were instances of atrocities on Hindus, owing to unfounded rumour of Hindus helping the police; this marred the relation between the two communities. Mean while British and Gurkha regiments were rushed to the area, following a series of repressive measures, the rebellion was practically crushed. The trouble torn areas were ravaged, and a huge number of Moppilas were arrested. The tragic incident of the wagon tragedy followed. The prisoners, packed in a railway goods wagon, were transportation to Coimbatore jails, 61 of the 70 Moppila prisoners died of suffocation on November 19, 1921. ,

The Vaikom Satyagraham

The cry for social equality, paved the background for the famous Satyagraha at Vaikkom temple (1924) to be followed up at the Guruvayoor temple in 1931. This exemplified the immense potentialities of Satyagraha as an instrument of social change In those days (before 1924) the untouchables and lower castes were not granted passage along the approach roads to the Vaikom Temple. The agitation against social inequality ignited the Vaikom Satyagraha, a 20-month struggle followed, with innumerable instances of violence and suffering. The Satyagraha was called off, on the instance of gandhiji, as the temple authorities agreed to open all roads except the eastern one.

Guruvayoor Temple entry Satyagraha

The Temple entry Satyagraha at Guruvayoor was started under the auspices of the Kerala provincial congress Committee. There were some instance of violence towards the volunteers, after 10 months, Sri K Kelappan launched an indefinite fast, give up on the advice of Gandhiji. Although the temple entry proclamation was issued in Travancore in November i936, no move was made by the government to implement it.

Salt march

Gandhiji's, second phase of the Civil Disobedience Movement, the 'Salt march' (1930), found enthusiastic response from all parts of Kerala. At Payyannur and Kozhikode, salt law was broken and hundreds of agitators were arrested. An important feature of the freedom movement in Kerala was the increasing involvement of peasants and workers, releasing a tremendous mass force in to the main stream of the national movement. The peasants and the labour movements of the 1930's formed a powerful left wing in politics. In 1934, the left nationalists joined together to organize the Congress Socialist party. A powerful factor that helped the growth of the left movement was the radical section of the nationalist Muslims in Malabar. The Left groups started functioning in several parts of Malabar and soon they dominated Kerala Provincial Congress Committee. By 1938-39, Kerala was fully drawn in to the national struggle for freedom and the struggle for responsible government in the princely states.

Punnapra-Vayalar

The constitutional scheme proposed by the Dewan, Sir. C.P Ramaswami Iyer, January 1946, provided for adult franchise, retaining the dewanship as an irremovable exertive. The State Congress rejected the scheme. The Communists decided to launch a violent struggle to bring an end to the oppressive rule, of the Dewan, a series of violent upheavals in Travancore led to the Punnapra-Vayalar revolt. In Punnapara (Alappuzha) and Vayalar (Cherthala), strong holds of the Communist Party, many camps were set up, volunteers were recruited and trained. The deployment of military in addition to the police worsened the situation. The All Travancore Trade Union Congress called for a general strike on October 20, 1946. The Dewan, as the commander-in-chief, clamped Martial law, and arrested many. The impassioned workers and volunteers preferred confrontation; stones, bamboo-spikes, areca-spears and swords, confronting machine guns. the revolt was suppressed leaving behind a tale of heroism and tragedy.