The Liberation Struggle (1958-59) (Vimocana Samaram) is an anti-Communist socio-political agitation started in 1958 against the first elected government in Kerala state, India under Communist Chief Minister E. M. S. Namboodiripad. It was organized primarily by the Catholic Church in Kerala (the Syro Malabar Catholic Church and the Latin Catholic Church), along with the Nair Service Society (under the leadership of Mannathu Padmanabhan), the Indian Union Muslim League and the Indian National Congress Party.
In 1957, E. M. S. Namboodiripad led the Communists to a famous victory in the first election for the state government of Kerala. His government soon introduced the Education Bill (and the Land Reform Ordinance). This was followed by the Liberation Struggle and the government was dismissed on July 31, 1959 by the Congress ruling Central Government of India, which invoked the controversial Article 356 of Indian Constitution.
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The immediate cause of the outbreak of the Liberation Struggle was the introduction of Education Bill by the then Education Minister Joseph Mundassery. The bill had revolutionary content that could have had an impact on the administration of educational institutions financially aided by the government. Many of these institutions at that time were under the control of the Church and a few under the Nair Service Society (NSS). The Education Bill claimed to regulate appointments and working conditions of teachers in government aided schools. Salaries of teachers were to be paid directly through the government treasury. There was a provision for takeover of the management of educational institutions financially aided by the government if the changes in the new bill were not implemented by the management of the aided institution and the non-fulfillment of certain conditions.
The NSS was not happy with the Land Reforms Bill either, because it might adversely affect the land owners, many of whom belonged to the Nair community.
Besides the socio-religious organizations, all the major opposition parties including Indian National Congress, Praja Socialist Party (PSP), Muslim League, Revolutionary Socialist Party, and Kerala Socialist Party rallied together demanding the dismissal of the EMS ministry. The active participation of the leaders like Kumbalathu Sanku Pillai, Mathai Manjooran, Fr. Joseph Vadakkan, B. Wellington, P. T. Chacko, Pullolil, N. Sreekantan Nair, R. Sankar, C. H. Muhammed Koya, and Bafaqi Thangal further increased the momentum of the movement.
Following the Angamaly Firing, the Catholic Church actively participated in the struggle mobilizing massive support. For the Church, it required huge investments to acquire the land, construct the buildings and cultivate the scholastic environment for the educational institutions; often, the Church gathered the capital for these investments by weekly collections and donations from the members. Even the poorest of the poor set aside a handful of rice each time they prepare a meal and contributed it on a weekly basis, called pidiyari. The Church alleged that it was on these assets that the atheist government set its eyes. This issue infuriated the Christians.
Altogether, people resented the day-to-day inteference of the local Communist Party functionaries in the societal and personal matters. This interference was termed as Cell Rule and it became a major cause for the large participation of common people in the agitation.
Massive rallies and demonstrations against the government took place throughout the state. Women and school children were in the forefront in spite of police actions. The Law and Order situation in the state was hit worst by the struggle. In places like Angamaly, Pulluvila, Vettukadu, and Cheriyathura, police resorted to firing resulting in the death of 15 people.[1] The death of a pregnant fisher woman, named Flory, by the police firing aggravated the situation.
177,850 people (including 42,745 women) were arrested and all the jails became full. 700 out of the total 894 Panchayaths, and 26 out of total 29 municipalities of Kerala passed resolutions asking the Governor to dismiss the Government. One notable feature of the movement was massive participation of school and college students supporting the movement; the Kerala Students Union also played a role.
The immediate effect of the Vimochana Samaram was the dismissal of the Communist government under E. M. S. on 31 July 1959 and imposition of the President's rule in the state under Article 356 of the constitution.
Soon after the dismissal, a state election was declared and the United Front, led by Indian National Congress, won with a clear majority, a ministry under Pattom A. Thanu Pillai took office.
Supporters of the Vimochana Samaram claim it was a great people's movement that largely enhanced the vibrant democratic system of Kerala. They refer to the stagnation of development in West Bengal which was ruled for three decades by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) . The struggle showed that the Communist Party could be challenged by people's movements. Eventually, the communist parties had to change their tactics in dealing with the problems of the people. They became apologetic for Stalinist policies. Time and again, they had to declare (with doubtful credibility) that the religious sentiments of the people would be taken care of.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) projects Vimochana Samaram as a conspiracy. Some of the key criticism were that it was an anti-democratic, CIA funded, communal movement aimed to shatter the first democratically elected communist ministry. It is further accused that the Indian National Congress had joined hands in public with anti-democratic splinters and communal forces for the downfall of a democratically-elected government.
The interest of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the struggle is depicted in the work of Daniel Patrick Moynihan, United States' ambassador to India (1973–75) in his 1978 book - A Dangerous Place - ISBN 0316586994. His statements are corroborated by Howard Schaffer, the biographer of Ellsworth Bunker, who was the US ambassador during 1956-61. Bunker is quoted confirming American and his involvement in funding the agitation against the EMS's communist government to prevent "additional Keralas".[2]