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Menon. Space and Culture, India 2020, 8:2 Page | 211 https://doi.org/10.20896/saci.v8i2.1012 Book Review OPEN ACCESS Kannur: Inside India’s Bloodiest Revenge Politics Ullekh N.P, Haryana: Penguin Random House India, 2018, xviii., 223 pp. Rs.499 ISBN: 9780670090693 Vishnu Achutha Menon† Kannur is a beautiful coastal district of Kerala, The same year also marked the emergence of a which made its way to the national headlines for new opponent in Kannur, the RSS. The its brutal political murders. The state has the government, led by EMS Namboodiripad, highest social development parameters when brought pro-labour reforms in the beedi (a compared to other states but despite this, what similar form but cheaper than cigarettes makes Kannur standout in terms of political composed of unprocessed tobacco wrapped in happenings is a matter to be discussed. Ullekh leaves) sector. The federal act was passed, which N.P., a native of Kannur who is the son of the late included several provisions to ensure the Marxist leader Pattiam Gopalan, analyses the welfare of the beedi workers. These reforms reasons and motivations behind these political were implemented in September 1968. During vendettas. The book has nine chapters running the time, RSS maintained strong financial links to 223 pages with a foreword written by with Mangalore Ganesh Beedicompany, and Sumantra Bose from the London School of hence, they decided to shut shops in Kerala on Economics and Political Science. 15 October 1968 resulting in 12,000 workers losing their jobs. This led to the launch of Dinesh Chapter one describes the waves of violence that 1 spread throughout the state in the form of Beedi. murders of prominent political leaders like The second chapter, titled “First Blood” deals Azhikodan Raghavan, Moyarath Sankaran, P.C with the allegations against the current Chief Anathan, Punnakkodan Kunhambu, V Narayan Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan’s role in a murder Nambiar, O.P Ananthan, and K.G Marar, who case. Vadikkal Ramakrishnan died on 28 April were killed for cheap political gains. From 1972 1969 at Thalassery hospital. He was killed in a to December 2017, 200 people died in Kannur’s counter-attack on the RSS by the CPI(M) in political violence, 78 were from CPI(M), 68 from response to a fight against the Communist the RSS-BJP, 36 from Congress, eight from Indian leader, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, the serving State Union Muslim League, two each from Secretary of CPI(M). The CPI(M) led government Communist Party of India (CPI) and Popular of EMS Namboodiripad had manipulated Front of India (PFI) (p.12). The book also sheds witnesses to save Vijayan. In 2016, light on the dominant role played by the political PinarayiVijayan assumed his office as twelfth parties in the day to day affairs of the people. In Chief Minister of Kerala. According to RSS, northern Malabar matrimonial choices were Vijayan is the most hated leader of Kerala, who preferred from families belonging to the same has unleashed the relentless countrywide party. Thus, party affiliations become inseparable from the family choices. In 1967, Congress party faced defeat in the general elections after the death of Jawaharlal Nehru. † Department of Media and Communication, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur – 610005, Email:[email protected] 1Dinesh Beedi is the first Cooperative Society set up by the workers in Kerala. It consists of more than 12000 workers. © 2020 Menon. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Menon. Space and Culture, India 2020, 8:2 Page | 212 propaganda, called Redrocity.2 In a Public of women as the focus of lineage, family and Relations makeover, Pinarayi Vijayan became inheritance) inheritance of power. Thiyya (in the symbol of CPI(M)’s muscular politics. northern Kerala) or Ezhava (in central and Chapter three, Vignettes of Grief and Rage deals southern Kerala) families cultivated the coconut with personal memoirs of Ullekh’s reflections palm and worked on the land. Pulayas or while visiting the victim’s family. He mentions in Parayas did the work of paddy cultivation and the book that violence between RSS and CPI(M) were treated as slaves. Muslims shared a similar workers used to be somewhat unusual in status of the Nayars. Communist moments Kannur. All parties in the region apply the began when caste and class discrimination in concept of “ numberittukollal” (murder to equal India was extreme; the lower caste faced daily tally). Ullekh has narrated some incidents humiliation, violence rape and abuse. Kannur revealing this commonly used strategy. In May had seen an intense concentration of land 2016, two CPI(M) men were killed, PV among upper castes, that is, Namboodiris and Nairs. The majority of the poor lower castes Raveendran and CV Dhanaraj. In the following months, several party members, Ramachandran, were landless. In 1934, a pro-socialist faction of Mavila Vineesh, Jijesh and Ezhuthan Santosh Congress Party at the national level, Congress from CPI(M) and RSS were killed. Following these Socialist Party (CSP) was formed. CSP was incidents, on 12 October 2016, the then BJP destined to lead the farmer struggles. The early President, Amit Shah tweeted that attacks on leaders of CSP were Acharya Narendradev, BJP workers are a political vendetta. Jayaprakash Narayan, MinooMasani, Abdul Bari, Purushottam Trikamdas, Sampuranand, Ram Chapter four entitled The Spell of the Northern Manohar Lohila, NG Ranga, E.M.S Ballads links Northern Ballads to the modern- Namboodiripad and AchyutPatwardhan. Besides day political clashes and the ancient Chekavar3 EMS, CSP leaders from Kerala included P.Krishna tradition. Chekavars were trained in Pillai and A.K Gopalan. Krishna Pillai found Kalaripayattu (Martial art) and readied for wars Kannur a fertile ground for launching peasant meant for upholding the honour of their struggles. Between 1934 and 1939, nearly 80 princelings or wealthy local kings. If two princes local trade unions were organised industry-wise announced a spar, their hired Chekavars would in almost all the urban centres of Kerala. In 1939, face each other until one of them died in the the first Kerala unit of the Communist Party of duels. It is also said in the book that Kannur’s rich India was established secretly at Parappuram, legacy of temple art (Teyyam), belligerent deities near Pinarayi. Krishna Pillai became the first (Ugramurtis), and Teyyamidols have their origins secretary of CPI Kerala faction. in the ordinary people, who were martyrs in the fight against feudalism. The temples or Chapter six, Congress versus the Communists, Teyyakavuswere the first memorials dedicated deals with the political rivalries between to the martyrs (Sasidharan, 2012). Congress and Communists. According to the district crime records, nineteen CPI(M) activists, Chapter five ,The Flag-Bearers talks about the six congress workers and one IUML worker were militant peasant and labour movements which killed in the 1980s. From 1990-99, fourteen have contributed immensely in shaping the CPI(M) cadres and sixteen Congressmen were Kannur's political culture. The best-known myth killed. The remaining part of the chapter talks about Kerala's origin is related to Parasurama about the rise of leaders like A.K Gopalan, M.V who created the state and gave the Nambudiris Ragahavan, E.K. Nayanar and K. Sudhakaran. control over the land. Nayars were expected to revere their Nambudiri superiors. These Chapter seven is titled The Religion Card which communities followed matrilineal (the centrality deals with the role played by religion in 2 Redrocity (Red- Atrocity) is referred to notorious political 3Chekavars belong to Thiyya (OBC) caste who were killings carried out by communist party against BJP - RSS warriors of the community. workers. Menon. Space and Culture, India 2020, 8:2 Page | 213 determining the political climate of Kannur. violence in the region. According to him, the first Kerala consisted of three regions: the two miscegenation was primarily due to the princely states, namely Kochi and Travancore; Kolarians who lived along the coast of and the British-ruled Malabar. The state is home Maharashtra and Gujarat. Their last king was to over 54 per cent Hindus; the rests are Muslims Kartavira Arjuna; he was killed in a fight with and Christians. In the 1940s, communism made Parashurama. His last queen Mahismati was entry to Kannur attracting mainly people from pregnant during his death; she gave birth to communities such as Ezhavas/Thiyyas and the Ramakanda Mushkin. The capital of his Kingdom Scheduled Castes. The RSS mostly included was called Ramanthali (in Payyannur). people belonging to Brahmins and Nambiar/Nair Srikandapuram, another city in Kannur, was castes. The BJP government came to power at founded by King Srikanta and Vallabhapatanam the Centre in 2014, but in Kerala, BJP-RSS failed by King Vallabha. One hundred eighteen kings to attract the vote bank due to the ruled the Mushika kingdom which was later overwhelming presence of Marxists who took up passed on to the hands of the Cheras who at that a vow to uphold pluralism. CPI(M) always time were led by Narmudi Cheral. That was the managed to secure the votes of Hindus; CPI(M) first infusion of ferocious blood among the won the goodwill of the people belonging to the people of the region. When Mushikas were OBC community due to successful redistribution defeated, they started training their children in of land by the communist governments in the Kalaripayattu(Martial Art) with the sole purpose past. Until the 1990s, a majority of its leaders of fighting battles. However,being from the were from the upper-caste Hindus and cadres marginalised community, they could only fight were from the OBCs.

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