Review The article on the struggle for proletarian hegemony in the freedom struggle in Kerala can be said to be true to its title as it deals with the political battles that took place within the freedom movement. The author presents the article in a simple and easy-to-read language so that the historical facts are not lost in scientific words. The article deals proficiently with the historical facts about the beginning of freedom movement in Kerala. The Kundara declaration by Velu Thampi was indeed a sign of how unsatisfied the royals and the common man were on the foreign rule. The people of Kerala had a legacy of being hospitable to all foreigners who came to establish trade relationships with them. But they always guarded their freedom …show more content…
The problem that tails the article is that the attention shifts completely away from the freedom struggle. We are told very little about the freedom movement in the beginning and then all the concentration is given to the struggle between proletariat and bourgeoisie leadership. The author, as we can clearly observe, strongly supports the proletarian movements while completely rebuke the bourgeoisie leadership. The author tries to establish how only the proletariat mass movements stood for the freedom of people of Kerala while the others tried merely for conciliation with the British. He attempts to conceal the importance Gandhian ideologies and leadership in the freedom struggle of India and its ripple in Kerala. He tries to ascertain the fact that it was the leftist leadership of KPCC and their democratic movements that created a sense of solidarity among the masses of Malabar, Cochin and Travancore. The formation of the congress socialist party in Malabar and the parting of the radical youth with a communist take to form the leftist front direct the article from there on. Author records the birth of trade unions and mass movements but uses them to justify the birth and purpose of communist and socialist parties. Further, the article traces the rise of communist party into power despite all the adversities they faced. It elucidates how the factionalism in congress leads to its downfall from power from the first elected government. But as sharply as he condemns congress party, he as well conveniently excuses communist forces for utilising the momentum to come into power. He denounces the congress strongly for ‘secularist’ and ‘nationalistic’ politics forgetting that the communists used similar tricks to play with classes. Author attacks congress for the lack of unity among its