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

ADIVASIS AND AGRICULTURAL WORKERS STRUGGLE FOR LAND GAINING MOMENTUM

Adivasis and Agricultural workers led by Kerala State Karshaka Thozhilali Union and Adivasi Kshema samithi both affiliated to All India agricultural Workers Union entered and established their right in lands that were being held by big corporates and UDF allies. Major chunk of the land is being held by M P Veerendrakumar, editor of Mathrubhoomi daily and his son and MLA M V Sreyams Kumar and his party office bearers. CK Saseendran, Wayand district secretary of the CPI(M), said no force could stop the "homeless Adivasis" from settling down on "Revenue land held illegally" by individuals.

CPI(M) seeks land for the landless

The CPI(M) State secretariat has urged the government to distribute land to the landless and called for support for the land struggle launched by the Adivasi Kshema Samiti (AKS) in Wayanad.

In a statement here on Tuesday, the CPI(M) Kerala State secretariat termed a blow to the UDF the Wayanad District Collector’s finding that the 16.75 acres occupied by the AKS was an encroachment by M.V. Shreyamskumar, MLA.

Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy himself had told the Assembly when he was the Chief Minister that the then RDO of Wayanad had found the land in question was Adivasi land grabbed by Mr. Shreyamskumar. The people should see through the changes in the stance of the UDF and Mr. Chandy in keeping with the changing political climate, it said.

Pointing out that the government’s policy was to take over land grabbed by encroachers and distribute them to the landless, the CPI(M) leadership said the Collector’s decision was the first victory scored by the Adivasis on struggle in the district. Among those who had grabbed land in the district were M.P. Veerendrakumar, his son Shreyamskumar and Wayanad district panchayat vice-president George Pothen and companies such as Harrison Malayalam Plantations Ltd. The Kerala High Court also had ruled that the big time land grabbers were not eligible for assignment of government land, the statement pointed out.

It rebutted the Opposition charge that the government had not assigned land to the landless including Adivasis and that it had not taken over land from the encroachers.

The government had distributed 30,000 acres among 1,02,000 families and invested 12,000 acres resumed from encroachers in Munnar in the land bank. The government must expedite distribution of land to the landless, including those in Munnar, and Adivasis across the State. All sections of people must offer support to the land struggle launched by the AKS to make this possible, it said.

Meanwhile the State government has made it clear that it wont allow individuals to encroach the revenue land and that the excess land will be distributed to Adivasis and Agricultural workers.  The government have taken steps in this regard and had earmarked the land held by Sreyamskumar.