Vellathooval Stephen, one of the prominent leaders of the Naxalite movement in Kerala, passed away at his residence in Vadattupara near Kothamangalam on Saturday. He was 82 and had been undergoing treatment for cancer for some time.
Stephen, Kunnikkal Narayanan, Varghese, and K Ajitha played a key role in the Thalassery police station attack in 1968. After years in hiding, Stephen was arrested in 1971. At the time of his arrest, he faced 18 cases, including murder charges, and spent 15 years in jail. While in prison, he abandoned Charu Majumdar’s path of elimination. Later, he turned to evangelism.
He has written several books. His major books include History and Marxian Philosophy, Inspiration, Atataiyak, Half-image, Footprints in the Clouds, and A Testimony of God Across the Coal Paths.