Unsung Voices and Unregistered Memories of Malabar Rebellion: a Case Study of Erstwhile Malabar
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Research Journal of Kisan Veer Mahavidyalaya, Wai (A Multilingual and Multi-disciplinary Research Journal) Issue-3, Vol.- 1, PP- 47-51 Jan-June, 2019 Unsung voices and Unregistered Memories of Malabar Rebellion: A Case Study of Erstwhile Malabar *Anita M. Department of History, N.S.S.College, Manjeri, Malappuram (Kerala) Abstract: Malabar rebellion must be reckoned as a turning point in the modern history of Kerala and a significant event in the history of India. It was mainly a revolt of the mappila population mainly peasants “against the lord and state” .The mass insurrection lasted for about 8 months and proved to be a more violent and devastating than any other earlier out breaks. The rebellion was a bloody and traumatic experience for the whole population of Malabar. The army and police unleashed a reign terror; both men and women became the victims of the terror. The present paper aims to bring out the views and comments of the people regarding the anti- colonial and anti- land lord struggle. The people who didn‟t have a direct experience of the rebellion also framed a view of the struggle through the tales and stories passed through the generations. An oral history is an account of information that has been passed down through the generation. An oral report must be a true description of an event. In collection of oral testimony historian should be sensitive to gender differences. The answer provided by male and female may not be alike. Women do have their own style and tools (Language, gestures, expressions etc.) to recall the tale of day to day life in the past and how the event affected the personnel life of their as well as their immediate relatives.. In the above said context I am trying to extract the experiences, expressions, views, opinions of the above said movement and trying to situate “memories” in early 20th Century of Pandikkad village. Key words: Malabar, Rebellion, Ernad , pandikkad, memory, Terror, Women, movement Malabar Rebellion must be reckoned as a For this study the main source material is the turning point in the modern history of kerala and memories collected from pandikkad village to a significant event in the history of Indian findout how the people of this region especially national movement. A series of mappila women retain their memory about Malabar uprisings against both hindu landlords and the rebellion. Pandikkad is in the present British occurred throughout the 19th century and Malappuram district in Kerala. It is culminated finally in the greatest sustained pridominently a muslim populated area, hindus armed revolt of 1921.Between 1836 and 1921 are comparatively small in number. It is known there were 33 such uprisings, which the British as the land of rural culture. officials characterized as “mappila outrages. This is the fading memory of an important Except the 1921 revolt all other uprisings were historical event. The memory of the conflict was limited in scope and extent.. The mass transmitted through a powerful oral tradition; insurrection lasted for about eight months and down the generation and it still remain vividly as proved to be more violent and devastating than a haunting feeling in the minds of the people. any other earlier outbreaks. The rebellion was a The information‟s are mainly collected from “bloody and traumatic experience for the whole younger generations as they also retain the population of malabar. The army and police memory of the rebellion through the tales told unleashed a reign of terror, both men and by their grandfathers and other relatives. Oral women became the victims of the terror. history is used as a primary source material for 47 Research Journal of Kisan Veer Mahavidyalaya, Wai (A Multilingual and Multi-disciplinary Research Journal) Issue-3, Vol.- 1, PP- 47-51 Jan-June, 2019 the purpose of historical reconstruction. Gary Variankunnath kunhammed and Chembrassery Okhirio writes” it is also a theory of history Tangal. which maintains that the common folk and the Pathumma (Aged-76-Nellikuth) said that dispossessed have a history and that this history through the uttering sound “Tekbir” the rebels must be written11.In collecting oral testimony, attacked the British officers in pandikkad and the historian should be sensitive to the gender killing one British officer and inflicting a differences. The answer to the same question number of casualties. The camp was surrounded provided by male and a female may not be a low mud wall and it was on the side of the old alike. Women used a variety of unconventional shandy (market) and a paddy flat on the south. technique to tell the tale of everyday life in the She remembers the attack was a courageous act past and how the movement affected the of the rebel bands and said that in this two personal life and their immediate relatives. The British officials were killed and 237 rebels lost experience of women never found a place in their lives. She said that Military officers historical writings. This is one event which has ordered Kunhammad, son of Moidunni to been written about extensively. But these studies destroy the dead bodies with petrol. The dead are mostly based on „conventional sources”, bodies were brought from the camp and put secondly they don‟t present the women‟s story together in the paddy field under a peepel tree. or view of the rebellion .Hence this humble About five liters of petrol was used for this attempt. purpose. However kunhammed died by a bomb Reflections of Malabar Rebellion blasted when pouring the petrol over the dead The term „1921‟ creates horrifying memory for bodies, this paddy sfield now also came to most of the informants. Most of the informants known as “Moidunni Padam‟or “suhadakkalude retain the memory of „1921‟ with variations. The padam”13. Most of the informants were says fears about the rebellion still exist. The rebellion about this incident and aware about this place in is regarded as a „marker‟. Most of the Pandikkad. interviewers calculate their age and the age of One of the Important Memory of the People their relatives in accordance with the occurrence was related with Gurkha Troops. of the rebellion. Many of them were fond of Kadeejumma (aged-81-pandikkad), said that speaking about their relatives who participated Gurkhas viewed the villagers with contempt. in the rebellion. The stories they tell are those She also told about their beauty, their dress, their which recount a courageous act, a funny episode language. The army men in one way or other or a tragic event in their families12. In their ridiculed the natives. The Gurkhas attacked both information came mainly of the food shortage, Hindus and Muslims. The nature of the Gurkhas poverty and other difficulties created by the point out by K.N. Panikkar in his Against lord rebellion. and State When the Gurkha rifles marched Ayisha (Aged 78-settled in pandikkad)-said that through the road ,the common people ,due to in the pandikkad attack a large number of rebels fear ,tried to hide themselves in jungle. under the leadership Variankunnath Thithumma (aged-82-chembrassery) her Kunhammed Haji and Chembrassery Tangal important recollection about Malabar Rebellion attacked the Gurkha forces in early morning was that male members of her family sought 1921.Most of the mappilas succeeded in refuge in Tudiyanmala, a jungle near Pandikkad penetrating Gurkha camp. She says that the main and for more than one month they remained leaders of the rebellion are Ali Musliar, there. At that time her mother went to the hill to supply food for them .She also said about the 48 Research Journal of Kisan Veer Mahavidyalaya, Wai (A Multilingual and Multi-disciplinary Research Journal) Issue-3, Vol.- 1, PP- 47-51 Jan-June, 2019 shortage of food was the important problem there15. The officials who committed these, to they faced during that time. She also said that suppress the riots,for the British government the khilafath workers and common people were highly rewarded. Her parents told that broken the kakathodupalam and also cut down a during the rebellion people tried to hide their tree there gold ornaments in soil Amina(aged -85-pandikkad) came to know According to K. N. Panikkar the incident at about the rebellion from the stories told by her Tuvvur on 25 September 1921 received father. Her father was a supporter of British considerable publicity and most cited examples forces in Pandikkad.Amu Master fearing the of the rebels‟ ruthlessness, ferocity and even rebels also escaped to hill. When there was a their fanatical spirit. The rebels killed 34 Hindus food shortage he returned and sought the help of and 2 mappilas. In doing this religious the army men. They provided he with rice and considerations do not seem to have influenced other necessary items, which he distributed their action. The intention was obviously to among others in tudiyanmala (a jungle near make an example of these cases and thus to pandikkad) .The army men, stayed in her house terrorize those that might be included or tempted due to want of space. to help the British forces16. Pathumma (aged-94-Pandikkad) daughter in law Kunhamina(aged-86-Pandikkad) remember of Mussa adhikari in pandikkad spoke more about khilafath was that the local people cut about Mussa adhikiari .She said that though he down the peepal tree and put it across the road was a supporter of Britishers he protected his near Nellikuth bridge, in order to prevent the tenents from army men. She recalls during coming of the army. Her father told her that the rebellion Mussa adhikari with his family people who worked in the paddy field also escaped to Ottappalam and later returned back cooperated in this effort.