Slain SFI leader Abhimanyu’s sister Kausalya’s wedding took place on Sunday morning in Vattavada, Idukki. Kausalya and Kovilur native Madhusudanan got married at Vattavada Kuriakose Elias Maidan in a wedding ceremony arranged by the CPI(M).
Several senior CPI(M) leaders attended the wedding, including Electricity Minister MM Mani, CPM state committee member Gopi Kottamurikal, Idukki MP Joyce George, Devikulam MLA S Rajendran and CPM Idukki district secretary KK Jayachandaran. CPI(M) Central Committee member MV Govindan master handed over the thali to the groom during the wedding, which was solemnised as per Tamil rituals.
Back on October 6, Abhimanyu’s parents Manoharan and Bhoopathi had invited “everyone” in Kerala to Kausalya’s marriage and, in particular, all the students and teachers at Abhimanyu’s college, and those who had visited their home after Abhimanyu’s murder.
The wedding, which was earlier planned to be held in August, was postponed due to Abhimanyu’s demise.
A group of teachers and students from Maharaja’s College and a large number of CPM sympathisers also attended the function. Among them was Maharaja’s College student Arjun Krishna, who was stabbed, allegedly by Campus Front of India (the student wing of Popular Front of India) workers, in the same horrific incident that claimed young Abhimanyu’s life back in July.
“Over 1,500 people attended the marriage function from various parts of the state. CPI(M) managed all the wedding expenses. CPI(M) workers and their family members actively participated in the function,” Vattavada gram panchayat President P Ramraj told TNM.
An SFI leader and second year BSc student at Maharaja’s College, 20-year-old Abhimanyu was stabbed to death inside the hostel premises on 1 July, allegedly by CFI and SDPI activists following a clash regarding the use of college walls by the various student unions for sticking posters.
After his death, Abhimanyu’s family was “adopted” by the CPI(M). Recently, the CPM district leadership had also purchased a plot measuring 10 cents on the Vattavada-Kottakkamboor road in Idukki and began the construction of a new home for his family.