ALAPPUZHA: The State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded that the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) publish a list of those who embraced martyrdom in the historical Punnapra-Vayalar revolt of 1946.

Talking to reporters during his `Janayatra' here, BJP State president P.K. Krishnadas said though the lists of martyrs in most other historical struggles in the country, including the Jallianwala Bagh massacre at Amritsar, were published long ago, the Communists in the State, in spite of trying to get freedom struggle status for the Punnapra-Vayalar revolt, had never come out with any such list. "The new generation needs to know about the Punnapra-Vayalar revolt and its martyrs. Even after so many years, there is a lot of mystery surrounding the revolt. The V.S. Achuthanandan Government should come out with such facts. The BJP doubts why they are not doing so. Is it because those killed in the revolt were not Marxists? Or is it because they fear that any hidden truths will be revealed?" Mr. Krishnadas asked.

Doubts motive

The BJP never considered the Punnapra-Vayalar revolt as part of the freedom struggle, he said.

"History says that the Communists supported the British from 1942. So it cannot be a struggle to gain freedom from the British Raj. And if it was for the peasants, it has not helped any peasant either," he said.

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