T AMIL NADU S PECIAL P OLICE TSP MANUAL (PART I & II) Compiled by : Special Police Headquarters Chennai "YUDHI VIKRAMA" Among the armed forces of the Madras Police, the Malabar Special Police ranks supreme. It was born in adversity but by sheer strength of character and discipline it has overcome all limitations and now it is a crack corps in no way inferior to the flower of the military regiments in India. But the pride of place has been won only at the cost of blood, sweat and rears on the fighting line in the many jungles extending from Vizagapatnam to Cape Comorin. Nor is this all. Several companies of this force are now grappling with the Naga rebels in the mountainous country of Assam. The beginnings of this force are to be found in the Nayar Sibbandy Corps raised under native chieftains towards the end of the 18th century, when the Malabar country was being ravaged by bands of marauding Moplahs who found a secure retreat in the jungles of Wynad and Walluvanad. Tippu's brutal methods of conversion had engendered a fierce and abiding hatred in the minds of the Hindus against the Muslims and when the British took over Malabar in 1782, they found it necessary to form the Sibbandy Corps 2343 disbanded and their place was taken by a force of 500 armed policemen raised by Captain Watson mainly for the purpose of collecting revenue. It was the same Captain Watson that became the first Conservator of forests in 1806 in Madras State. In the troubled times of Pychy rebellion already function from 1810, when the Darogah system was introduced in the inadequacy of that system. In 1854 the establishment of a local police corps consisting of 31 Indian officers, two buglers and 180 men under the command of two military officers was sanctioned by the Government of India "but the ease with which Mr Conolly, the District Magistrate, was murdered by four escapees "exposed the weakness and inefficiency of the police organization. Act XXIV of 1859 attempted to remove the evils of ineffective and insufficient policing of districts but periodical outbreaks of Muslim fanaticism necessitated the formation of a new unit called the Malappuram Special Police in 1884. Between 1854 and 1884 there had been a dozen instances in which Moplahs had gone on the war path against Hindus and killed a number of them. The special force consisted of 80 constables, 4 head constable, 4 sergeants a bugler and an European Inspector. It was a fine body of men holding its own with European troops in drill and signalling, as the fortunes of the Malabar Special Police are linked with the out-burst of Moplah fanaticism, a recital of some of the outbreaks becomes necessary. On 25-02-1896 a gang of moplahs set out in Chembrasseri village and went about in ever increasing numbers converting Hindus and desecrating temples, the Special Force and troops which had been called out pursued them and found them encamped in a temple. The district Magistrate with the main body of troops occupied a hill overlooking the temple at a distance of about 750 yards across a deep valley. The troops and the police opened fire at once and the fanatics instead of taking shelter, deliberately courted death by offering themselves as a target to the bullets on the open platform of the temple, howling, shouting, waving their arms and firing off their guns. After some time the troops advanced and entered the temple without opposition. A horrible sight met their eyes. Within the narrow precincts were found the bodies of 92 moplahs. Life was lingering in some but the general majority were dead and at least twenty had their throats cut from ear to car. they had been murdered by their compatriots to prevent them from being captured alive. After this the Malappuram Special Force was made permanent is 1897. During each Ramzan, the Special Force and Calicut Reserve were mobilized and deployed in parties at Pandalur, Pandikkad, Tuvvur, Manjeri and Malappuram. they used to keep themselves in touch with one another by means of signalling arrangements. In 1915 an attempt was made on the life of Mr Innes, the District Magistrate, who had a narrow escape from being shot. The Moplahs concerned in this outrage, and some other fanatics who had joined them, indulged in the usual course of murder and arson, they were shot down by the Special Police force, this was followed by another rising in 1919 when 4 Malabar brahmins and 2 Nairs were put to death by the rebels. But in point of magnitude and methods of organization, the rising of the Moplah Community in 1921 and the atrocities that followed are unparalleled in the history of Malabar or for that matter, in the history of the whole of India. Sir William Vincent, the Home Member to the Government of India speaking in the Council of State in September 1921 about the immediate causes for the Moplah rebellion said, "At the beginning of this year there were certain speeches delivered and these had a considerable effect on the fanatical population of Malabar which was singularly prone to outbreaks. In June there were reports of volunteer organizations and these organizations were going on secretly. In July there were provoking speeches on the Khilafat question which with the resolution of the All-India Khilafat Conference held in Karachi produced an impression among the Moplahs that the end of the British rule was at hand, the first instance of lawlessness was in this month, when the police officers went to arrest a man for breaking into the house of a Nambudiri, a large number of Moplahs arrived and there was serious danger of riot which was however averted. The Police at the time were powerless and the Moplahs considered themselves victorious. Under the Moplah Outrages Act, the Government arrested three men and there was no trouble; but a party of Police was left to search for others. In the course of this search certain Moplah Policemen, after taking their shoes, entered a mosque. This information spread around and a large force of Moplahs collected to attack the police." There was a half company of the Second Leicester Regiment at Calicut. At the request of the Madras Government a few days prior to the rebellion, this had been reinforced by three platoons of the same unit from Madras. Thus the strength was something over 200 rifles. The District Magistrate of Malabar, Mr E.F. Thomas, C.I.E., requisitioned military aid for a search of concealed arms at Tirurangadi. Three platoons of the Leicester Regiment accompanied him, one platoon of which was sent to secure Malappuram and the rest arrived along with the Malappuram Special Police on 20-8-1921 at Tirurangadi. The search for arms resulted in the arrest of 3 persons. At about midday information was received that a crowd of 2,000 Moplahs had come by train to the nearest railway station and was advancing on Tirurangadi. The Collector decided to go at once and meet the mob. The police columns consisted of Mr. E.R. Mainwaring, Deputy Inspector General and Mr G.H. Hitchcock, C.I.E., M.B.E., District Superintendent of Police, on the left, and Messrs Lancaster and Amu Sahib, Sub Divisional Officers, on the right, with the Malappuram Special Force in the rear. About a mile and a half from Tirurangadi the column encountered a mob of Moplahs between 2,000 and 3,000 strong with a Khilafat flag in front. They were ordered to disperse but they continued to advance. The Reserve Police with fixed bayonets charged the mob but the rebels brought down their clubs on the rifles. A fight ensued. A constable had his head cut open. Mr Lancaster received a blow on his head. There was firing without the world of command and nine rebels were killed and 40 were taken prisoners. The column returned to Tirurangadi. At this place a small party consisting of Leicesters and the police had been left to guard the camp with Lieut. W.R. Johnstone and M. Rowley, Assistant Superintendent in charge. A mob estimated at 2,000 advancing from another direction attacked this party. They were dispersed with Lewis gun and rifle fire, but the two officers who had advanced towards the mob for a parley along with two Head Constables, named Mohammad and Govindan Nair as interpreters, were surrounded and murdered by the rebels. Their mutilated corpses were picked up by the District Magistrate's party on their return. The District Magistrate handed over the situation at 7 p.m. to the Officer Commanding as beyond Civil Powers. Next day after burying the dead, the District Magistrate and party marched back to Parapparangadi. They found the telegraph lines cut, the railway lines damaged; and they were harried on their flanks all along the route by Moplah hordes. The attacks were, however, repulsed and they reached Calicut by midnight. The murder of Inspector Readman, in charge of the Malappuram Special Police, pathetic as it was, evidently brought out the high sense of duty displayed by that officer. On the night of 19th August 1921, Mr Lancaster, Assistant Superintendent of Police with Inspector Readman and a posse of police left Malappuram for Tirurangadi but after going some eight miles, Mr Readman was taken ill and had to be sent back in a cart, his orderly accompanying him. The Inspector reached Malappuram early in the morning of 20th and feeling better after a little rest sought leave to rejoin his men at Tirurangadi but the request was not granted at that time.