Kan Sivanthal Man Sivakkum (1983)

This movie is based on a novel 'Kurudhippunal' by Indira Parthasarathy that won her the 1977 Sahitya Akademi award, and is set against the horrifying backdrop of the Kilvenmani massacre (or Keezhvenmani massacre) that took place in Kizhavenmani village, Tamil Nadu on 25 December 1968. Like the novel, the movie focuses on the events that led up to the horrifying and tragic incident in which a group of around 44 people, the families of striking Dalit (untouchable) village labourers, were murdered by a gang, allegedly led by their landlords.

The incident occurred when the landless peasants were influenced by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to organise themselves into a campaign for higher wages following the increase in agricultural production as the result of Green revolution in India.

The lands were controlled by powerful families, while the labourers were from a Dalit community. In 1968, the agricultural labourers of unified Tanjore district formed a union seeking better working conditions and higher wages. To mark their union the workers hoisted red flags in their villages, irking their landlords. The landlords formed a separate union with yellow flags and started laying off workers belonging to the Communist unions.

This led to tensions and finally a boycott by all labourers. The peasants withheld part of the harvest as a negotiating tactic. The Paddy Producers Association, representing the local landlords, organised external labourers to continue the harvest. Matters became fraught when a local shopkeeper who supported the protesters was kidnapped by supporters of the landlords and beaten up.

Protesters attacked the kidnappers, forcing them to release their hostage. In the clash, one of the landlords' agents was killed. Following this, a large gang arrived at the Kizhavenmani village in Eastern Thanjavur driving police lorries. They cut off exits from the village and started shooting at villagers, mortally wounding two of them. Villagers took refuge in a hut, but the attackers surrounded it and set fire to it, burning them to death.

Six people escaped, but two were thrown back into the fire. Around 44 were killed which included 5 men, 16 women and 23 children