Edappally, in the course of time, has seen a demographic shift; socio-political-cultural signposts have also shifted. Edappally is now a burgeoning borough on the fast track to development but still retains an old-world charm and vestiges of rich history.
The small, old, worn-out building, with a sloping tiled roof on Church Road, a narrow lane that joins the main road near the St. George’s Church, now houses the offices of the Assistant Commissioner of Police Crime Detachment and Narcotic Cell, Kochi City. Not long ago this was the Edappally Police Station, where, in 1950, an impulsive Communist attack left two policemen dead, sparked off brutal police action and led people to the Communist fold.
“The attack on the police station happened on the night of February 28, 1950. Before one discusses the action an understanding of the political and social conditions of the times is imperative. The Communist Party in Kerala was banned and its leaders were in hiding. At the Calcutta Party Congress in 1948, B.T. Ranadive, the General Secretary, came out with the Left-Sectarianism thesis, which was an extreme Left line. It was during this time that an all-India strike by the railway workers was announced and the Communist Party urged its members to support the call. Meetings were held in secrecy and the police was on constant vigil,” says Ravi Kuttikad, journalist and local historian.
Two ‘comrades,’ N.K. Madhavan and Varadutty were arrested by the police in what they claimed ‘suspicious circumstances,’ and were put behind bars at the Edappally Police Station.
“What many people do not know is that police atrocities against the Communists started even before the police station attack. Many of our comrades were picked up, arrested, put into country boats and beaten black and blue. The truth is that the attack was not planned. We had a meeting at Ponnekkara to discuss the railway workers strike. That was when Madhavan and Varadutty were arrested. The meeting was chaired by K.C. Mathew and even before I, along with a few other members, reached the meeting a decision had been taken to attack the police station and set free the two comrades. It was a very impulsive decision without gauging our strength and that of the police,” remembers M.M. Lawrence, one of the Communists who took part in the action, was arrested and an accused in the case.
The telephone connection to the police station was severed. A group of armed party workers stormed the station. “There were around 30 in the group that included among others V. Viswanathan Menon who later went on to become State Minister and Member of Parliament, M.M. Lawrence, K.C. Mathew and A.V. Joseph. Interestingly, some of them did not even know each other. K.U. Das, who served the army, had a gun with him, and is supposed to have led the group. The plan was to forcibly take the keys from the police and release the two comrades. That night the policeman who was in charge of the keys, Gangadharan Pillai, had just gone home, perhaps to use the toilet. Finding more policemen than expected and the keys missing, a scuffle broke out. In the darkness and confusion two policemen, K.J. Mathew and Velayudhan, were wounded. They later succumbed to the injuries. Hearing a loud noise from outside the comrades thought that additional police force had arrived. They panicked and fled the scene unable to release Madhavan and Varadutty,” states Ravi Kuttikad.
What followed was, as N.S. Madhavan writes about the Edappally Police Station attack in his Litanies of Dutch Battery , “the police went on a rampage and beat the crap out of everyone in sight.” The Communists went into hiding and no one with a semblance of association with the party was spared. “The police raided homes, bashed up men and women, arrested anyone they thought had some party affiliation. Edappally and the surrounding areas were at the mercy of the police. There were CIDs deployed to hound us out as we had gone into hiding,” reminisces Lawrence.
N.S. Madhavan quotes in his book, “The police carried out several raids looking for him (M.M. Lawrence), but ended up beating everyone.” Even Lawrence’s father was not spared. This went on for months even as the police began to arrest most of the Communists behind the attack.
“We were done in by informers whom we trusted, whom we entrusted to pass on messages to our families and the Party. I was arrested a month after the incident. Stepping out of the boat at the Ernakulam boat jetty I walked along the Canon Shed Road when I noticed tall, hefty men, whom I had not seen in this area before. I had my suspicion but walked to the narrow corridor between the Maharaja’s College hostel extension and the Unniyattil building, behind Maruti Lodge, to meet K.C. Mathew. Mathew was not there and as I decided to walk away I was arrested. They thought I was Mathew, I resisted saying that I was Gopi, but a CID officer identified me,” says Lawrence.
Viswanatha Menon was arrested from Delhi; K.U. Das was tortured to death. “He (K.U. Das) was in the army and knew how to dodge the police. Finally, someone lit him a beedi to smoke. It was the kiss of Judas. The cops who were waiting for the signal arrested Das immediately. They tortured him and denied him even a drop of water as he died,” writes N.S. Madhavan in the book.
Mathew and Lawrence were beaten mercilessly as they were moved by the police from lock-ups in Ernakulam, Perumbavoor and Aluva. “We staged a hunger strike inside prison putting forth certain demands. This added to the fury of the police. The strike went on for 16 days and the doctor declared that we were on the verge of death. We were force fed. Finally, a magistrate came and recorded our statements. He asked the police to meet our demands,” says Lawrence.
Court cases were filed against the comrades. The cases were heard by Justice Anna Chandy, the first women judge in India and also the first to become a High Court judge. The majority of those accused were released, while ten of them were sentenced to imprisonment. When the first Communist ministry in Kerala came into being they were released.
The Edappally Police Station attack has found mention in numerous historical records, biographies, autobiographies of Communist leaders and passing mention in novels and works of fiction.
“The direct consequence of the incident was that it helped draw the middle class towards the Communist Party. It was the middle class families, irrespective of caste and religion that faced the brunt of police atrocities. It must be said that though the Party did not actually approve of the action it was hugely responsible in strengthening the Party in Edappally and in Ernakulam district,” winds up Ravi Kuttikad.
Published - March 27, 2015 07:50 pm IST
