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New Indian Express
25-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Kannur Central Prison to get museum that echoes the past
KANNUR: As Wednesday marks the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, the walls of Kannur Central Jail quietly echo the memories of a dark chapter in the nation's history. Like many prisons across the country, the Kannur Central Prison too housed numerous individuals who were detained back then without them ever fully knowing the reasons behind their arrest. It was not uncommon for many inmates to be crammed into a single hall, enduring unbearable conditions. Political leaders, activists, and common citizens alike faced immense hardship behind bars, often struggling just to secure the most basic of facilities. A police officer with the Kannur Central Prison and Correction Home said that 385 people were imprisoned during the Emergency, declared in 1975, and released in 1977. Now, the prison authorities are in the process of establishing a museum that will showcase artefacts and information related to significant historical moments, including the Emergency period, the Malabar Rebellion, and other notable events connected to the history of the Kannur Central Prison. 'We are planning to open it as early as possible,' an officer said. Among the prominent leaders imprisoned were Pinarayi Vijayan, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, A Kanaran, V V Dakshinamoorthy, C Kannan, E K Nayanar, Pattiam Gopalan, M V Raghavan, and M P Veerendrakumar. In addition to them, naxalites such as Civic Chandran and Mandakini Narayanan were also detained. People from Kannur and Kasaragod districts were detained in the Kannur Central Prison at the time. The current Kerala chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, was jailed there while he was serving as the Kuthuparamba MLA. He had written to the special secretary with the home department, on November 9, 1976, demanding parole. Govinda Varma Raja, 69, from Payyanur, was imprisoned at the age of 18 while he was a student at the Payyanur College for participating in a protest held on the campus against the Emergency. He was moved to the central prison after staging a protest at a sub-jail in Kasaragod.
The Hindu
02-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Pinarayi embodies betrayal, Venugopal fires back
Congress national general secretary K.C. Venugopal has lashed out at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for the betrayal remarks he made at Nilambur on Sunday. Inaugurating a United Democratic Front (UDF) convention as part of UDF candidate Aryadan Shoukath's electioneering at Nilambur on Monday, Mr. Venugopal said that Mr. Vijayan embodied betrayal. Referencing the 1921 Malabar Rebellion and its hero Variyankunnath Kunhahamed Haji, the Chief Minister had said that Nilambur was home to both heroes and those who betrayed them. He said that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) too had faced betrayal in Nilambur, specifically referencing the resignation of former independent MLA P.V. Anvar, which has led to the June 19 byelection. Slamming the Chief Minister, Mr. Venugopal said that it was good that Mr. Vijayan spoke about betrayal in Nilambur. 'It was the Chief Minister who betrayed and insulted the people of Malappuram by portraying them as gold smugglers and extremists. Kerala will not forget that betrayal,' he said. Mr. Venugopal also took a dig at the Chief Minister for attacking Syed Sadikali Shihab Thangal of Panakkad. 'The Chief Minister faced accusations of betrayal from his own ex-Cabinet Minister, who claimed that the government helped to sabotage Thrissur Pooram to aid the BJP's Lok Sabha victory in Thrissur,' said Mr. Venugopal. He said that the Nilambur byelection was a consequence of the Pinarayi Vijayan government's failures and unpopular decisions. He also criticised Mr. Vijayan for not visiting Kooriyad, where the National Highway-66 collapsed. 'Is it not such a big matter? Startling revelations have been made about the national highway before the Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) by Transport Secretary and National Highways Authority of India chairman.' 'The Chief Minister never asked for the NHAI authorities to visit the collapsed highway. The NHAI Chairman is now on a historic visit to examine the highway because PAC asked,' he said. 'Mr. Pinarayi, the perfumes of Arabia are powerless to erase the guilt that clings to your hands,' Mr. Venugopal quoted, drawing from Shakespeare's Macbeth. The convention saw a strong turnout of UDF leaders from across the State. Among them were Adoor Prakash, Sunny Joseph, V.D. Satheesan, P.K. Kunhalikutty, N.K. Premachandran, A.P. Anil Kumar, M.M. Hassan, P.V. Abdul Wahab, Shibu Baby John, M.K. Muneer, Kodikkunnil Suresh, Benny Behanan, K.C. Joseph, K.P.A. Majeed, Abdussamad Samadani, V.S. Joy, P.K. Basheer, P.T. Ajay Mohan, Shanimol Usman, Shafi Parambil, C.P. John, Anoop Jacob, Rajan Babu, Mons Joseph, P.M.A. Salam and P. Abdul Hameed. Deepadas Munshi also attended the convention.
