Chapter from the history of kalliasseri - two articles by renowned journalist P Sainath
Two events that sparked off change in Kalliasseri stand out in his mind. One was Gandhi's visit to Mangalore in the early 1920s. Many, including schoolchildren, journeyed there to hear him. "We were all with the Congress then," says Rayarappan.
Two events that sparked off change in Kalliasseri stand out in his mind. One was Gandhi's visit to Mangalore in the early 1920s. Many, including schoolchildren, journeyed there to hear him. "We were all with the Congress then," says Rayarappan.
The other was "the thrashing of Sumukan, a little Dalit boy who sought admission to our board school. Upper caste elements beat him and his brother for daring to come to the school."
Caste oppression was closely linked to the control of resources. Mainly land. Kalliasseri was the bastion of janmi terror in the Chirakkal taluk of Malabar district. In 1928, upper caste Nairs controlled close to 72 per cent of the land. Thiyyas and other backward communities made up 60 per cent of the population, but owned just 6.55 per cent. Yet here, the drive for land reform, extending right into the 1960s, was to succeed.
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