Some interesting anecdotes are given by K Madhavan Nair, the congress leader, on the Manjeri events of August 21.
The looters arrived in batches at Manjeri and every batch took what they could with no difference of looting landlord or servant. In fact many landlord houses including Manjeri Kovilogam were left intact.
Arukizhayi is a place in Manjeri with a large number of school masters and Lawyers. Hindus predominate. Here every single house was looted. Even known Mappilas changed their attitude. T. Narayanan Nair, a principal advocate of Manjeri ran with his wife and children and no other belongings to Madhavan Nair’s house. On hearing that his wife house where his wife and children stayed was to be looted, Madhavan Nair ran there 2 kilometers away from Manjeri Court and found a gang looting the neighboring Brahmin’s house. Madhavan Nair intervened, the gang turned on him but to his luck some Mappilas recognized him and without any further action they left the place. Large number of looters were seen by Madhavan Nair ransacking every possible Hindu house.
On the afternoon of 24th August V.K.Haji reached Manjeri crossing the field in front of Madhavan Nair’s house with a group of 25 Mappilas led by a rebel carrying a flag and the others with guns. V. K. Haji tried to control the looting in Manjeri on a request by Madhavan Nair but refused to give up his violent rebellion. On 26th August he left Manjeri on receiving news about the Pukkottur battle but he did not participate in it.
The Army column under Colonel Hebert reached Manjeri on 2nd September.
- Madhavan Nair P 150, 116, 172 / Tottenham P79
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