Aswathi Rebecca Asok
We stood startled in front of a small room until someone from the locality told us, “This is where Abhimanyu was born and brought up. There were five people living in this room till two days back. But now only four remain”. No one from among us could resist the tears rolling down our eyes while entering the room. A mother, father, brother and a sister were sitting silently in front of the photo of Abhimanyu, our comrade; his blood-stained mobile phone and his note-book beside. Not even in my wildest imagination did it strike me that five people could even stand upright in such a tiny space. What must have been the depth of love they shared in that one room-home; what could have been the warmth they all enjoyed with each other until he took his last breath.
An Unforgettable Daybreak
The early morning of July 2, 2018 is still a horrific memory for those who believe in a democratic and creative campus spirit. By 2 AM, the news about the attack on activists of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the death of a student at Ernakulam’s Maharaja’s College had come out and sent shockwaves across the organisation. Whoever heard the news wished that it was only a bad dream from which one would wake up shortly. None associated with SFI in Ernakulam city could digest that a student was stabbed to death inside Maharaja’s, the most romanticised campus in all of Kerala. Like many in the state, it was Abhimanyu’s dream too to get enrolled here, which he did with his own efforts. Soon after joining, he plunged into its heart with his genuine ways and innocent smile; he was captivated by the unbreakable bonds of friendships and comradeship he earned from the college. Singing and dancing along with his friends, Abhimanyu enlivened the campus.
That night, Maharaja’s was getting ready to receive new ‘guests’. Students were busy decorating the campus to welcome their juniors. However, those happiest moments were when they chose to eliminate Abhimanyu forever.
How cruel would they have been to destroy a family, its happiness, the hopes of a community, and the joy of an entire campus with a single stab. What could have been the trauma of the newcomers — eagerly waiting to land into what they thought would be dreamland, but instead stepped into a campus dampened and reddened with Abhimanyu’s blood. The Centenary Auditorium of Maharaja’s, which was decked up to welcome the campus’s newcomers, was turned into Abhimanyu’s farewell ground that day. It echoed with his parents’ wails; reverberated with the slogans raised by his comrades bidding adieu to him.
July 1, 2018 was a very normal day, apart from the preparations that were underway for the campus’s new entrants. Nothing unusual was reported, except for a scuffle between students about a wall writing, which is a usual deal on campuses. The scuffle broke out when activists of the Campus Front of India (CFI) painted their name on a wall ‘booked’ by SFI. There was an argument between the two over the issue. To mark their protest against CFI activists, those from SFI overwrote “Vargeeyatha Thulayatte” (Death to Communalism) on CFI’s graffiti. Citing the evening squabble, later that night, a well thought out plan was implemented by members of the National Development Front (NDF) and the Popular Front of India (PFI) to create an insecure atmosphere on campus. They, not students of Maharaja’s, entered the campus with deadly weapons and started attacking SFI activists. Hearing this news, Abhimanyu, who had reached the campus only a few hours before after some organisational work in his hometown, ran to where the attack was happening. PFI members, who seemed extremely trained to commit something like this, proficiently ensured Abhimanyu’s death with a single stab.
Arjun, another SFI activist, who was injured badly along with Abhimanyu, saw a very narrow escape. After days of medical treatment, determined to fight against those who murdered his friend and comrade, Arjun came back to life.
Both Abhimanyu and Arjun must be seen as victims of intolerance. Perpetrators of this intolerance attacked them both for referring to CFI as “communal”, and for publically voicing their dissent against it, by writing “Vargeeyatha Thulayatte”. What else should an organisation which has its political base deep set in religion, be addressed as!
The entire episode was a perfectly scripted one to create panic among the student community of Maharaja’s, who has outrightly rejected CFI for its sectarianism. This incident should be read along with the efforts put forth by CFI for the past few years to gain a foothold and to start a unit at Maharaja’s College, in which they have been unsuccessful due to the zero students’ support. The attack must be seen as part of their strategy and many attempts to disrupt peace and harmony on Kerala’s college campuses — a dominant source of resistance against all kinds of communal politics.
Although one of the accused in Abhimanyu’s murder was recently enrolled at Maharaja’s, most of the others were not even students; some even older than 30 and not even from Ernakulam — clearly indicating how planned the assault was.
Abhimanyu’s life
Comrades in Vattavada remember Abhimanyu’s hastiness in reaching Ernakulam on the 1st of July itself. He set out to Kochi in the afternoon, after attending a village conference organised by DYFI. Since transportation facilities were scarce in his area, he started the journey on a vegetable cart that had come to transport vegetables from his place. He was determined to reach Maharaja’s that night, as he wanted to join the preparations for the next day.
A dalit, first generation learner from a remote village of Kerala’s Idukki district, who struggled throughout his life to reach a renowned college of Kerala for higher studies, smiled, danced and sang with his friends with no insecurities. In two districts, separated by unmeasurable distance, he made regular political interventions. Abhimanyu was a completely political personality.
One would be amazed at the political clarity achieved by a young man of just 20 years of life experience; who spent his entire life in a remote village room that did not have enough space to cry alone or to dream in solitude. Abhimanyu’s political evolution can be traced from his writings on social media. His Facebook notes reveal the politics he believed in to fulfill his dreams. They underline his unending commitment towards his organisation, the politics of which he imbibed till his last breath. His writings also speak volumes about an unyielding spirit of resistance against communalism, very progressive ideas about gender justice and pseudo-morality, assimilation of energy from martyrdoms, in-depth understanding of the need for campus politics, unbound love towards his campus and village, and his firm belief in the role of the Left in resisting communal forces on Kerala’s campuses, especially his own.
“Study and Struggle” is the slogan raised by SFI. Abhimanyu struggled for studying, struggled for equality while studying, and studied to struggle. The walls of his village are filled with SFI’s posters, which must have been pasted by himself. Today, just beside those posters are his smiling faces looking on at the people who have arrived to pay their last tributes to him. Those who killed Abhimanyu, not only struck him or his family, but the dreams of an entire community which remains alienated from all sorts of ‘development’. They chopped off a future scientist who gained life-experiences to understand the smallest needs of the lowest strata of the society. Yes, like Rohit Vemula, Abhimanyu too dreamt of becoming a scientist and improving the many lives in his village and community. He worked and struggled through nights, weekends and vacations.
The number of responsibilities he shouldered along with his academics and his part-time jobs is unimaginable for many of us. Maybe the struggles with his own life must have equipped him with enough strength to endure any pressure. Whatever he achieved in his life were the fruits of his own hard work. In 2018 itself, he assumed multiple new responsibilities — first Secretary of SFI Vattavada Local Committee, SFI Idukki District Committee Member, Mess Secretary of Maharaja’s Boys’ Hostel. Abhimanyu’s teacher, who happens to be NSS Coordinator of the college shared her memory of an efficient NSS Unit Secretary, Abhimanyu, who at the same time also enthusiastically indulged in the Chemistry Department Association’s activities. Through sleepless nights and tireless days, he conquered everyone with his warmth and commitment.
The people in his neighbourhood informed us that whenever he was at the village, he kept on inspiring each and every child there to study more. They fondly remember his strenuous efforts to convince parents to send their children for higher education.
Attacks on SFI activists
Abhimanyu martyrdom points out the necessity to intensify the fight against communalist forces in India’s campuses and society. Across the country, SFI activists are the targets of most fundamentalist-communal attacks — be it ABVP/RSS or NDF/PFI/CFI. Broadly seen, the RSS and NDF (PFI) are not different but the two sides of the same coin, building their politics based on religion and hatred alone.
NDF and CFI have a history of spreading communal venom in society and on campuses. Series of attacks have been unleashed by NDF on SFI activists since some years. A.B. Bijesh, a Joint Secretary of SFI Thrissur District Committee was brutally murdered by the NDF members in 2009 for organising against their fundamentalism. The murder of Abhimanyu, therefore, was simply the latest in this string of attacks.
The very same day of Abhimanyu’s murder, following a protest over the incident, SFI activists in Alappuzha were attacked by PFI members with swords and knives. While this piece is being written, an SFI activist from Madappally college, Sajith, has survived a murder attempt by PFI members.
It is not surprising that all the communal-fundamentalist groups have gotten disturbed by the growing acceptance for SFI’s politics among students, with it existing as the strongest barrier to their infiltration onto campuses, and thus successfully defeating their efforts to communalise our educational institutions.
Responses to the Incident
The gruesome murder of a 20-year-old boy shook the consciousness of the state. A public outcry over the incident sprung up from all corners of the civil society. A widespread solidarity against NDF-PFI’s communal politics was built under SFI’s and other Left-wing forces’ leadership. SFI’s Central Executive Committee called for a national protest to mark resistance against the brutal assault. In all district centres of Kerala, protest meetings were held to project CFI’s political violence. In all campuses, SFI organised various programmes to explain the dangers of communal politics and the violence attached to it. The large participation of students in all of these indicated their growing antagonism against communalism.
The fund collection campaign for Abhimanyu’s family was well-received by the public. From the nooks and corners of the society, people contributed to register their dissent. Within 2 days, SFI Kerala State Committee was able to collect 33 lakhs from campuses alone. To accomplish Abhimanyu’s vision of bringing the younger generations of Vattavada into the mainstream, for which he believed education and knowledge as the means, various campaigns and programmes were initiated by SFI. From across the world, people participated in the book collection campaign carried out to fulfil Abhimanyu’s dream to have a library in his village.
Through their attack, the PFI and NDF were aiming at instilling fear among SFI activists, who play a lead role in combating their communal-fundamental agendas. But what they failed to understand is that these students are part of an organisation which garners strength from countless brave martyrs. They forget to realise that the attacks on the largest student organisation of the country do not demoralise its activists, but in turn, only remind them about their unending responsibility to fight communalism and their incessant obligation to strengthen the secular Left fabric of the society.
As a tribute to Abhimanyu, SFI achieved a thumping victory in the College Union elections of all universities across Kerala. The students of Maharaja’s kept the promise to their comrade by voting down all the communal forces on campus. SFI emerged victorious in Maharaja’s College Union elections with a huge margin. Following this, news of other victories emerged from Rajasthan and other parts of the country. Students in JNU celebrated their win over ABVP by raising slogans remembering Abhimanyu and even wearing t-shirts printed with his immortal smile!
Abhimanyu’s life has shown us that even a person with a half-filled stomach can laugh full-heartedly. He has proven to us that a young man from all sorts of backwardness can radiate incredible energy to those standing around him.
Across the country, more and more students are getting rallied under the flag Abhimanyu held close to his heart till the end. The slogans he raised are being shouted by more. Countless fingers are joining to achieve his dream about a “world that belongs to the alienated and the oppressed”. Abhimanyu continues to be a symbol of resistance. He will remain an eternal source of inspiration for the struggling masses. He lives immortally in the hearts of all generations to come.
Aswathi Rebecca Asok is working as a Research Associate at the Centre for Socio-Economic and Environmental Studies, Kochi, Kerala. Views are personal.
This article was written the same year as the incident.
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