The Kontoth assault names a clash in 1930 over temple entry. Lower castes were not allowed to walk in front of the kondoth-temple of the Thiyya castes at Kondoth in

Kannur Kannur (), formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kannur district and situated north of the major port city and commercial hu ...

A.K. Gopalan Ayillyath Kuttiari Gopalan (1 October 1904 – 22 March 1977), popularly known as A. K. Gopalan or AKG, was an Indian communist politician. He was one of 16 Communist Party of India members elected to the first Lok Sabha in 1952. Later he beca ...

led a procession to grieve the Harijans and the

Thiyyar The Ezhavas () are a community with origins in the region of India presently known as Kerala, where in the 2010s they constituted about 23% of the population and were reported to be the largest Hindu community. They are also known as ''Ilhava'' ...

Leaders and the Thiyyar women who witnessed the brutal beating of A.K.G. and the Harijans.

History

Kandoth is located near Payyannoor. Harijans were not allowed to walk on the public road in Kandoth. The inhabitants of Kandoth were of the Thiyyar community. Their temple was close to the road. Locals feared that the temple would be soiled and decided that no one was allowed to walk past it. K. V. Kunhi Rama Puthuval was sent to Vengayil Appukuttan Nair to discuss the situation. The Keraliyan of Kandoth were invited. The content of these discussions remain private. Pothuval said that there would be a procession and no untoward incident would take place. A small group of Harijans led by

Keralites The Malayali people () (also spelt Malayalee and also known by the demonym Keralite) are a Dravidian ethnolinguistic group originating from the present-day state of Kerala in India, occupying its southwestern Malabar coast. They are predomin ...

arrived from Pazhayangadi. Many marched together. Keralites and A.K. Gopalan led the procession, which was attended by many women. Residents made the necessary arrangements in advance. As the procession approached the road, a large crowd, rushed forward and attacked A.K.G. and the Harijans. പി.കൃഷ്ണപിള്ളയുടെ ജീവചരിത്രം -ഡോക്ടർ.ചന്തവിള മുരളി പുറം. 69 The women carried heavy sticks. A.K.G asked the accompanying women to run to safety. The attack lasted about half an hour. Women came carrying heavy wooden sticks and beat them. All the people present in Ghosha were beaten by these chiefs. But A.K.G Standing where Gopalan and Keralian were, he faced the barrage. Others fled. A.k.G told the accompanying women to run to safety. KG demanded. The attack lasted for half an hour. The "Kandoth short stick" was infamous in the press of the day. Many people were injured. A.K. Gopalan and Keralian fell unconscious. They were taken by car to the hospital, where they lay unconscious for several hours. Even the Keralite's death statement was taken. Took home in the morning This attack K. This was Gopalan's first physical attack in his political career. But the "Kandoth assault" was an event that found a prominent place in news coverage. The "Connaught Short Stick" became infamous. Several people were injured. The Keralites and A.K.G fell unconscious and were taken to hospital.

References

{{Reflist Caste-related violence in India