What is "chandanathope"

Chandanathope is a town located in Kollam district in the Indian state of Kerala. It lies from Paravur town and from the city of Kollam on the Kollam–Thirumangalam National Highway 744. In Malayalam, the name denotes a place with sandalwood plantations. It is also known for growing cashews and its exports.

Chandanathope enjoys a significant position in the history of Kerala due to a police firing that happened here in 1958, against a group of cashew workers who were in an agitation demanding rights of cashew workers under the banner of Kundara Cashew Workers Union. This police firing that happened while the state was ruled by a workers party, the Communist Party of India This incident made their ally RSP join the Vimochana Samaram against the communist government which later along with a series of developments in other parts of the state, finally culminated in the toppling of Communist government by EMS.

A column was erected at Chandanathope in memory of Raman and Sulaiman, two men who were killed by the police firing on 26July 1958 as a result of protests by cashew workers and who became martyrs in the fight for the rights of the cashew workers.