Communist Party of India memorandum on Kerala — "Relations with Government (Kerala)"

                RELATIONS WITH GOVERNMENT (KERALA)

        Before August 9. Some of our leaders were released, warrants against some were withdrawn, but some of our best agitators and propagandists (Coms. A.K.Gopalan, Chandroth, Kunhiraman Nair, K.Damodaran, K.P.Gopalan, [initial illegible].P.Gopalan) were either in jail or underground. All the comrades convicted in the two Sept. 15 cases (Morazha and Mattanur) and the Kayyur comrades were still in jail or underground. The Government refused to lift the ban on the All-Malabar Peasants' Union and its branches which had [been] imposed in April, 1941. Students and teachers carrying on anti-Jap propaganda were threatened by officials of the Education Department; some were actually dismissed. The District Magistrate was taking too long a time to give us facilities for bringing out our weekly papers [struck-over word] although such facilities were given in other provinces.

        ARRESTS SINCE AUGUST 9. In Kurumbranad and Kasaragod Taluks, our comrades were arrested for sabotage - a patently absurd and untenable charge. In Kurumbranad, one was arrested for nuisance.

        In Walluvanad, our Taluk Secretary was arrested.

        In the same Taluk, a group of anti-Jap volunteers, doing anti-sabotage and unity propaganda work, were beaten up by a police party. One comrade was arrested at Ottapalam for nuisance.

        In Ponnani Taluk, 5 comrades doing anti-profiteering and anti-looting propaganda were charged with "preaching No-tax campaign".

        In Palghat, comrades undergoing ARP training were arrested and after some time released.

        M.S.P. The Malabar Special Police was sent to Kasargode, Chirakkal and Kurumbranad Taluks. They raided Peasants' Union offices, beat up our comrades, threatened peasants who gave contributions to our Party Fund.

        SEC. 144. Orders under Sec. 144 have been promulgated in S.Canara Dt. where we are not able to hold public meetings or organise processions. This was done while a jatha was going about the whole Taluk preaching the message of anti-sabotage and national unity. The jatha had to disperse in the middle.

        ACTION AGAINST STUDENTS. Communist students have been victims of educational authorities. Action has been taken against communist student leaders like Govindan-Kutty at Kumaramelloor (Ponnani Taluk), C.M.S.Namboodiripad, Palghat.

        REASONS FOR THIS. Officials who are hostile to[wards] us are of 3 types.

        1. Those who are definitely pro-Jap. To this class belongs K.Govinda Menon, C.I.D. Circle Inspector, Calicut, and P.T.Krishna Menon, Police Circle Inspector, Tellicherry. They have cordial relations with Fifth Column; they belive that the Japs are going to win.

        2. Those who are not pro-Jap but do not want us to grow strong if they can help it. To this class belongs the Collector and a majority of the subordinate officials.

        3. Those who are against us because we expose their corruption and mobilise the people against them.

        The tactics of the first class is not to arrest us but to help the Fifth Column in beating us up, raid our offices, [struck-over word] create disturbances at our meetings, etc.

        The tactics of the second class is to minimise the civil liberties we enjoy as much as they can, but not to arrest us.

        It is the third class which has been responsible for most [of] the arrests.

        [PRESS.] The Collector has not taken any action against our Press. He seems to be tolerant towards it. But many presses refuse to print translations of matter published in "People's War" saying that it will land them into trouble. The reason for this seems to be that certain subordinate police officers go to these press owners and threaten them.