Murder of Abhimanyu M.
Abhimanyu M. was a student activist stabbed to death in Maharaja's College, Ernakulam on 2 July 2018. He was a student of B.Sc. Chemistry.
Early life
Abhimanyu was born on 6 May 1997 as the youngest son of Manoharan and Bhoopathy, two Tamil peasants from an Adivasi community, in Vattavada. Parijith and Kowsalya are his siblings. His sister Kowsalya married Madhusudanan in a wedding attended by hundreds of students from Maharaja's College, Ernakulam. Abhimanyu was the Idukki District Committee member of the Students' Federation of India.Death
Abhimanyu was murdered by a 16-member gang involving the activists of the Campus Front of India, Social Democratic Party of India and the Popular Front of India. He was 21 years old at the time of his killing. According to the police reports, the murder was triggered after an argument between Students' Federation of India activists and Campus Front of India over sticking posters within the Maharaja's College campus. The space for painting the college walls was first booked by SFI activists. This led to issues with CFI members. Abhimanyu painted graffiti on the campus walls to welcome the new batch of students and he wrote "down with communalism". This slogan provoked the Campus Front of India members. After a verbal argument, CFI members returned to campus in the wee hours of July 2, 2018 with SDPI and PFI members and barged into the college hostel. Abhimanyu was held in position from behind and while another person stabbed him to death. 19-year-old Arjun, a student of BA Philosophy, also sustained severe injuries. He was admitted to the Ernakukulam Medical Trust Hospital and underwent emergency surgery.SFI observed a statewide strike protesting the killing of their activist.
Aftermath
- In his memory, the Abhimanyu Maharaja's Library was set up in Vattavada Grama Panchayat. Students across India contributed books over courier. Students mobilised around 10,000 books and enough funds for the construction of library.
- Simon Britto, another student leader who was paralysed after getting stabbed by the members of KSU activists at Maharaja's College on 14 October 1983. He wrote a book named "Maharaja's Abhimanyu". The book was published by handing over a copy of it to writer M. K. Sanu on 14 October 2019.
- Prominent civil society activists and writers like Sunil P Ilayidom, Balachandran Chullikkad and M K Sanu paid tributes to Abhimanyu's memory in a function organised at Maharajas college on September 19, 2018. Writer M.K Sanu drew a parallel between Abhimanyu's murder and the chopping of Professor T J Joseph's hand by religious extremists at Thodupuzha Newman College. Balachandran Chullikad remarked that he was murdered for raising voice against communalism.
- CPI built a house for his family. The CPI (M) collected Rs 3.10 crore as ‘Abhimanyu martyr fund’ to help Abhimanyu's family. A student training centre in his name was also initiated in Ernakulam.
- The college magazine of Sri Vivekananda Patana Kendram Arts and Science College, Nilambur was named as "Abhimanyu". It included a poem dedicated to him and an article on his murder. On July 31, 2018, a group of Campus Front of India and Social Democratic Party of India activists entered the college and forcefully burned the College Magazine. Later Edakkara police filed FIR against seven SFI and SDPI activists.
- Kerala Students Union opposed the building of Abhimanyu Memorial inside Maharajas College. However, the memorial was built by Students Federation of India activists and was unveiled on July 2, 2019. This stirred controversy. Kochi Corporation ordered a probe to enquire whether the college had taken permission from the civic body before building the memorial.