Red Salute to the Martyrs of Cherukallayi

The Communist Party of India which played an important role in the liberation struggle of Mahe (Puducherry) which was under the rule of France, lost two precious lives on April 27, 1954 of  Comrade P.P. Ananthan and Comrade M. Achuthan.

Although India was liberated from British rule in 1947, Mahe remained under French rule until 1954. Mahe was captured by the French who came to trade and they turned Mahe into a major seaport for Indo-China trade which was later on converted into a major French colony. Mahe also became a center for espionage against the English in Thalassery.

A Youth League was started in Mahe in 1936-37 and this organization was a part of the Mahajana Sabha. In 1939, with the Pinarayi Parappuram Conference, the Communist Party cells were formed in Mahe too. Vazhayil Gopi, Kanaran Mestry, Aaniyil Ananthan, Kottayi Narayanan, Kottai Vasu, K. A. Damodaran Master and Adiyeri Kumaran were the early communist leaders. C. H. Kanaran, P. V. Kutty, K. Madhavan, M K. Kellu were the early communist leaders guided the formation of the Communist Party in Mahe.

In 1954, struggle began with the slogan “French Leave India”. The struggle led by the Communist Party for the liberation of Mahe was sacrificial. The Communist Party decided to liberate Cherukallayi, which was the base of the French sepoys. After midnight of April 26, 1954, people marched to the police outposts led by Comrade P.P. Ananthan and Comrade M. Achuthan. Police opened fire and the both  the leaders were martyred. Comrade P.P Ananthan was a member of the Thalassery area of the Communist Party and Comrade M Achuthan was a beedi worker and trade union activist. After this resistance struggle fight the sepoys were forced to transfer their base to Mahe. Subsequently, on July 14, 1954, procession led by K Kumaran Master entered Mahe. Communist Party activists who had gone underground also joined the march towards the administrators bunglow and that march turned out to be a glorious episode in the Mahe liberation struggle. The administration was taken over by the people of the land and on 16th July 1954 Mahe became Independent.