Vijayan, minister-designates pay floral tribute at martyrs column

Alappuzha (Ker): Ahead of the swearing- in of the LDF government, Kerala Chief Minister designate Pinarayi Vijayan and minister-designates on Thursday paid tributes to the martyrs of Punnapra-Vayalar uprising, a working class movement occurred here during 1940s.

Vijayan first visited the memorial at Vayalar here and placed a wreath at the martyrs column amidst slogans raised by party workers.

Later, other minister-designates, Speaker designate M B Rajesh and LDF convenor A Vijayaraghavan also paid floral tributes there.

They also visited the memorial at Valiyachudukadu, a burial ground in this coastal district where the martyrs were laid to rest and paid homage before proceeding to Thiruvananthapuram for the swearing-in ceremony.

In view of the COVID-19 situation, only very few leaders and party workers were permitted at the martyrs column and its premises in the morning.

It has been an years-long practice for the Communist ministers to pay floral tribute at the martyrs” column here before the swearing in of the Left government.

The swearing-in ceremony willbe held at the central stadium here at 3.30 PM in adherence with COVID protocols.

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the government to restrict the number of participants in the ceremony to prevent the spread of the pandemic.

The memorials were built in memory of Communists killed during their uprising against the ”misrule” of Sir C P Ramaswami Iyer, the prime minister of erstwhile Princely state of Travancore in 1946.

The movement, started under the leadership of undivided Communist Party of India (CPI), is named after two of the places involved–Punnapra and Vayalar–two villages in Alappuzha district.

According to the Left party, hundreds of its workers were massacred by the royal force with the support of the British rulers at Punnapra Vayalar.