Statement on role of Variankunnath in Kerala history
Pirate Praveen
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There was a discussion on our matrix group (#piratesin:diasp.in) on this topic and some points that came up needs to be shared more widely.
This interview[1] of historian and writer Manu S Pillai covers various aspects of the controversy.
"The problem lies in simple categories like this: did the rebellion begin as part of a chapter in the freedom struggle? Yes it did. Did it go beyond that into matters of class struggle between the peasantry and landlordism? Yes it did. Did it become religious, with a display of fanaticism? This too is true. Students of history learn to negotiate these diverse and sometimes seemingly contradictory impulses manifesting alongside a single event; politicians, though, tend to reduce things into one, politically marketable commodity. The right wing will sell this as a “genocide” of Hindus, while others make it all about fighting feudalism. The truth, however, has many faces."
The history has plenty of violence from powerful, religious and other ideologies. We need to challenge motivations of people trying to dig up dirt selectively.
We don't need to avenge those crimes, the perpetrators are long dead, no one in current generation is responsible for what happened before we are even born. But we need to isolate those who want to use these incidents to target minorities and consolidate power.