Manappan enjoys tea together with his wife Panchi at his home in Cavundikkal in Attappady.
In Attappady Kavundikkal Hamlet with 8 -year -old tribal leader Manappan is still shaking. Fifty years of 25 years have passed since its deposit, but the memories of his imprisonment remain etched in his mind and evoke a deep sense of fear.
Manappan’s arrest was a direct result of his association to communism, an ideology that put him in the threads of the authorities. He was arrested from his village along with the leader of the Bhinnan tribe, a companion in his fighting, which would eventually succumb to time.
Manappan’s voice cracked as he told his 18 -day suffering in the Palakkad district prison. The darkness of the prison cell was only aligned with the brutality of the regime and scars that still persist ten years later. “Those days were painful,” he said.
His passion for Communism set fire to the Attappady’s Tribal Land Rights Movement. His defiant singings “Inquilab Zindabad” and “Engal Bhoomi Engllukka, Aaru Vannalum Tharamatte” still echo, reminiscent of his unsuccessful spirit, although he faces repeated imprisonment.
Manappan’s eyes came on when he remembered his connection with communist devotees, such as EMS namboodiripad and Ek Nayanar, who were looking for refuge in Attrappads during their underground days. A warm smile expanded on his face, reflecting the deep respect and admiration he had for these leaders.
He now leads his life in his retirement with his wife Panchi in Cavundikkal in Attappady. “From our interactions with Manappan, we could get a lot of insight not only in the lives of tribes, but also in the social transformation that the tribal community has been testified over the years,” said T. Satyan, a former teacher at a government college, Attappads.
Manappan remembered his childhood in Attappady, where there were only two Tamil schools. He wore sand from the river bank in a bag to use as a surface of writing. The school uniform included a cap nezru and the students enjoyed noon meals under the main Minister K. Kamaráje. The unique aspect of school life was Barber’s regular visit, which had been cutting the hair of students every two months.
His life turned dramatic when Attappads were hit by landslides and cholera in the early 1960s. He left his work as a hostess guard and returned to his village to help his community. His memories of the past infested with malaria in the region were sharp. He was grateful for an Italian doctor who brought AttapPady relief by DDT spraying at the end of the 1940s.
Published – June 25, 2025 20:56
