SFI’s Reign of Terror in Kerala Campuses: The Story of Siddharth
Here’s a Kerala story that has not received the coverage it deserves from the national media. This is the story of Siddharth, a 22-year-old second-year student at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Pookode, in the Wayanad district of Kerala. (Yes, Wayanad, the constituency of the opposition leader, Rahul Gandhi.)
Siddharth was found lifeless in his college hostel bathroom on February 18th. What happened is a matter of police investigation as of now. Police have so far arrested 6 accused, who were Siddharth’s seniors in college, most of them members of the SFI (the student wing of the Communist party).
What happened?
It is said that on February 15th, a day after Valentine’s Day, Siddharth expressed his feelings for a girl in the college. This seems to have been the beginning of a series of incidents that would eventually take his life. On the same day, he left for his home in Thiruvananthapuram. However, upon reaching Ernakulam, he decided to return after receiving a phone call from one of his batchmates, Rahan, who is also said to have been close to Siddharth. It is alleged that Rahan made the call under pressure from the seniors.
Upon reaching the college, Siddharth was allegedly stripped and beaten mercilessly. While the details are still murky and the subject of investigation, it is alleged that the torture continued for the next two days. It is also alleged that at least over a hundred other students were aware of what was happening to Siddharth. However, nobody spoke up, apparently for fear of facing the wrath of the SFI, for fear of being meted out the same treatment as Siddharth. It is alleged that Siddharth was not given food or water for 3 days. On February 18th, he was found lifeless in his bathroom.
How could something like this happen without the knowledge of the staff? If, indeed, the staff didn’t know about any of this, are they even fit to continue in their positions? Shouldn’t they also be held accountable for what happened to Sidharth?
When did we come to know about this?
What is atrocious is that although the incident happened between February 15th and 18th, it was only after 7–10 days that the outside world came to know about this brutal incident. Siddharth was apparently a popular singer, which made him unpopular among his seniors.
While several different versions are floating around of what happened, it is said that the SFI member seniors had asked him not to sing or be close to the female students. It is said that Siddharth did not heed those warnings, and he eventually met his cruel fate.
There are also allegations that the girl he proposed was from a certain minority community and that the banned PFI is also behind this. I am not sure if these are mere speculations, but given the context of Kerala, this could very well be a fact.
His postmortem report is proof of the barbaric and primitive manner in which he was beaten up. Apparently, the report confirms that the injuries occurred two to three days before his death. Siddharth suffered head, jaw, and back injuries, according to the report. Remember, all this happened in a college, a ‘Vidyalam’ (temple of education).
Who has reacted?
The BJP in the state has been demanding #JusticeForSidharth , and local congress leaders have also been vocal about this issue. As expected, Communist leaders have remained largely quiet.
Do you know who is the quietest of them all? No prizes for guessing! Yes, it is the Wayanad MP, Rahul Gandhi. The man wants to be the PM of 1.4 billion people, but he still does not seem to have heard of the brutal torture and death of a young student in his own constituency. And he clearly does not want to antagonize the Communists right now. He knows that he will not be able to win the Wayanad seat without the silent support of the Communists in the state. What a shame!
Kerala College Campuses and Communism
Anyone who has attended college in Kerala is familiar with the terror unleashed by the SFI on the campuses. This has continued for decades. Although there have been calls to end campus politics in Kerala, this has not materialized due to the open and covert support of the Communist and Congress parties in the state
When I was sixteen and getting ready to join college, I remember my mother begging me to stay away from any kind of college politics or politicians. I was, of course, a timid guy at the time, and I wanted to stay away from any kind of trouble as well. After all, the loss is for the family.
What Next?
This incident is an eye-opener on how an entire generation is growing up without a spine, without feeling the need, and without having any sense of responsibility to respond to things happening around them. We all need to be alarmed if it is indeed true that a hundred-odd students knew about what was happening to Siddharth and yet decided to keep quiet out of fear. This should also serve as a reality check about the new generation that we are shaping, which is extremely selfish and only interested in minding their own business.
Another life has been cut short. Will Siddharth be the last in the long list of lives lost to campus politics in Kerala? Certainly not! Will this put an end to campus politics in Kerala? Most certainly not! What’s tragic in this case is that Siddharth was not involved in any kind of campus politics! Yet, his life was snatched away by a bunch of college political goons. His father, who works in the Middle East, came down upon hearing the shocking news. One look at him, and it’s difficult to stop your eyes from welling up. In an interview, he burst into tears, asking why his son was not given a drop of water even during his last moments.
Is this going to change anything on the Kerala campuses? Once the dust settles on this incident, it will be business as usual for these shameless political parties. I hope that at least the police and the judiciary provide justice to the victim and his family. I pray that the culprits are given the harshest punishment possible.
