Vellathuval Stephen, former Naxal leader from Kerala, passes away

KOTHAMANGALAM: Vellathooval Stephen, a former Naxal leader from Kerala, passed away in Vadattupara, Kothamangalam, on Saturday. He was 82. Stephen had been undergoing treatment for a long time due to cancer. The funeral will be held tomorrow at his home compound.

Stephen was born to the Zakaria and Annamma couple in Chundamon, near Kangazha, in the Kottayam district. Stephen soon migrated to Vellathuval. He followed his father's path and joined the Left movement. When the party split, Stephen sided with CPI, but soon got drawn into the Naxalite movement.

Stephen was one of the brains behind the infamous Thalassery police station attack. After long years in hiding, Stephen was arrested in 1971. At that time, Stephen was accused of eighteen cases, including murder. While languishing in jail, Stephen gave up Naxal politics.

In his sunset years, Stephen went through an ideological course correction and disowned the movement he was once part of. He said aligning with the Naxal movement was something born out of the excitement of the young age. Stephen, in his late years, turned to evangelism.