Punnapra-Vayalar struggle of 1946 against Sir C P Ramaswamy Iyer, the Diwan of erstwhile Tranvacore, took place at Punnapra. The struggle, led by the communist party, ended in the martyrdom of hundreds of people. A monument called Punnapra-Vayalar Riot tomb was erected at Kaithavana, where this sad incident happened. Kaithavana is about 3 km from the Alappuzha.