VS to rest at Valiyachudukadu, the top committee of martyrs

VS Achuthanandan was merely 23 when the then-Prime Minister (Diwan) of the princely state of Travancore, Sir C P Ramaswamy Iyer's police opened fire at the Punnapra-Vayalar comrades in October 1946. Several comrades fell to the bullets, but VS escaped death.

Those who died in the uprising were cremated at Valiyachudukadu in Alappuzha. For VS, the place was a land of inspiration, the land where his comrades, who fought shoulder-to-shoulder, had gone to eternal sleep. As long as he could move on his own, VS used to visit the place on Punnapra-Vayalar anniversary and raise his clenched fist in salutation. Other communist leaders also still visit the place.

VS is returning once again to Valiyachudukadu, where he will rest in peace with his dear comrades, who fuelled the growth of communism in Kerala.

The communist iconoclast's life carried the spirit of Punnapra-Vayalar. He always desired to return eternally to Valiyachudukadu. The Velikkakathu house was his address; now he also belongs to Valiyachudukadu.

Three ‘Thulams’ without VS

VS's routine was strict. On the 9th of the Malayalam month of Thulam, you could find him in Alappuzha. Although October 26 is the Punnapra-Vayalar anniversary, old Alappuzha comrades observe it according to the Malayalam calendar. They gather on Thulam 10, grief written large on their faces, gradually giving way to revolutionary enthusiasm and spirit.

The evening of the 9th of Thulam is the anniversary of the Mararikulam police firing. VS, after attending the anniversary, used to return to his residence and, the next morning, offer homage to the fallen comrades at the martyr column. A torch is then lit, which is handed over to the athletes. Meanwhile, torches from memorials at Menassery and Othala, too, would have reached. A public meeting follows, in which VS used to be the main speaker. In due course, other speakers, too, took centre stage.

VS used to attend the meeting at Punnapra on the 21st. The torch will travel to Vayalar from Valiyachudukadu, and it will be felicitated throughout the route. Once the torch leaves Valiyachudukadu, he used to return home for food before visiting the residence of old comrades, who had worked with him during the uprising, and died like heroes, recalled CPI(M) leader T K Devakumar. After the visits, VS would attend the public meeting at the Vayalar memorial.

VS never changed this annual routine until he fell ill three years ago. Afterwards, G Sudhakaran took up the role of handing over the torch, which he has continued for the past three years.

There was a debate over the place that should be converted to a memorial: Punnapra or Valiyachudukadu? There is a reason for the debate. When such a debate came up, VS named Punnapra.

Achuthanandan played a bigger role in converting Punnapra, Vayalar, and Valiuyachudukadu — places that energised the growth of the Communist movement in Kerala — into memorials. Along with him, P K Chananandan, who spearheaded the attack on the Punnapra police station, was instrumental in converting the places into memorials.

Valiyachudukadu is located next to the National Highway in the heart of Alappuzha. Earlier, it was spread over 5.5 acres and included three ponds.

The land originally belonged to a wealthy Muslim family, which handed it over to the municipality in 1924 to develop a public crematorium. About 20 people who died of plague were cremated at the Valiyachudukadu, which later grabbed attention during the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising. Those killed in the Punnapra firing were cremated here, while those who fell to bullets in Vayalar were cremated there.

Memorial at Punnapra

Now, there are memorials at Punnapra, Vayalar, Menassery, and Maririkulam, where police had opened fire. The Left government tried to construct memorials in 1957. Both CPI and CPI(M) own properties in Punnapra and Vayalar. The decision to construct a memorial at Valiyachudukadu was made in 2017. However, V.S. argued that priority must be given to upgrading the memorial at Punnapra.

There was a reason for his argument. The party had only 10 cents in Punnapra, where the police had opened fire, and it was landlocked without a path. The place could not hold a large number of party workers. V.S. argued for buying 40 more cents. The party accepted his argument.

VS's residence is between Punnapra and Valiyachudukadu.

Communists, especially V.S., do not believe in life after death. V.S. himself had given the reason. Despite praying to the gods, he lost his mother to smallpox when he was a child. Soon after, his father, too, died.

Valiyachudukadu is not for all communists. The party has specific rules for allotting space at Valiyachudukadu, where martyrs rest eternally. Only top leaders and Punnapra revolutionaries are allotted space here. Though ideological differences had split the communist party in 1964, both CPI and CPI(M) stood united in the case of Valiyachudukadu.

For communists in southern Kerala, Valiyachudukadu is as sacred as Payyambalam is for comrades in the Malabar region.

Committee of martyrs

Those leaders cremated at Valiyachudukadu include tall leaders like P. Krishna Pillai, former leader R. Sugathan, former minister and party leader T.V. Thomas, leader George Chadayamuri, Punnapra revolutionary P.K. Chandranandan, M.P. Chandrasenan, and K.R. Gouriamma.

The last leader to be cremated at Valiyachudukadu was Gouriamma, who had left the party due to ideological differences and rejoined it. The Alappuzha district committees of CPI and CPI(M) decide on cremating leaders at Valiyachudukadu.

It is not the leaders' stature, but their work for the parties is the criterion for allotting space at Valiyachudukadu. Six years ago, Valiyachudukadu received Appukuttan, a coconut climber. It was Appukuttan's desire — which he had informed leaders including G Sudhakaran — that he should be cremated at Valiyachudukadu. He was a leader much valued by the CPI(M). Appukuttan had been jailed for 14 years for a murder that followed the split of the communist party. Sudhakaran took the lead in getting Appukuttan a space at Valiyachudukadu.

Appukuttan, Krishna Pillai, Gouriamma, and V.S. will be equals at Valiyachudukadu, which could be termed a form of socialism. However, there are only two memorials at Valiyachudukadu — one by the CPI and another by CPI(M). Despite the stature of the leader, there is no separate space for preparing the pyre. The crematorium has space only for two pyres at its southwest corner. A memorial will not be constructed for individual leaders. Nor are their pictures exhibited. The crematorium does not have keepers either.

Wood from the mango tree is used for preparing the pyre. For the communist party, Valiyachudukadu is not a crematorium. It's the top committee of martyrs. The martyrs never die. It is not the pyre that burns at Valiyachudukadu, but the flames of revolution. V.S., who once lit the torch at Valiyachudukadu, will burn as the flame for generations to come.