Anandu Raj

In 1943, Dalit labourers in Kuttanad broke free from bonded labour through a key strike led by V.S. Achuthanandan. Though slavery ended in 1855, caste and debt kept Pulayas and Parayas tied to landlords. Union efforts from 1940s helped end feudal practices and sparked Dalit assertion. “There may be sharks and ray fish in the backwaters, but fearing them the small fish are not going to walk on land”.

Kerala’s Left-led government faces criticism for marginalising Dalits and subaltern communities despite its progressive image. The Global Ayyappa Sangamam exemplifies state-sponsored Hinduisation, reinforcing a Brahmanical Hindu identity. Both Left and Right politics in Kerala inadvertently advance Hindutva agendas, undermining social justice and caste emancipation.

Anandu Raj · Follow 3 min read · -- During the darkest hours of the night, when everyone else was asleep, we were cruising through the empty roads, trusting every turn given by our “Google Amma.” When I think back on it, I wonder — do I have the courage to do this now? Maybe not. It was my faith in the people beside me that made me push forward, gliding through the ghats at midnight, where one sleepy truck driver could send us right to God.