WHAT A HALABALOO

Election time was one which was noisy as each party vied with the other to make their presence felt. We heard ‘Ammachi’ telling ‘Appachan’ about the forthcoming election. Campaigning was colourful and varied.  One day I noted an Ox-cart in Kumbalam with posters of the Congress party candidates on either side. Two youngsters, one of them handing out notices and another on megaphone were canvassing for the Congress Party.

The tumult grew louder; the words became more distinct.  Volunteers   upholding the red flag sang “Petty Petty Kalapetty, Kalapettikku Vottilla; “Communist Party Zindabad, and Inquilab, Inquilab, Inquilab Zindabad.” The earth crumbled under people’s feet; the dust flew up and the air reeked. Above sun had already begun to burn furiously. Both the parties went round the island in canoes depicting their logos. “The sickle and a hammer” was the symbol of Communist Party. The volunteers even went around a door to door campaign. I saw groups with their leader came to our house to have a talk with ‘Appachan’ too.

The 1957 election results were proclaimed a few days later. The day the results were announced, I heard the tumult of men and barking of dogs. We ran to see what was happening. A lot of hefty guys were moving towards the north ferry end. Most of them carried poles. One guy carried a big pole on which a red flag was folded and tied. We have seen processions of political parties. Everybody was rejoicing. We didn’t know the exact reason but from their talk we gathered that they had won the election. We waited near our gate to see what the next event was going to be. We saw Comrades: N.K. (Parameswaran), OK, BK, M.S. Ayyappan, Raman Mattakkal and Vava (Megaphone), the Communist Party leaders, going to the ferry. NK smiled at me since I knew him. He too was a member of the Kumbalam Deseeya Vikasana Samithy, (National Development Committee) and used to come home to meet ‘Appachan’.

Comrade N.K. Parameswaran gave a brief but vibrant speech highlighting the struggles of common labourers, poor farmers, coconut clibers and agricultural labourers. He portrayed the feudal lords as the personification of all evil and those who rebel against them as harbingers of a new life and freedom from all kinds of oppression. It was an honest reflection of the times when agricultural labourers and coconut climbers began to organize themselves and revolt against feudal oppression. The common man looked at the communist movement with great hope. He was overwhelmed with joy at their victory in the election.  

After some time we heard the sound of fireworks; crackers coupled with the loud beating of the drums. A procession came with lighted torches and all the people intoned triumphantly the slogans their leader chanted. The air was filled with thunderous slogans, like “Inquilab, Inquilab, Inquilab Zindabad”, “Muthalalitham Thulayatte”, let capitalism go to the dogs, and E.M.S Zindhabad.” The red flags they were holding were fluttering in the gentle breeze. Their sloganss were louder and stronger when they reached our ‘Mana,’ house. What a powerful voice! What is it that they achieved? We approached ‘Ammachi’; she was ready with her answer. She asked, “Did you know they won the election by getting better votes?” She explained to us, “Vote is a method by which we, the elders, exercise a right to choose our candidate to rule this country and the people.” The Congress, the OX symbol, used to run this country. The people were unhappy about their rule. They allege that the landlords used to harass the tenants and they are not giving reasonable wages to the labourers. Therefore they are discontented. They elected the Communist Party into power and Comrade E.M.S. Nambuthiripad was appointed as the Chief Minister of Kerala. Let him rule the country for the next five years. She further pointed out that it was the first time a Communist government was democratically elected to power anywhere in the world; and she emphasized, “a unique event.” She added; the great poet Shri. Changampuzha Krishna Pillai has written in his poem, “Vazhakula” about his unhappiness throwing embers in these lines: -

“Ethinokke Pariharam Cheyyathatangumo

  Pathithare Ningal Than Pinmurakkar. ”

The poet console the lower castes in the caste ridden society by saying, “Their descendants would expiate the oppression meted out to them” by the upper castes.

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

josephjthayamkeril@google.com

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com