Kerala assembly elections: How a Congress cradle became a red fortress

Payyanur’s political identity is often reduced during elections to a ‘Left stronghold.’ In reality, it is layered over a deeper legacy rooted in the freedom struggle, Gandhian social reform and early Congress mobilisation. The region’s evolution reflects a rare overlap of nationalist politics, social reform movements and later ideological shifts.At the centre of this continuum stands Sree Narayana Vidyalaya, established on Nov 21, 1931 by Swami Anandatheerthar, a disciple of Sree Narayana Guru, for the education of Harijan students. Conceived as a reformist intervention, the institution soon became a meeting ground of national leaders and transformative ideas. When Mahatma Gandhi visited in 1934, he planted a mango tree, now known as the ‘Gandhi Mavu.’ Beneath it stands his statue, and at its base, a silver casket preserves a small portion of his ashes, brought to Payyanur after his assassination in 1948 by K Kelappan and Swami Anandatheerthar. It is the only such site in Kerala. In the visitors’ book, Gandhi wrote in Gujarati, expressing hope that the institution would serve the Harijan community and contribute to their upliftment and social dignity.Centenarian Gandhian and Padma Shri awardee V P Appukkutta Poduval recalled how the visit strengthened Payyanur’s place in the freedom movement. “Impressed by the enthusiasm of the youth, Gandhi established the Charkha Sangham state headquarters here. Payyanur has since remained an important centre of Khadi production,” he said.The Vidyalaya also drew B R Ambedkar, who in 1945 noted the institution’s care for its Harijan students and Jayaprakash Narayan, who in 1947 “fullest sympathy” with its aims.This legacy extended beyond the Vidyalaya. Nearby Uliyathukadavu witnessed Kerala’s first organised salt satyagraha in 1930, led by K Kelappan, earning Payyanur the title ‘Second Bardoli.’ Earlier, in 1928, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee session presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru adopted the demand for Poorna Swaraj—a decisive ideological moment in the national movement.Yet, despite this strong Congress and Gandhian foundation, Payyanur’s political trajectory shifted after Independence. The weakening of Congress created space for communist ideology, which gained ground among workers and peasants. Agrarian struggles in Karivellur, Kayyur, Kavumbayi and Munayankunnu accelerated this transition. Internal Congress divisions, generational shifts and the Emergency under Indira Gandhi completed it.By then, the Left had firmly taken root. Payyanur thus remains a landscape where the legacy of the freedom struggle and later ideological shifts coexist, shaping its distinct and layered political character.