Angamaly police firing
The Angamaly Firing was an incident that took place in Angamaly, Kerala, on June 13, 1959, when police opened fire on protesters who had been demonstrating against Kerala's communist government. Seven people were killed resulting in the intensification of Vimochana Samaram, a protest against the then communist led government.
Background
In 1957, a communist government was elected in Kerala for the first time under the leadership of Shri. E. M. S. Namboodiripad. Subsequently, a revolt propagated against the government. At Angamaly, the prime centre of Christians,, the intensity of fury was broke into open violence. On 13 June, Saturday, 1959 police was forced to open fire against a violent mob which attempted to attack the police station. But, the version of "rallyists" was different, saying that the police was mindlessly opening fire on an innocent mob without any provocation. 7 people were killed in the firing.
Aftermath
On the next day - Sunday, 14 June - the dead bodies were taken to the nearby town of Kalady, accompanied by a huge crowd. The bodies of the victims were taken out in a motorcade comprising more than 300 cars and buried at the cemetery of the St. George Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church, Angamaly in a common tomb. This event enraged the people of Kerala and intensified the Vimochana Samaram.The then Ernakulam bishop Mar Joseph Parekkattil led the funeral rites.
Later addressing a massive gathering, the champions of Liberation struggle like Panampilly Govinda Menon, Wellington, and Mathai Manjooran unleashed a tirade against the EMS Ministry, which led to its downfall! Following this, the EMS government was dismissed and the state placed under President's rule, pending elections.
The Communist Party was routed in the re-election that followed.The popular slogan- “Angamali kallarayil, njangade sawdharaanakkil, aa kallarayanu kattayyam, pakaram njangal choodikkum”; had then reverberated throughout the state.
The Forane church and its cemetery had for a short period turned into a pilgrim centre of the Liberation struggle activists and became the point from where the ‘jeevasikha’ march, had been led by the legendary Mannath Padmanabhan which culminated in the expulsion of the EMS ministry.[1]
Commemoration
The fiftieth anniversary of the firing was observed with a ceremony at the St. George Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church in Angamaly on June 14, 2009. Among the attendees were survivors of the incident, some of whom had been injured or imprisoned in its aftermath. Prayers were said over the graves of the seven victims.[2]
References
- ↑ http://angamalybasilica.com/template.php?id=35&page=11&catid=75
- ↑ "Anniversary of Angamaly firing observed". The Hindu. 2009-06-14. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
