Until yesterday, NA Thankappan (88), an ordinary farmer and a CPM activist, was known to the locals as Thankappan. He died on Thursday of congenital heart disease. The natives and party workers made a fitting farewell to their beloved comrade.
However, it was when CPM local Secretary Jiji Varghese read out a message of condolence by former Naxalite leader Ajitha, people got shocked. The diseased was in fact Allungal Sreedharan, a Naxalite who took part in the Pulpally station attack along with Varghese and Ajitha half a century ago.
The incident goes like this:
On the morning of November 24, 1968, the MSP camp at Wayanad Pulpally was attacked by Ajitha, Varghese, M. Sreedharan and Prasad. The Pulpally station attack was the first armed intervention aimed at political power in Kerala. But the station attack failed. Police arrested Ajitha and Allungal Sreedharan who were trapped in the forest. Varghese escaped but was later apprehended by police and shot dead.
Ajitha and Allungal Sreedharan were among those who were tortured in jail. He was later released from prison. But was convicted in another case. After the appeal was rejected in that case, Sreedharan moved to Idukki. Police conducted a search for Sreedharan and others.
Sreedharan came to Idukki and worked in the plantations for a long time. Later he bought his own land and started cultivating cardamom. He changed his name from Allungal Sreedharan to Nirappel Thankappan. In the meantime, he became close with the CPM. He also served as a member of the party’s local committee.
Sreedharan revealed his past to only two loyal comrades in the party. Even close friends and party workers were unaware of this.
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