Murder of ‘Harlots’ ( Oct 10, 1921 )

Iyyalliath Umma and Kunhatunni were sisters who lived with their mother Ittachitti at Karyavattom. On 10^th October 1921, about 100 armed rebels led by Chembrasseri Thangal, who was dressed in a black coat, came to the house of these women. Graves were dug in front of their house. The mother and Kunhattunni were brought out and beheaded and their ears were cut off in order to remove their ear rings. There were a large number of witnesses including the surviving sister. As per the the judgments in cases No 143A of 1922 ( On 21^st Nov 1922 ) and case number 142 of 1922 ( On 22^nd Dec 1922 ) the accused were sentenced to death. The motive for the crime was that - as per Khilafat rule, immoral women deserved to be beheaded.

The Rape of Nannambra ( Nov 14, 1921 )

Nannambra is 3 kilometers east of Tanur and the  Puzhikal house there was  headed by Narayanan Nair. This 65 year old Kaaranavar was reluctant to leave his Nalukettu and fertile land and he chose to stay on with his three children. His wife house was 1 km away. On the night of November 14, the rebels attacked Puzhikal house and the house of their relative Kodinji amsam adhigari of Vetiyam house Kunjunni Nair. The adhigari’s brother Sekharan Nair and younger brother Krishnan Nair were slashed, the former recovered at Tirur hospital and the latter succumbed to his injuries. The adhigari rushed to Puzhikal when he heard screams and after 2 hours Saw Narayanan Nair and his younger 14 year old son Gopalan escaping. There rebels led by Abdullah Kutti with the connivance of the Mappila watchmen of Puzhikal house committed the atrocities there.

            The twenty women of the house were attacked and then shut in, the whole house plundered, five nephews and elder son were killed. In all, nine occupants were seized and brought to a nearby rock where they were hacked. Five died on the spot, two lingered for a few more hours. Two grievously wounded were left in a pool of blood. The 18 years old younger daughter was taken away by the Mappila watchman of the house. The watchman had taken an active part in the atrocities. A boy, Madhavan Nair, was killed and thrown into a well. Narayanan Nair managed to escape. 

            The abducted girl was taken by the Mappilas to Kaprat house with their loot and accompanied by Kodinji Pallikal Pukoya Thangal. They spent a day there and then went to Cherur. There the Thangal converted the girl, gave silk Mappila dress and as per paper reports was married off to him. But the girl was shifted to various places with different people accompanied by guards. The Thangal surrendered on 23^rd December 1921 to Sub Inspector (later Circle Inspector) Rao Sahib A.C. Govindhan Nambiar. The same day at 1 p.m, on receiving information that Abdullah Kutty, Kunhalavi and 4 others were hiding in Abid Haji’s house in Valiyora Amsam, he informed ‘E’ Company MSP headed by Mr.Chrsley who surrounded the house and on being fired returned fire. Kunhalavi and Abdhulla Kutti, the former with a sword and the latter with a gun and sword were shot as were 5 others. Except the 2 leaders, others were not identified, one being a boy.

On persuasion in police custody, the Tangal said the girl was in Tirurangadi and on 25^th December 1921 sub Inspector Govindan Nambiar succeeded in recovering the girl after a detention of 6 weeks and after suffering indescribable indignities.

            This case (No, 116 and 116 A of 1922) was tried by the special Judge who remarked “to my mind this murderous attacks indicate something more than mere fanaticism or lust for looting. There is no evidence that the murders were committed because the murdered persons refused to embrace Islam, or resisted the rebels, or refused to show property. The rebels seem to have meant to kill every male in the place whom they could catch hold of, and the only survivors were those who either got away or were left as dead. The abduction of a young girl and a boy shows the deliberate ferocity of the attack”. 5 of the accused were hanged and 5 transported for life.

            Much of the looted property from the house Nannambra adhigari was recovered from a well in Kadapuzhanji house in Kannamangalam 9 miles away from where Abdullah Kutti lived for some time.

            Some of the Mappila watchmen had turned traitors but others had resisted.

-       K Madhavan Nair, P 239