At 18, K. Ajitha trekked Kerala forests as a Naxal. Today, she is an active feminist.
IN November 1968, deeply influenced by the Naxalbari incident in West Bengal, a group of revolutionaries in Kerala attacked two police stations in north Kerala which historically came to be known as the Thalassery-Pulpally attacks. The Thalassery attack failed, but the one under Arikkad Varghese on the Malabar Special Police camp at Pulpally killed two cops. It sowed the beginning of the Naxal movement in Kerala. The only female revolutionary in that group was the 18-year-old K. Ajitha. Trekking in the bitter cold through the deep forests of Wayanad, in pants and a blouse and a thin jersey, she was among the few in that group that refused to desert the path they had chosen to liberate the peasants from the shackles of slavery and misery. Many of her comrades had dropped out of the mission as the police closed in on them. This fledgling Naxal group also attacked the houses of landlords and distributed the grain and money found there among the tribals and workers of the land.
Esta historia es de la edición April 24, 2017 de Outlook.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición April 24, 2017 de Outlook.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
The Muslim Question
In the time of polarisation politics and othering, how to respond to the banality of hate?
Voters' Cold Wave
Heat wave, voter apathy and cyclic migration are blamed for the poor voter turnout in Bihar. Political parties are clueless about what impact will it have on election results
Occupy Ivy League
Students protesting in American universities are asking the US government to rethink its policy towards Israel
Left Side Story
Personal attacks, lower voter turnout and the BJP’s determined campaigning: how has Kerala voted this time?
Across the Pir Panjals
The newly carved-out constituency of Anantnag-Rajouri is set to witness a very close contest
Gashes in the Red Sand
Residents of the tribal district of Gadchiroli resist development models that destroy the environment
When Taps and Hope Run Dry
Peaking water scarcity and pervasive groundwater contamination have increased migration from many districts of Rajasthan.
Pilgrim's Politics
Two-time MP from Varanasi, Narendra Modi, is sculpting the eternal city in his image
Under The Model Town
Muslim ghettos in Ahmedabad are dilapidated and neglected
The Master Strategist
The Assam chief minister enjoys popularity both as an administrator and a politician despite his relentless anti-Muslim rhetoric