A WhatsApp message read out through a microphone during a funeral blew the lid off the secret life of a revolutionary Naxalite activist in Kerala last Friday.
Nirappel N.A. Thankappan, 88, or Thankappan chettan to the residents of Mavadi village in Idukki district, was an unassuming farmer and CPI(M) worker leading a normal life till then. But the message from K. Ajitha, Kozhikode-based former Naxalite leader, to Jiji Varghese, secretary of the Parathod local committee of the CPI(M), changed all that.
“Comrade Allungal Sreedharan was a brave fellow who participated in the attack by farmer revolutionaries on the Malabar Special Police camp stationed at Seetha Devi Temple at Pulppally in Wayanad on the morning of November 24 in 1968. I was part of that attack along with comrades A. Varghese, Thettamala Krishnan Kutty, Sankaran Master, Kunjiraman Master, Philip M. Prasad, and Sukumaran. After my return to active life following jail sentence, I had not heard about him at all. Today morning, comrade Jiji informed me about his death in Idukki. I join his family members in their hour of grief. Heartfelt condolences.”
Pulppally camp attack
The attack on the Pulppally police camp was among the earlier manifestations of the Naxalite movement in the State in which two police personnel, including a sub-inspector, were killed. This was in support of the farmers who were protesting against an eviction move by the Pulppally Devaswom. The Naxalites later went on a rampage in the houses of a couple of feudal landlords nearby. The foodgrain snatched from there was distributed among the tribespeople. Their plan was that one group would attack the Thalassery police station and another one the Pulppally camp to collect arms and ammunition from there. They hoped to set up a base camp at Thirunelli and then bring the entire Wayanad under their control through direct action. But the Thalassery attack failed. Those who were part of the Pulppally attack had to beat a hasty retreat to the jungles as well.
Ms. Ajitha recollects in her memoirs that many others who were part of the attack were disillusioned and parted ways. Only 15 persons, including Sreedharan, swore their allegiance to the ideals of an armed revolution. She says that his whereabouts were not known except that he was a farmer from Iritty in Kannur district. They later decided to go to different places and lead separate lives only to regroup and join hands for the revolution when the time is ripe, says the book. However, most of them, including Ms. Ajitha and Sreedharan, were arrested. Though Varghese managed to escape, the police shot him dead after nabbing him from a hideout.
Ms. Ajitha says in her book that Sreedharan was arrested from near Iritty. The Sessions Court, Kozhikode, sentenced only eight of the accused to five years in jail and acquitted 60 others in the Pulppally case. After the government filed an appeal in the Kerala High Court, 33 people were convicted, and 13 among them got a life sentence. She says she had not met Sreedharan after she went to jail.
Period of hiding
According to sources, Sreedharan completed his jail term and came out and was implicated in another case. Though he filed an appeal in a local court in Thalassery in Kannur against the verdict in the second case, it was rejected. It is learnt that he decided to go into hiding thereafter. He moved to Idukki, took a false name, and worked in plantations there as a farm labourer. Sreedharan later was engaged in the small cardamom plantation that he bought. He got married meanwhile. Sreedharan was active in the CPI(M) as a member of its local committee. For the past few years, he had been leading a retired life due to old-age ailments.
It is learnt that Sreedharan had disclosed his identity to only two of his close associates. He had told them that it shouldn’t be disclosed until his death. After he passed away on Thursday night, they informed Mr. Varghese about it. It was the CPI(M) leader who passed on the information to Ms. Ajitha.
Police probe
Meanwhile, the police in Wayanad and Idukki are reportedly investigating how Sreedharan managed to give them the slip and live a secret life for around 40 years. They are tracking his antecedents ever since he went into hiding from Wayanad.
