Ayyankali gave a call to Pulayas and other agricultural worker for
strike in 1907. His was a historic call, for he had heralded the first
agrarian strike in the history of the world. He added one more demand:
'make the employees permanent' by giving pay during off season when
there is no work. The other demands were:
1. Stop Victimization on whims 2. Stop Involving workers in false cases 3. End whipping of workers 4. Freedom of movement, and 5. Admission for children in schools
The landlords didn’t agree. The polarization had gone too far to be reversed.
No processions. No jeeps. No microphones. No pamphlets or banners.
Yet, in the fields of Kandala, Kaniyapuram, Pallichal and Mudavooppara to Vizinjom, no worker was seen. Initially the landlords laughed at the workers. They calculated that when the food grains run out, the workers will be back.
Landlords formed groups and did try to intimidate the workers by beating them up at random. They failed. They tried to use some backsliders among workers in the fields but met with resistance from Ayyankali Sena. This led to violent encounters between the workers and landlords' men. But dalits remain steadfast in their actions. The fields turned into jungles. Starvation stared workers in the face.
The landlords planted rice seedlings. Since it was already out of season, plants didn’t sprout grains. Landlords unused to working in hot sun suffered health problems. When some landlords tried to adjust, the workers demanded high wages.
With food grains running short, both landlords and workers suffered. Destruction faced both exploiter and exploited. The kitchen fires had stopped burning. Prolonged hunger made many a workers to waver.
Now Ayyankali played his trump card. He approached the fishermen community of Vizhinjom and came to an agreement with them. One person from each family was to be put in each fishing boat and given a share of the days catch till the strike was over.
Landlords saw impending defeat at the hands of their dependants. This sent them into helpless rage. They committed atrocities on many dalits and set fire to their huts. The commandos of Ayyankali set fire to many houses of landlords in the interior and sent shivers down their spines, not knowing when and where the attack will come from.
Soon, the mood of land lords changed to one of compromise. Ayyankali wanted the landlords to come to him, which they did with peace proposals.
Land lords agreed to rise in wages. School entry and travel rights were accepted in principle. There followed a lot of blood letting on both sides. But Ayyankali walked tall at the head of his group.
1. Stop Victimization on whims 2. Stop Involving workers in false cases 3. End whipping of workers 4. Freedom of movement, and 5. Admission for children in schools
The landlords didn’t agree. The polarization had gone too far to be reversed.
No processions. No jeeps. No microphones. No pamphlets or banners.
Yet, in the fields of Kandala, Kaniyapuram, Pallichal and Mudavooppara to Vizinjom, no worker was seen. Initially the landlords laughed at the workers. They calculated that when the food grains run out, the workers will be back.
Landlords formed groups and did try to intimidate the workers by beating them up at random. They failed. They tried to use some backsliders among workers in the fields but met with resistance from Ayyankali Sena. This led to violent encounters between the workers and landlords' men. But dalits remain steadfast in their actions. The fields turned into jungles. Starvation stared workers in the face.
The landlords planted rice seedlings. Since it was already out of season, plants didn’t sprout grains. Landlords unused to working in hot sun suffered health problems. When some landlords tried to adjust, the workers demanded high wages.
With food grains running short, both landlords and workers suffered. Destruction faced both exploiter and exploited. The kitchen fires had stopped burning. Prolonged hunger made many a workers to waver.
Now Ayyankali played his trump card. He approached the fishermen community of Vizhinjom and came to an agreement with them. One person from each family was to be put in each fishing boat and given a share of the days catch till the strike was over.
Landlords saw impending defeat at the hands of their dependants. This sent them into helpless rage. They committed atrocities on many dalits and set fire to their huts. The commandos of Ayyankali set fire to many houses of landlords in the interior and sent shivers down their spines, not knowing when and where the attack will come from.
Soon, the mood of land lords changed to one of compromise. Ayyankali wanted the landlords to come to him, which they did with peace proposals.
Land lords agreed to rise in wages. School entry and travel rights were accepted in principle. There followed a lot of blood letting on both sides. But Ayyankali walked tall at the head of his group.
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