Malappuram district and Angadipuram Thali temple – An anecdote of hypocrisy

The Kerala State, formed on 01 November 1956, came into the radar of the global political observers by electing the first Communist government in 1957. However, the Communist government under the leadership of E M S Namboodiripad did not last long, and it took long years and various coalition permutations and combinations for the state to settle in with stable political coalition formations. It is imperative to note the impact of the opportunistic politics and anti-Hindu attitude of the Communists in the socio-political future of Kerala’s Hindu community. One such event was their unconditional support for the creation of a Muslim majority district of Malappuram while simultaneously unleashing police brutality against Hindus who wanted to rebuild a temple. 

The incursions of the Mysorean troops led by Hyder Ali and his son Tipu sultan transmuted the dharmic nature of Kerala, weakening it both economically and spiritually. A century later, the plague of Mohammedan barbarity struck the land again in the name of Khilafat Movement- Moplah riots – which changed the socio-political landscape dramatically. Historians have noted several sporadic outbreaks of communal violence in Malappuram area during the British rule – even during the 19th century. Sreedhara Menon says that twenty-two such riots were reported from 1836 through 1856. A characteristic feature of such disturbances was that a crowd of Moplahs would murder Hindu landlords as well as normal Hindus and defile their temple. British administration tried to appease the rioters by giving tax reforms and even turning the other way when the Moplahs illegally occupied Hindu owned lands after destroying ownership documents, but it did not stop the very violent riots which followed the Khilafat agitation in 1921. Rampant desecration of temples and cow-slaughter in temple premises took place across Malappuram. The Moplahs hung entrails and skulls as garlands around the murtis of Hindu gods. The Hindus of Malabar still bear the wounds of that savagery deep in their hearts.

Despite leading to the partition of India through their creation of Pakistan, the Muslim league continued to work in independent India under the name Indian Union Muslim League. The Muslim League turned out to be active and very influential in the Muslim majority areas of Malabar, which were still bearing the wounds of the massacre of Hindus conducted by the Moplah Muslims. They played their cards well in the significant political events that took place in the newly formed Kerala state. The Communist response to the Muslim League joining the ‘liberation struggle’ which toppled the first ministry of Kerala, was to create an alternative Muslim party named ‘Progressive Muslim league’ and field their own candidates in the next election – only to fail terribly. However, in a decade, the Communist party and Muslim League allied in a new experiment in coalition politics and formed a government under the chief ministership of E.M.S. Namboothiripad after the 1967 elections. The coalition was called Sapthakakshi Munnani (an alliance of seven parties). Thus, Muslim league members became ministers in Kerala: CH Mohammad Koya (Education) and M.P.M. Ahmed Kurikkal (Panchayat, Fisheries). 

In the meantime, a strong movement was gaining momentum among the Muslim community for carving out a Muslim majority district comprising the Eranad, Valluvanad talukas (these were the hotspots of Islamist savagery in 1921 Mappila riots) citing ‘economic backwardness’. The demand for a new Muslim district was first proposed in the Legislative Assembly in 1960 by the Muslim League M.L.A. from Mankada, P. Abdul Majeed. The resolution for Malappuram district declared by the Muslim League, during their state conference at Calicut in 1968 strengthened the demand. The very idea of having a Muslim dominated district raised eyebrows among concerned nationalists who were still in the shock of India’s partition through creation of an Islamic Pakistan. Heated arguments and nationwide agitations followed. The Jan Sangh and the Congress party vehemently opposed the move while the Communist party stood firmly with the League as a reward for its political support in forming the E.M.S. Ministry in 1967. The protests asked if the new district was really ‘Malappuram or Mappilastan?’ and described the district as ‘the illegitimate child of the Two-Nation theory.’  Come what may, the Kerala government officially created the new district of Malappuram on 16 June 1969.

Kerala Gandhi, Shri K Kelappan, was the leader of these agitations. Various state congress leaders and national leaders of Jansangh joined him in the satyagraha against the making of the new district. On 17 June in Palghat, he said that this act aimed at forced religious conversions. His words – “From the coastline of Malappuram, many Muslim fishermen are already engaged in trade with Pakistanis while the Police are helpless. Creation of a Muslim dominated district shall encourage the trend. Though the officials are Hindus for the time being, soon the posts will be taken by the Mappilas”. How farsighted he was in identifying the real security danger!!

It was the same time when the E.M.S. led coalition government denied the just request of Hindus led by Kelappaji for allowing the reconstruction of the Angadippuram Thali Mahadeva temple in Perinthalmanna near Malappuram. The renovation activities of Angadipuram Thali temple in 1968 commenced a massive re-consecration drive in Malabar. Kelappaji himself once confessed that this was the most complex struggle he had ever partaken. Both the Muslim community and the government under the Communists – who repealed the British ban on mosque building in Malappuram post-Moplah riots – opposed the Hindu Temple restoration pursuit.

All these years, the Shivalinga of the Thali temple was lying on the streets. Kelappaji requested the government under Chief Minister E.M.S. Namboothiripad to let them build the temple on the land where the holy Linga remained. But E.M.S. denied the request and asked to take the Shivalinga somewhere else. The government even fenced that land, declaring it as an Archaeological site, and restricted entry to the public. The disillusioned public, including women-led by Srimati Yashoda Madhavan, broke into the temple land chanting Namah Shivaya. The lathi-charge by the Police injured many people. Although the government tried to persuade Kelappaji to stop the agitation, he emphatically declared that there would not be any negotiation or compromise without the land. Knowing Kelappaji’s perseverance, E.M.S. had to relent and he finally granted the land for temple construction. 

This event is one of the historic moments of modern Kerala, but we hardly learn about it from any mainstream discussions. Mothers started a mass campaign ‘Pidiyari Prasthanam’ (a Fistful of Rice movement) to fund the temple construction activities. Chinmayanada Swami also donated Seventeen Thousand rupees. Before the completion of the temple work, Kelappaji left our world on 07 October 1971. Still, Angadipuram Thali Mahadeva Kshetra stands tall near Perinthalmanna as a testimony of Hindu resilience.

There is a mosque dedicated to E.M.S. Nambudiripad in Pulamanthole near Perinthalmanna as he repealed a British law that regulated construction of mosques in Malabar after the gruesome jihadi Hindu genocide of 1921. The foundation stone of the masjid was laid by E.M.S. himself. After the 1921 Malabar rebellion, the British had made it mandatory to have government sanction for constructing mosques to prevent Khilafat like mass murders and jihadi riots – since mosques were used for gathering of rioters and as storehouse of weapons. The Communists are proud to be of help to the Moplahs. They used their negationist skills to paint the violent murderers of Hindus in 1921 Moplah riots as ‘victims’, while their CM E.M.S. used brutal police force to prevent K Kelappan from rebuilding the Angadipuram Thali Mahadeva temple.

Kelappaji’s agitation to reconstruct the Angadipuram temple exposed the hypocrisy of Communists who were trying to appease the League for power. It highlighted the brunt which the Hindus of Malabar would face in a new Muslim majority district as seen from an article published in Swarajyamag dated 07 December 1968. Despite Kelappaji’s struggle to counter the undue dominance of Muslims in Malabar, the Communist government created the Muslim majority Malappuram district while attacking the Hindus who wanted to rebuild the Angadippuram temple, thus kickstarting a massive temple reconstruction drive across Malabar. 

However, present-day Kerala stands as a strong testimony for Kelappaji’s prophetic vision as Muslims dominate the politics and administration of Malabar utilising their demographic majority in Malappuram district. We see political parties appeasing the Muslim community by turning a blind eye towards the extremist terror activities of their radical organisations like Popular Front of India despite regular warnings from Intelligence agencies. The attempts by the local Hindu community to survive despite the absolute dominance of Islamic elements become futile due to the political patronage enjoyed by the radical outfits as well as the Gulf-based business houses owned by Moplahs. Hence, Hindus need to understand the importance of demographic advantage and functioning of political parties as well as their fight for survival in India to ensure that they continue to have a place to live in this world.

(Feature Image Source: Onmanorama)