K. Ajitha Biography 
K. Ajitha is a former Indian naxalite who was active in the 1960s. She was one the foremost leaders of Naxalite movement in Kerala during this period and she closely worked with Arikkad Varghese, popularly known as Naxal Varghese and Grow Vasu. Arikkad Varghese was shot down in an encounter by police in 1970. Ajitha was one among the group of naxals who conducted armed raids on Thalassery and Pulpally police stations and killed two policemen. Later she was arrested, tried and sentenced to 9 years in prison. After her prison life she set good bye to her naxal life. Yet she is a human rights activist and social reformer who is active still now. She set up ‘Anwesha’ in 1993.
Ajitha was born in April 1950 in Kozhikode to Kunnikkal Narayanan and Mandakini; both were active supports of naxal movement in Kerala. She got associated with naxal movement during her college days. Her mother, originally from Gujarat was a very noted naxal leader who conducted agitations with her husband as well as daughter Ajitha. Mandakini was one of the front-runners of the Naxalite movement in Kerala. Ajitha dropped her college studies during Pre-degree course and completely got associated with Naxal movement.
She got associated with Arikkad Varghese in the late 1960s and fought against the exploitation of dalits in the Wyanad district. They formed a group in 1968 and decided to take up arms against feudal lords and police and Ajitha was the only female member of the group. She was one among the members of the unsuccessful attack of Thalassery police station on 22 November 1968, the group led by her father. Their attempt to steal arms was unsuccessful. However, after two days, under the leadership of Arikkad Varghese attacked Madras Special Police camp in Pulpally resulting in the death of three policemen.
They also attacked the farms of two landlords and distributed the food grains to poor tribal people. Following the raids, the group had to hide in the dense forests of Wyanad. While Arikkad Varghese was killed in a fake encounter, Ajitha was caught. She was submitted to the Third degree treatment and later sentenced to a life time imprisonment. Her parents too were jailed. While at jail she tried to learn about the problems faced by women of Kerala, especially sex workers. Though she married and became a mother after her release, she once again returned to her field, but this time as a social activist.
She is a well known atheist.
Published: N/A
Updated: June 13, 2018
