25-year-old Maneesha, who made the headlines just six months ago for selling fish despite being a graduate, met with a tragic accident that wiped away the optimistic smile that she always wore.
The story of two graduates - Maneesha and her friend Priya - selling fish for a living in Kerala had made quite a splash in the media. Maneesha's cheerful face had been part of many a news report. However, her dreams came to a cruel end.
On Tuesday, however, her life was tragically cut short after she met with an accident. A lorry rammed into her scooter, killing her on the spot.
Maneesha was driving the scooter, with her 50-year-old friend Abhimanyu riding pillion. Abhimanyu, who is a member of the CITU - a CPI (M) affiliated trade union, is undergoing treatment at Taluk hospital in Paravur.
The accident happened at Munambam, near Vypine in Kochi.
"The body was handed over to relatives on Wednesday," the Vadakkekara police said.
The duo was reportedly traveling from Kochi to Thrissur. They had gone to Kochi to complete the formalities of getting a passport for Abhimanyu.
Background
Hailing from Thrissur, Maneesha was the daughter of Jayasenan and Mani of Valappad, Kothakulam.
She used to sell fish on the wayside of Ayyanthol in Thrissur along with her friend Priya. The duo had been friends since their graduation days.
Priya is a law student at an institute in Bengaluru and is pursuing a correspondence course. Maneesha carried on selling fish by herself, even as Priya used to go to Bengaluru to attend classes in between.
Priya’s father used to sell fish in Ayyanthol for many years and had stopped his trade after he broke his hand.
The women would buy fish from Chettuva harbour and bring it to Ayyanthol. They first began selling fish in flats and later set up a fish stall.
After completing their graduation, the women were not sure of what to do and faced a bleak future, as they both hailed from poor families.
According to a report which appeared in Deshabhimani online, they had initially tried for other jobs but finally decided to enter this field, as they were both familiar with the trade.