February 11 : Salem Jail Martyrs Day

It was in 1950 February 11 that 22 Comrades of Communist Party of India were brutally killed by police in Salem Jail, Tamil Nadu. The major leaders of Communist party and Agricultural workers union who were in the forefront in the struggle against landlordism, were put in jail by the Congress Government. Comrades from the then Malabar Region of Madras state, Tamil Nadu and Andhra were put in Salem Jail. At that time Communist party was banned and that the political prisoners were not given any preferences and were tortured to a large extend by the jailers under the auspicious of the Congress government. The communist prisoners took  a decision to protest against these atrocities. And the party decided to submit a memorandum to the jail officers regarding the treatment. But the response from the authorities was lucrative. It was on 26th February that the memorandum was submitted. From that evening onwards communist prisoners were brutally met with. On February 11th under the guidance of  Deputy Jailer a large battalion of warden came to the area where communist prisoners were placed and ordered them to revoke their petition. But the prisoners univocallly rejected that appeal. By that time the police force and wardens began to use their full brutal force against the prisoners and began to fire at them. 22 comrades became martyrs. Of that 19 were from Kerala, 2 from Tamil Nadu and 1 from Andhra.

List of Salem Jail Martyrs

1. Thaliyan Raman Nambiar
2. O P Ananthan Nambiar
3. Ambadi Achari
4. Koyilodan Narayanan Nambiar
5. Pullanjiyodan Govindan Nambiar
6. Pullanjiyodan Kunnappa Nambiar
7. Nakkayi Kannan
8. N Balan
9. Neelencheri Narayanan Nair
10. A K Kunhiraman Nambiar
11. Mailapravan Narayanan Nambiar
12. Maroli Kooran Gurukkal
13. Njangadi Kunjambu
14. U V Narayana Marrar
15. V C Kunjiraman
16. Naduvalappil Koran
17. Kunnummal Raman
18. Azad Gopalan
19. K Gopalan
20. Kutty Nair
21. Kaveri Muthali ( Tamil Nadu)
22. Arumugha Pandaram ( Tamil Nadu)
23. Shaique Davood ( Andhra)

Communist leaders like Com. Kanthalottu Kunjambu, M Kanaran and C Kannan were seriously injured.  
The memory of these comrades who have given their lives in cause of toiling masses are still a beacon light in our journey forward to socialism. These brave martyrs laid down their lives holding high the red banner of the Party and its cause. 

Red Salute to the Martyrs