"Memo on Political-Practical Activities in Kerala since August 9" — opening page

        MEMO ON POLITICAL-PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES IN KERALA SINCE AUGUST 9

A) POLITICAL

        The existence of a legal Communist Party in Kerala, strong and deeply entrenched in the people, has been the decisive factor which has kept up the anti-Japanese morale of our people in spite of August 9 and all that followed. If the Communist Party had also been under ban, if we did not possess even the little liberties which to-day we are supposed to have, the face of Malabar, Cochin, and Travancore would have been entirely different. The anti-British feelings of all sections of our people ran very high with the arrest of our national leaders on August 9, and with our strong and bitter anti-imperialist [struck-over word] traditions, the entire people would have walked straight into the arms of the Jap Fifth Column. The only force which has saved the situation has been the Communist Party which to-day is the FIRST party throughout Kerala - FIRST in mass influence, FIRST in the number of cadres it can throw into the field, FIRST in organisation.

        Since August 9, we used every method of agiation and propaganda to convince the people and the patriots that neither civil disobedience nor sabotage would take us towards national freedom, sabotage would bring us only Jap slavery instead. Positively, on the other hand, we rammed home the slogan of all-in patrioitc unity of the people for national resistance against the fascist invaders and for winning National Government on the basis of Congress-League Agreement. We have been very successful in our propaganda. We used the following weapons for our agiation and propaganda, and the facts and figures attached to each item would prove the increasing success of our campaign:-

        1. "DESHABHIMANI" PAPER, OUR WEEKLY PROVINCIAL ORGAN. The first issue came out only on Sept. 6, i.e. after the national crisis, was about 1 month old. Still we started with a circulation of 2000. At present (3.1.43) we have reached a circulation of 5600. The increase in circulation is a measure of the rapid rate at which our influence is expanding among the people. Almost every issue of the paper contains propaganda against sabotage of our defences, and for national freedom through successful national defence.

        2. PAMPHLETS, LEAFLETS, HANDBILLS, ETC. Between August 9 and Novermber 1, our campaign was directed towards weaning away patriots from destruction of our defences and getting them to unite for release of Congress leaders, for National Government. During this period we brought out the following pamphlets and leaflets:-

        a) "People's War and the Kisans", by E.M.S.Namboodiripad, showing how it was the duty and in the interest of the kisans [struck-over word] to mobilise themsleves for the defence of their hearths and homes, and how it was their honourable and patriotic duty to "grow more food" for their own benefit and for the benefit of the army and the people. 428 copies of this book have been sold.

        b) "Com. Namboodiripad's Presidential Address" delivered at the Calicut rally on Sept. 6 when a province-wide campaign against sabotage and for the release of our leaders was inaugurated. 10,000 people attended the rally, 5,900 copies of the Presidential Address have been sold.

        c) "To the workers of Kerala", a handbill for free distribution among workers, in which the workers were exhorted to remain at their posts and to increase production for the sacred cause of the defence and freedom of India. 5000 copies of this handbill were distributed all over Malabar, Cochin, and Travancore in working class areas.

        d) "To the Students of Kerala", for free distribution among students. 1000 copies of this handbill were distributed.

        e) "Build Unity!", another leaflet in which the patriots [struck-over word] and the people were exhorted to unite for resistance against the Japs and for release of leaders and National Government. 985 copies of this have been sold.

        Following the Plenum Session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of India, from Novermber 1 onwards, we started our National Unity campaign in right earnest as a big propaganda drive. We inaugurated this with the National Unity Week which was a thundering success in the towns as well as in innumerable villages.