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Home Guest book My cartoons My paintings Favourite Links About kerala Kerala Politics Political History About erumely Ways to Erumely Ayyappa and malikappuram Contact us	POLITICAL UPHEAVALS IN MALABAR Political Developments after Independence The post-Independence era commencing August 15, 1947 saw a realignment of political forces in Malabar. The communists emerged as a strong and well-knit political party. The Socialists left the Congress and formed themselves into a separate party. A group of Congress workers under K. Kelappan formed the Kerala unit of the Kisan Mazdur Praja Party (K.M.P.P.) founded at the national level by Acharya J.B. Kripalani. When the general elections to the Madras Legislature were held in 1951, the K.M.P.P. forged an alliance with the Communists. The Communist-K.M.P.P. alliance inflicted crushing defeat on the Congress in Malabar. Out of the thirty seats earmarked for Malabar in the Madras Legislature, the Congress could win only four. The United Front of the Communists and the K.M.P.P. emerged as the dominant group from Malabar in the Madras Legislative Assembly. The Kerala State came into being on November 1, 1956 during the period of Presidents' Rule with P.S. Rao as the first Governor. In March 1957 the first general elections were held to the Kerala Legislative Assembly. By this time the K.M.P.P. and the Socialist Party had merged to form the Praja Socialist Party (P.S.P.) the new party entered into an electoral alliance with the Kerala State Muslim League. The Congress and the Communist Party fought the election of 1957 independently. In this election the Communist Party of India secured 60 seats, the Congress 43, the Praja Socialist Party 9 and Independents including Muslim Leagues 14. The communists having emerged as the largest party in the new legislature and secured the majority with the backing of some Independents who had won the election with their support, a Communist Government with E.M.S. Namboothiripad as Chief Minister was formed on 5th April, 1957. The Muslim League Any survey of the political history of Malabar would be incomplete without a reference to the role of the Muslim League. The thirties which saw the rise of Communist radicalism also saw the rise of Muslim communalism was a force in Malabar politics. The initiative in building up the Muslim League came from the Muslim leaders of North Malabar. Though the All India Muslim League had been founded in Dhaka as early as 1906, it came to have its branches in some parts of Malabar even in 1917, it did not have an organisation worth the name in this District till the mid-thirties. It was with the election to the Central Legislative Assembly from the South Canara Constituency in 1934 that the Muslim League made its debut on the political arena of Malabar. In this election, Haji Abdul Sattar Sait, the Muslim League nominee, defeated the veteran Congress leader, Muhammad Abdur Rahiman, by a clear majority. The former polled 1,960 votes against 1,638 votes polled by his Congress opponent. The entry of Abdul Sattar Sait into the Central Assembly led to close contacts between the central leadership of the All India Muslim League and leaders of the Muslim Community in Malabar. The All India Muslim League availed of this opportunity to start organisational activities in such centres as Tellicherry, Cannanore and Calicut with Abdur Sattar Sait as its leader and it soon established itself as an important political force in Malabar. Abdur Rahiman Ali Raja of Cannanore (1881-1946) was elected in 1937 as the first President of the Malabar Muslim League. Among the other prominent leaders of the Malabar Muslim League were K.M. Seethi Sahib and B. Pokker Sahib, two prominent lawyers of Tellicherry. The League vehemently countered the Muslim-mass contact programme launched by the Congress during this period at the instance of Jawaharlal Nehru. In the general elections held to the Madras Legislature early in 1937, the Muslim League put up its own candidates from the Muslim constituencies in Malabar. Maulana Shaukat Ali toured Malabar exhorting the Muslim voters to vote for the League candidates, but it was Muhammad Abdur Rahiman, the Congress candidate, who won from the Muslim Constituency of Malappuram. Congress and Linguistic States It has been mentioned earlier that the Kerala Provincial Congress Committee which came into existence in 1921 on linguistic basis included the whole of the Malabar District and the States of Travancore and Cochin. This was taken to mean that the Congress had committed itself to the idea of linguistic states in a free India. The first All Kerala Provincial Conference under the auspices of the Congress met at Ottappalam in 1921. It was for the first time that representatives from Malabar, Travancore and Cochin attended a conference of such political significance and size. It helped to create a sense of Kerala identity in the minds of the people. In 1927 the Indian National Congress expressed the view that the time was appropriate for the linguistic re-organisation of provinces in India. The question was examined by the Nehru Committee set up in 1928 by the All parties Conference to draft a model constitution for free India. The committee expressed itself in favour of linguistic states on the ground that such states would promote the cultural well being of the people, ensure greater educational advancement and enable the people to participate actively in public activities. Between 1928 and 1947 the Congress officially endorsed the idea of linguistic states on quite a few occasions. The Election manifesto issued by the Congress in 1945 assured the people that the states of India would be recognized on linguistic basis, as far as possible, in case the party was voted to power. Demand for 'Aikya Keralam' The demand for a separate state for the Malayalam speaking people gathered strength since the twenties. Such conferences as the States People's and the All-Kerala Kudiyan Conferences held at Ernakulam in 1928 and the Political Conferences held at Ernakulam in 1928 and Political Conferences held at Payyannur (1928), Badagara (1931) and Calicut (1935) passed resolutions emphasizing the need for the formation of a separate Province of Kerala in the new constitutional set-up. The Political Conference held under the auspices of the Travancore district Congress Committee at Trivandrum in 1938 with Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramiah in the Chair passed a resolution favouring a Sub-Federation comprising of Malabar, Travancore and Cochin. It was, however, only in the logic of things that such a united Kerala State could not have been formed so long as British rule lasted in India and the native States of Travancore and Cochin continued to be under princely rule. During the period after the Second World War (1939-1945) when negotiations for the transfer of power were in progress, the question of formation of linguistic states again assumed importance. The ruler of Cochin extended full support to the proposal. In a message sent to the Cochin Legislative Council on July 29, 1945 the Maharaja of Cochin stressed the need for the formation of a united state of Kerala and expressed his readiness to merge Cochin in such a state in the general interests of the people. The Cochin state Praja Mandal which was formed in 1941 had also been endorsing the demand for a separate Kerala State at its successive annual sessions. Only the Government of Travncore's reaction was lukewarm to the proposal. Cultural organizations like 'Samastha Kerala Sahitya Parishad' however, welcomed the idea of Malayalam speaking State with great enthusiasm. The Kerala Provincial Congress committee took the lead in this matter and set up a Sub-Committee in 1946 to carry on the movement for Aikya Kerala with the utmost vigour. A meeting of the Sub-committee was held at Cheruthuruthi late in 1946 under the Chairmanship of K.P. Kesava Menon, with leading figures from all parts of Kerala, including Mahakavi Vallathol, participating in it. It was in pursuance of the decision taken at this meeting that the famous Aikya Conference was held at Trichur in April 1947 under the Chairmanship of K. Kelappan. Hundreds of delegates from all parts of Kerala representing various cultural organizations and political parties were present at the meeting. In fact, the Conference was more representative than any other of its kind held till then. Sree Kerala Varma reigning Maharaja of Cochin, participated in the conference and declared his support to the establishment of a united Kerala State comprising of the three administrative units of Malabar, Travancore and Cochin. The conference passed a resolution, moved by the Veteran congress leader, E. Moidu Maulavi, demanding the early formation of Aikya Kerala. It also elected an Aikya Kerala Council of hundred members to take appropriate steps for the achievement of the goal. In 1948 yet another representative convention was held at Alwaye under the auspices of the Aikya Kerala Council. Delegates from Malabar, Travncore and Cochin attended the convention and appointed a more compact Action Committee of 15 members with K. Kelappan as President and K.A. Damodara Menon as Secretary in suppression of the earlier Aikya Kerala Council of 100 members. In a memorandum submitted before the Dhar Commission set up by the President of the Indian Constituent Assembly to consider the question of reorganization of states in India, the Aikya Kerala council demanded the formation of new Kerala State comprising of Malabar, Travancore, Cochin, Coorg, Nilgiris, Guddalore, South Canara, Mahe and Lakshadeep. It may be noted here that the Travancore Government under Pattom Thanu Pillai did not co-operate with the work of the Dhar Commission. The Indian National Congress at its Jaipur Session (1948) set up a high level committee consisting of Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhai Patel and Pattabhi Sitaramiah to consider the Dhar Commission's recommendations. In its report (J.V.P. Report) the Committee counseled the utmost caution in proceeding with the proposal for the linguistic reorganization of states. At the same time, it also made clear that the formation of the linguistic states of Kerala and Karnataka would have to wait till a final solution was found for the Indian States problem.

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POLITICAL UPHEAVALS IN MALABAR
Political Developments after Independence
The post-Independence era commencing August 15, 1947 saw a realignment of political forces in Malabar. The communists emerged as a strong and well-knit political party. The Socialists left the Congress and formed themselves into a separate party. A group of Congress workers under K. Kelappan formed the Kerala unit of the Kisan Mazdur Praja Party (K.M.P.P.) founded at the national level by Acharya J.B. Kripalani.
When the general elections to the Madras Legislature were held in 1951, the K.M.P.P. forged an alliance with the Communists. The Communist-K.M.P.P. alliance inflicted crushing defeat on the Congress in Malabar. Out of the thirty seats earmarked for Malabar in the Madras Legislature, the Congress could win only four. The United Front of the Communists and the K.M.P.P. emerged as the dominant group from Malabar in the Madras Legislative Assembly. The Kerala State came into being on November 1, 1956 during the period of Presidents' Rule with P.S. Rao as the first Governor.
In March 1957 the first general elections were held to the Kerala Legislative Assembly. By this time the K.M.P.P. and the Socialist Party had merged to form the Praja Socialist Party (P.S.P.) the new party entered into an electoral alliance with the Kerala State Muslim League. The Congress and the Communist Party fought the election of 1957 independently. In this election the Communist Party of India secured 60 seats, the Congress 43, the Praja Socialist Party 9 and Independents including Muslim Leagues 14.
The communists having emerged as the largest party in the new legislature and secured the majority with the backing of some Independents who had won the election with their support, a Communist Government with E.M.S. Namboothiripad as Chief Minister was formed on 5th April, 1957.
The Muslim League
Any survey of the political history of Malabar would be incomplete without a reference to the role of the Muslim League. The thirties which saw the rise of Communist radicalism also saw the rise of Muslim communalism was a force in Malabar politics. The initiative in building up the Muslim League came from the Muslim leaders of North Malabar.
Though the All India Muslim League had been founded in Dhaka as early as 1906, it came to have its branches in some parts of Malabar even in 1917, it did not have an organisation worth the name in this District till the mid-thirties. It was with the election to the Central Legislative Assembly from the South Canara Constituency in 1934 that the Muslim League made its debut on the political arena of Malabar. In this election, Haji Abdul Sattar Sait, the Muslim League nominee, defeated the veteran Congress leader, Muhammad Abdur Rahiman, by a clear majority. The former polled 1,960 votes against 1,638 votes polled by his Congress opponent.
The entry of Abdul Sattar Sait into the Central Assembly led to close contacts between the central leadership of the All India Muslim League and leaders of the Muslim Community in Malabar. The All India Muslim League availed of this opportunity to start organisational activities in such centres as Tellicherry, Cannanore and Calicut with Abdur Sattar Sait as its leader and it soon established itself as an important political force in Malabar. Abdur Rahiman Ali Raja of Cannanore (1881-1946) was elected in 1937 as the first President of the Malabar Muslim League.
Among the other prominent leaders of the Malabar Muslim League were K.M. Seethi Sahib and B. Pokker Sahib, two prominent lawyers of Tellicherry. The League vehemently countered the Muslim-mass contact programme launched by the Congress during this period at the instance of Jawaharlal Nehru. In the general elections held to the Madras Legislature early in 1937, the Muslim League put up its own candidates from the Muslim constituencies in Malabar. Maulana Shaukat Ali toured Malabar exhorting the Muslim voters to vote for the League candidates, but it was Muhammad Abdur Rahiman, the Congress candidate, who won from the Muslim Constituency of Malappuram.
Congress and Linguistic States
It has been mentioned earlier that the Kerala Provincial Congress Committee which came into existence in 1921 on linguistic basis included the whole of the Malabar District and the States of Travancore and Cochin. This was taken to mean that the Congress had committed itself to the idea of linguistic states in a free India. The first All Kerala Provincial Conference under the auspices of the Congress met at Ottappalam in 1921.
It was for the first time that representatives from Malabar, Travancore and Cochin attended a conference of such political significance and size. It helped to create a sense of Kerala identity in the minds of the people. In 1927 the Indian National Congress expressed the view that the time was appropriate for the linguistic re-organisation of provinces in India. The question was examined by the Nehru Committee set up in 1928 by the All parties Conference to draft a model constitution for free India.
The committee expressed itself in favour of linguistic states on the ground that such states would promote the cultural well being of the people, ensure greater educational advancement and enable the people to participate actively in public activities. Between 1928 and 1947 the Congress officially endorsed the idea of linguistic states on quite a few occasions. The Election manifesto issued by the Congress in 1945 assured the people that the states of India would be recognized on linguistic basis, as far as possible, in case the party was voted to power.
Demand for 'Aikya Keralam'
The demand for a separate state for the Malayalam speaking people gathered strength since the twenties. Such conferences as the States People's and the All-Kerala Kudiyan Conferences held at Ernakulam in 1928 and the Political Conferences held at Ernakulam in 1928 and Political Conferences held at Payyannur (1928), Badagara (1931) and Calicut (1935) passed resolutions emphasizing the need for the formation of a separate Province of Kerala in the new constitutional set-up.
The Political Conference held under the auspices of the Travancore district Congress Committee at Trivandrum in 1938 with Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramiah in the Chair passed a resolution favouring a Sub-Federation comprising of Malabar, Travancore and Cochin. It was, however, only in the logic of things that such a united Kerala State could not have been formed so long as British rule lasted in India and the native States of Travancore and Cochin continued to be under princely rule.
During the period after the Second World War (1939-1945) when negotiations for the transfer of power were in progress, the question of formation of linguistic states again assumed importance. The ruler of Cochin extended full support to the proposal. In a message sent to the Cochin Legislative Council on July 29, 1945 the Maharaja of Cochin stressed the need for the formation of a united state of Kerala and expressed his readiness to merge Cochin in such a state in the general interests of the people.
The Cochin state Praja Mandal which was formed in 1941 had also been endorsing the demand for a separate Kerala State at its successive annual sessions. Only the Government of Travncore's reaction was lukewarm to the proposal. Cultural organizations like 'Samastha Kerala Sahitya Parishad' however, welcomed the idea of Malayalam speaking State with great enthusiasm. The Kerala Provincial Congress committee took the lead in this matter and set up a Sub-Committee in 1946 to carry on the movement for Aikya Kerala with the utmost vigour. A meeting of the Sub-committee was held at Cheruthuruthi late in 1946 under the Chairmanship of K.P. Kesava Menon, with leading figures from all parts of Kerala, including Mahakavi Vallathol, participating in it.
It was in pursuance of the decision taken at this meeting that the famous Aikya Conference was held at Trichur in April 1947 under the Chairmanship of K. Kelappan. Hundreds of delegates from all parts of Kerala representing various cultural organizations and political parties were present at the meeting. In fact, the Conference was more representative than any other of its kind held till then. Sree Kerala Varma reigning Maharaja of Cochin, participated in the conference and declared his support to the establishment of a united Kerala State comprising of the three administrative units of Malabar, Travancore and Cochin.
The conference passed a resolution, moved by the Veteran congress leader, E. Moidu Maulavi, demanding the early formation of Aikya Kerala. It also elected an Aikya Kerala Council of hundred members to take appropriate steps for the achievement of the goal. In 1948 yet another representative convention was held at Alwaye under the auspices of the Aikya Kerala Council. Delegates from Malabar, Travncore and Cochin attended the convention and appointed a more compact Action Committee of 15 members with K. Kelappan as President and K.A. Damodara Menon as Secretary in suppression of the earlier Aikya Kerala Council of 100 members.
In a memorandum submitted before the Dhar Commission set up by the President of the Indian Constituent Assembly to consider the question of reorganization of states in India, the Aikya Kerala council demanded the formation of new Kerala State comprising of Malabar, Travancore, Cochin, Coorg, Nilgiris, Guddalore, South Canara, Mahe and Lakshadeep. It may be noted here that the Travancore Government under Pattom Thanu Pillai did not co-operate with the work of the Dhar Commission.
The Indian National Congress at its Jaipur Session (1948) set up a high level committee consisting of Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhai Patel and Pattabhi Sitaramiah to consider the Dhar Commission's recommendations. In its report (J.V.P. Report) the Committee counseled the utmost caution in proceeding with the proposal for the linguistic reorganization of states. At the same time, it also made clear that the formation of the linguistic states of Kerala and Karnataka would have to wait till a final solution was found for the Indian States problem.