Anthikad

Anthikad is a village in Thrissur district in the state of Kerala, India. It is in Thrissur Thaluk, Nattika constituency and Anthikad Block. Manalur and Thanyam are the nearest panchayats. Anthikad is famous for toddy production and paddy fields. Anthikad won `Nelkathir' award for best paddy cultivation in Kerala in 2008. Anthikad is the headquarter for a major financial enterprise, the Peringottukara Namboothiri Yogashkema Sabha Credit & Investment Company Ltd. (PNY Sabha), which was formed in the year 1907.

History

This village held an important position in shaping the political and the social perspectives of Kerala. The toddy tappers were organised by communists who were hiding from the police to avoid arrest for their role in freedom movement. Com. George Chadayanmuri, who working underground (evading arrest as per instruction of communist party) took pains to talk to the toddy tappers and bring them under the umbrella of a union.this place is the one of the most beautiful place with full of farming.this place is mostly known with toddy tappers.

Communist influence

Communists converted the toddy tappers from slaves of brutal contractors to modern-day human beings and these workers became the leaders of society. Farmers, teachers and other people accepted the leadership of toddy tappers and together they took part in the freedom struggle and also fought for the upliftment of lives. Comrade(Late) Chathu Master, K.R. Kelu, K.G. Kelan, K.S. Chathu Kutty, N.C. Shankaran, K.S. Kittunni, M.R. Shankaran Kodappully, and many others were several times arrested, jailed and tortured for their crimes of organising workers against contractors. Former Revenue Minister, Mr. K.P. Rajendran was a son of a leader of toddy tappers, K.P Prabhakaran, who himself was once made a minister. Mr. K.P. Prabhakaran is the product of the agitations toddy workers led relentlessly during the pre-and-post independence period.

Tapper agitation

At the height of the Toddy Tappers agitation, there were also several tappers who did not want to take risks and join the struggle. Instead, these people united under the banner of Congress Party and their trade union, becoming rival union activists who even acted as agents of the contractors and the Police.

When the agitating communists decided to go on an indefinite strike, contractors suffered resulting financial losses. At that time, rival union members decided to manufacture more toddy to make up for losses suffered due to protests.

To prevent this, the striking workers decided to cut down the flower-buds of coconut trees from which the agents of the contractors were able to produce toddy. They came in at night, and cut off flower-buds of trees in a highly organised action later called 'Kola Muri Samaram' (Coconut Flower Chopping Resistance).

Police action

These movements were met with very cruel suppression using Police and Government forces supported by the judiciary. House searches, illegal custodies, lock-up tortures of all kinds and forms, atrocities on women, all took place. However, everything the government and the contractors tried to defeat the strikers failed. Finally, they had no choice but to call the Communist leaders for negotiation.

Socio-economic conditions

The people in Anthikad area are mainly engaged in foreign employment in the Middle East, farming, trading and the service sector. The number of toddy tappers, a traditional employment, reduced drastically due to the collapse of the traditional industry.

Farming, especially greenhouse cultivation has become a passion for many especially those returning from employment abroad.

Land value is very high and real estate business is lucrative business in the whole area of the Thrissur constituency, including Anthikad.

Even though large areas are still used for rice and coconut cultivation (the area is declared as Ramsar site