Mopla Riots- Lessons for Present Hindu

by DS Balaji

We will be reaching the Hundred Year of Mopla Riots on 20 August 2021. Let us go back to experience the horrors of the Hindus of Malabar during the riots. In addition, learn from the reasons like Secularism, Casteism behind Hindu Disunity. Following are the excerpts from the Revolutionary Spine Chilling Book on Mopla by Veer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. He mentions the pre and post-riot scenarios of Malabar. Eminently describing the Hindu society and condition indirectly responsible for Malabar Riots.

Three castes Existed in Moplah- Namboodri Brahmins, Nayars(Shudra) and Thiya, who were considered Untouchables. The region practised untouchability to an insane level. It was a local law for Thiyas to maintain a 24 Feet Distance from others. As evident from a Court Case where a Namboodri sued a Thiya for polluting the river by walking over it. The case lasted 6 months declaring The Thiya guilty. Savarkar Speaks, the river not polluted by animals, Muslims but because of a fellow Practicing Hindu. Savarkar Mentions Muslims were constantly approaching the Untouchable Thiyyas for Conversion. Presenting them with perks of equality, along with fear of Hell-Fire for Non-Believer. Thiyyas never felling for it created many conflicts between Thiyas and Muslims.

Savarkar Describes an Episode of Kambhu Thiya, His son needed serious medical attention. His way to the doctor was interrupted since it was in Area prohibited for Thiyas. A Muslim offered to bring the medicine as it was fine for them to enter. The Condition was to accept Islam but Thiyas refused.
It was the time when Muslims were already preparing for a weaponised revolt. Mosques, Madrasas were already prepared. They were openly appeasing and throwing advances towards the Thiyas to join them in the Riots. In the end, rejected, Muslims were alone against the Kafirs. Savarkar mentions how the entire Muslim Population of India was preparing for the Khilafat Movement. Except for Few Hindu Leaders, no Hindu was ready to accept what was coming. Muslims were uniting, discussing the riots while Hindus were busy in their daily chores. Mosques, Madrasas, all Islamic Centres were training every Muslim for the movement. They trained to see Hindus and British as similar enemies. Swords, spears, arms, money were collected with mosques being the centre of the distribution.

Now comes an incident of Madhav Nayar, a secular Hindu. He spent time along with his Muslim friends, to inspire them for Swarajya Movement along with Khilafat. He believed in Sarva Dharma Sambhav. He later chopped it into pieces as a practice during one of the Meetings.
Head Maulvis in the Malabar Region issued Fatwa. To annihilate any Kafir doing Murti Pooja, Not Acknowledging Quran and those who do not support the rebellion. This lead to a very violent movement force conversions. An entire Village of Malpur converted to Islam.

Kuttam Village, a mob of Majhabis attacked the Shrirang Temple at Mid-Night. A Group of Hindus including Kambhu Thiya went to help but were heavily outnumbered. As the locals refused to join them with the hope that Bhagwan Shrirang will punish the Muslims themselves. The Mob discussed attacking the Brahmin area first, and Burn the Thiya Area to make sure Thiyas do not get a chance to help the Brahmins. As Mullas were discussing, Kambhu with his group attacked the Muslim Mob and gave a good fight. The entire Mob moved to attack the temple area. Kambhu Thiya with Brahmin Chintamani entered the temple area to meet a man named Stuleshwar. Stuleshwar asked Kambhu to get out, as it’s a prohibited area for him. Chintamani quoted Smriti as Untouchability is relaxed in an emergency. Stuleshwar kept debating and the mob attacked.

A Brahmin Girl Sumati, woke up to see a Thiya Man in front of him. He warned them of the upcoming threat, and after discussing with her Father. Took her away to her Mama’s House through Forest. While the Old Brahmin stayed to fight, the Jihadis attacked his House. An Old Lady accompanying the Mob entered a House with a Pregnant Lady. The woman begged to understand her pain as a woman and save her from the mob. However, she instead helped the mob rape her several times who took out her foetus with a knife.

Savarkar later mentions an incident when Shia Muslims opposed the brutality. To which the majority of Sunnis in the riot got offended and attacked the Shias. Sunnis declared Shias are Non-Islamic for not attacking the Kafirs thus rebellion now split into two parts.
Houses burnt, temples were broken, and women, slaves and things won in the Holy battle were collected for distribution. A Group of captured slaves asked to accept either Islam or Die. A voice came from the group, who was ready to die. He was non-other than Kambhu Thiya
Kambhu was later forced Beef forcefully, his head shaved off and finally his throat Slit. Other Thiyas who refused to convert were tortured the same way, by even mutilating their genitals. All this around Majhabi religious Aayats chanting.

Even during captivity, when tied together few people were fighting. As they did not like to be in contact with Thiyas, Dombs and other Untouchable castes. While a group of revolutionaries consisting of all Castes stuck together and chanted Ram-Ram in their last moments.
The women in captivity who accepted Majhab were later distributed to the Gazis. The ones who refused to convert were shown quotes from the religious book. Thus clarifying, “a Kafir woman can not be married unless she accepts the true deen”. Or else can be taken as a slave.

A Khilafat State was established in the Malabar region as per the Gazis of Moplas. They declared rewards for those who bring them Kafir women. Women sold as trophies and those with the most captured were hailed as Heros of Quam. Savarkar mentions a water well, filled with dead bodies. The water was nowhere to see, as it was stuffed with body parts of Kafirs. Even the surrounding tree branches were hanging with mutilated body parts. Such scenes were normal all over the Malabar region.
Religious Group Arya Samaj started marching towards Malabar, as they realised the condition. Hindus interrupted them along the way. They asked Arya Samaj to stop hate-mongering, as Hindu-Muslims live very peacefully in Malabar. All news regarding Riots tagged fake. Swamy Shradhananda began his Shuddhi movements in Mopla. Innocent Hindus converted to out of fear. Raped women converted as their last solace since they will not be accepted inside Pure Hinduism again. With very little help and risking his life, Swamy Shradhanand fought for Shuddhis. 

Estimated 2500 Hindus were forcefully converted and 600 Were killed during Malabar Rebellion. Arya Samaj, mainly Swamy Shradhanand’s Shuddhi Movement was in the process when Abdul Rashid killed him. As he was standing in the way of establishing a caliphate.
Many Castiest Hindu Saints opposed Shuddhi movements as they considered them impure. The quantity of aware rational Hindus was less even then, just as we have today. The Majhabi side is extreme while Hindus are still casteist and secular. What have we learnt from Mopla?