A warning to Kerala, says Naxal Varghese’s kin

Express News Service
KOZHIKODE: 51 years after the faux encounter that killed him in Thirunelli forest, govt determination to provide Rs 50 lakh in compensation comes as closure for household — not for the quantity however for the message. TNIE seems to be again on Varghese’s position in emancipating tribals of Wayanad and state equipment’s brutal face

Now a practising lawyer at Mananthavady courtroom, A Varghese was three when he noticed probably the most illustrious individual of his Arikkad household for the primary and final time — Naxalite chief A Varghese or Comrade Varghese as he was referred to as. The Naxalite chief is the elder brother of the advocate’s father (A Thomas) and when he met the ‘Valyappachan’ in 1970, there was no life within the physique of the “saviour of Adivasis”. It was the funeral of Varghese, after he was shot useless by the state police on the age of 32 on February 18, 1970, in Thirunelli forest, as confessed by constable Ramachandran Nair after 28 lengthy years. 

After greater than 5 many years, now the state authorities has determined to provide Rs 50 lakh as compensation to Varghese’s 4 siblings. However, the household says that it’s not compensation however a warning to the state. “Even if one rupee is the amount, we would wholeheartedly welcome it. For, it is a warning to the state which took the life of a man, who the state is supposed to protect,” mentioned advocate Varghese. 

There are a number of such Vargheses who had been killed in suspicious encounters — from Vythiri “encounter” to the shootout at Manjikkandy in Attappadi, he says.Comrade Varghese was the second son among the many six youngsters of Varkey-Rosa couple at Ozhukkan Moola close to Vellamunda in Mananthavady. 

Research centre deliberateAdvocate Varghese instructed TNIE that the `50 lakh is being deliberate for use in the direction of the actions of Varghese Memorial Trust, which was arrange collectively by CPI (ML) Red Flag P C Unnichekkan faction and members of the family. A 70-cent plot was allotted to Varghese and the plan is to start out a analysis centre there to doc the tumultuous path tread by the downtrodden in Kerala society with a deal with Varghese’s actions, plus a museum. 

“The details will be decided after a meeting of the trust. Varghese was instrumental in ending the bonded slavery system of tribals in Wayanad. Till then, the tribals had been sold to feudal landlords during the annual festival at Valliyoorkavu temple in Mananthavady. The movement also heralded a change in the remuneration received by tribals in exchange of their labour — from rice and grains to rupees,” mentioned Adv Varghese, who was previously related to CPI (ML) Red Flag.

After the revelation of Ramachandran Nair that he killed Varghese on the instruction of then DySP Okay Lakshmana in 1998, 4 siblings of Varghese — A Joseph, Mariyakutty, A Thomas and Annamma — moved a writ petition within the Kerala High Court for an neutral probe into the incident. “No compensation was demanded then. While ordering a CBI probe, the court had asked why the family was not asking for compensation if the state had killed Varghese,” mentioned advocate Varghese. 

A compensation petition was submitted in 2012 within the HC whereby the identical was given to the state authorities as per the order of the courtroom. Meanwhile, the CBI probe had discovered the second accused — former IG Lakshmana — responsible and the courtroom sentenced him to life imprisonment. The first accused, Ramachandran Nair, died throughout trial and the third accused, ex-DGP P Vijayan (who was then SP), was let free beneath good thing about doubt. Four eyewitnesses — Yogi, Karimban, Choman Mooppan and Prabhakara Warrier — deposed within the courtroom that they noticed police taking away Varghese, which proved essential in busting the police concept that the Naxalite chief was killed in an encounter.