In connection with the state level meeting held in Malappuram by Hindu Aikya Vedi, a national seminar was held in Tirur. The subject was “1921- When nearing 100 years”- Political and social after effects of the Moplah rebellion” The speech made by Dr. M G S Narayanan on the occasion at Tirur Sangamam Residency on 20th March 2015 is furnished below.
“When the Calicut University was established there was a demand that its history department should conduct studies on the incidents which contributed to the social changes in the area. One of them was the Malabar rebellion of 1921. A study on the subject was initiated with the help of Srikumaran Nair, during 1974-75 when I was in the university. A teacher from London came here to study about Malabar rebellion. It was a study based on the points of view expressed by communists. E M S Nambudiripad had stated that the Malabar Rebellion was an agrarian uprising. Such an interpretation was not there either during the period of rebellion or later. It was 30 years later that Sri. E M S came with such an interpretation. I had enquired of several people, whether there were any slogans of peasants in the notices, advertisements or shoutings of the rebels during the period. Nothing of the sort was there. But he said that it was a peasant uprising, with retrospective effect. He always had a special knack for misinterpreting history. Since there were followers of the idea, he too joined them.
When we look back into history, Khilafat is an Islamic state. Its capital is Turkey. The propaganda that it was eliminated by British is, like then, still prevalent in India. The reason for it is not British alone. Britain had used force to end the rule in Turkey. It was a reign persisting from the days of the Prophet Muhammad. Initially it was based in Arabia and later in Bagdad. Then it was shifted to Turkey. Al the Islamic states of West Asia were under the control of Khilafat – Like the control of Pope over the the Christian nations in the history of Europe. Khilafat had deteriorated into a rotten, time barred ways of old Moulavis. The opposition to Khilafat had risen originally from the Muslims of Turkey themselves – under the leadership of Khasi Mustafa Kamal Pasha. A large number of educated Muslims co-operated with the British government and requested them to put an end to Khilafat. Only if the Khilafat regime ended there will be progress for the Islamic society. Accordingly it was with the help and support from Kamal Pasha and Muslim majority of Turkey that British were able to eradicate Khilafat.
When we look at the state of Indian Muslims then, particularly in Northern India, they were very poor. Though they folourished during the period of Mughals, later when the British came to power they were reduced to paupers and remained a backward society. They used to blindly follow the path through which their religious clerics led them. They never understood the international issues including the changes that took place in Turkey. Khilafat Movement in India was organized with a demand to restore the old and time barred system which was eradicated based on the consistent demand made by educated and progressive Muslims of Turkey under the leadership of Kamal Pasha.
It was during this time that Gandhiji had come back from South Africa. At that time he had no adequate exposure to international issues or even the internal conflicts of India. He was initially in England and later in South Africa. He was an outsider when he landed in India. It was his political teacher, Sri. Gopala Krishna Gokhale who advised him that before entering into Indian politics, he should find out what was India. The first thing to do for that was to take a tour of Indian villages. To learn about Indian village life he should travel for a whole year. Mahatma Gandhi followed this advice before entering into politics. His mind was preoccupied with one issue – that the Muslims follow only their religious clerics and how to bring them into the national movement. He thought it ideal to bring them to the national movement through an agitation for Khilafat. Mahatma Gandhi, then, believed that the Muslims will join Congress if the latter undertook Khilafat movement. At the material time he believed like that, though later he realized that it was wrong and confessed that it was a Himalayan Blunder.
We cannot say that the Congress had launched its freedom movement by that time. They started as a national movement only. The aim was only to raise the spirit of nationalism among Indian masses. If we look into the past history of Congress it can be seen that they were never against the British, and at one point of time supported it too. The Indian national movement was prepared to welcome British rule and accept the merits of it during the end of nineteenth century and beginning of twentieth century. Indian National Congress was formed with the help of the then Viceroy. Indian National Congress was formed with the aim of convincing the educated Indian youth the merits of British rule and involving them more in the governmental administration. It was formed in 1855. The annual meetings of Congress used to be opened with singing of British National anthem praising the British crown. The meetings ended also like that. This was changed later. The expectation was that British government will grant India independence if Indians changed themselves into the modern ways of the world and practice democracy like in Britain through English education. Till then there were no calls for freedom. In 1935 another thing happened. The Indian National congress had also criticized it then. It was about the inadequacy of share of Indians in administration. Even then, neither Mahatma Gandhi nor Congressmen had raised the demand that the British should quit India. The first time such a slogan was raised was in 1942. Till then Gandhiji had faith in the rule of law, morality and justice of British. They had a good culture. They loved Indians. Till 1942 the belief was that Indians could be familiarized with the democratic ways in a systematic manner through these reforms.
Let us see what caused the change in 1942. British had asked Indians to cooperate with them in the First World War (1914-18). They claimed that it was for the good of the world. India helped them too, to a very big extent to win the war. They had promised that Indians will be given a better share in administration after the war. But that did not materialize.
In 1939, during the time of Second World War Britain again sought India’s help to win the war. They claimed that it was a war against fascism and the world will become a democratic world after the war. This time Gandhiji demanded that the promise for granting more power in administration should be reduced to writing, keeping in view of the earlier experience of deception. The British were not prepared for that. It was then that Gandhiji first raised the slogan of “Quit India.” One should not confuse with the national movement and freedom struggle. In 1921 this change had not taken place. If Congress took up the Khilafat issue, it will prompt Indian Muslims to come closer to the national movement and with this aim Gandhiji and Ali brothers entered the scene.
Fundamentally, Congress follows the principles of nonviolence. A four Anna membership was there. To get the membership one had to take a vow of no deviation from nonviolence or Ahimsa. This was overlooked when they jumped in to the fray.
It was in 1792 that East India Company established its authority in Malabar after defeating Tipu Sultan. During the reign of Tipu, the feudal lords, landlords and prominent citizens had all deserted Malabar. They had sought refuge in Travancore. All their landed property was seized distributed by Tipu to new Muslims. When British sought help for fighting Tipu, Pazhassi Raja alone came forward with help. Pazhassi Keralavarma Raja helped British in fighting Tipu and finally Tipu was killed. Once Tipu was killed the East India Company changed their policy. They had promised that all those who had deserted Malabar during Tipu’s time will be called back and reinstated with all lost powers and status. They were offered the duty of collecting taxes for the company. Pazhassi Raja opposed it and crossed swords with the company.
When the East India Company restored the ownership of lands to the old land lords and local chieftains, retaining their supremacy over them, it created frictions with the Muslims. These were the same lands once captured by Tippu and given to the Moplahs. This friction had started from 1800 onwards between the Hindus and Muslims of Malabar. Between 1800 and 1900 several small riots took place relating to this issue.There were studies made regarding these riots. It was in 1921 that Congress decided to lead Khilafat agitation and many Muslims joined the ranks of Congress, while these disputes between Hindus and Muslims were at its peak. However there was no sign of any major catastrophe at that time. It was the then Malabar collector Mr. Thomas who played a small mischief in it. The records indicate a possibility of purposeful attempts to widen the rift between Hindus and Muslims.
The Moplahs damaged and removed the rails. Registrar’s offices were burned down. Many atrocities were performed. Mr.K.P. Kesava Menon who was the leader of Congress in Malabar reached Tirurangadi along with other Congress men and met Ali Muslayar. They made it clear that the atrocities presently being performed in the name of Khilafat is not authorized by the Congress and they should withdraw from it and the perpetrators thereof should surrender before the authorities. They warned that it was their community that was going to suffer the consequences. Though Ali Musalyar was convinced to some extent the seriousness of the issue involved, he did not withdraw from the rebellion. It soon took the form of a rebellion against Hindus.
The entire Muslim community was not fanatic. Fanatic Muslims were there, then and even now. During the period of riots several forced religious conversions too took place. It turned out to be a big bloody rebellion.
There is no meaning in calling it a Moplah rebellion. There are many Moplahs in Kozhikode and Ponnani. None of them had participated in the rebellion. The rebellion had not spread to the northern Kerala. When more than 200 Moplahs from Tirur reached Ponnani for the rebellion, it was a team under Kelappaji who dissuaded and sent them back offering Biryani, saying that they will take care of the matter in Ponnani. It will only be partly correct to call it Malabar Rebellion.
The Moplahs who did not heed to the advices of Congress had to suffer heavily the consequences thereof. The British government dealt with the rebellion in a very cruel manner. Incidents like Wagon Tragedy took place. The studies made by Dr. M Gangadharan are very relevant. But I do not subscribe to the reasons pointed out therin. It was to take political advantages that EMS and his group tried to paint the rebellion as a peasant movement contrary to facts. There were small issues between landlords and tenants. But it was not at all a peasant struggle.
Today the unity between the two communities is being lost. The national movement had suffered a setback. Mathrubhumi was started to remedy the situation.
The main hurdle for Hindu unity is its cast system. Hinduism is not a religion. It is a culture. I am afraid that unless the citadel of castism is destroyed, history may repeat.
