By- Nimisha Raju
I have been active in student politics for the past nine years and have completed my LLM from the School of Legal Thought of MG University. I had gone to the MG varsity campus on Thursday since it was the election to the university senate and I was in-charge of the sub-committee of AISF, the students wing of CPI, there.
I reached the campus along with my friend around 10am and I briefed the AISF councillors about the voting process. We were stationed at a silent area on the campus and the polling was almost getting over. Around 1pm, our polling agent came and joined us. Then, I saw a group of SFI members, including leaders like Arun, who is a personal staff member of the education minister; SFI Ernakulam district president Aarsho and SFI Ernakulam district secretary Amal, walking towards us.
Amal is my colleague and Aarsho my classmate. I was meeting them after a long time due to the pandemic, though I had spoken to them over the phone a few times after I left the campus. I went near Amal and talked to him while holding his hand. We spoke for a while and I returned to where I was standing earlier.
A few minutes later, an AISF member received a phone call and he walked away from the group. We saw a few people approaching him slowly and they asked him whether he was Sahad. When he said he was Sahad, a person named Prajith K Babu slapped him on his left cheek. I was really shocked as I knew almost everyone standing there, including Prajith, Amal, Aarsho, Deepak and Arun. We had all taken part in several campaigns, held discussions and had food together.
As I realized that it was a planned attack, I ran towards them shouting “Eda Adikkalle”. The only word I had said insulting, if so, was “Eda”. When they released Sahad, I held him close to shield him from further attack as he was a small boy. But when I took him towards the police, I was kicked from behind by a person called Shiyaz.
When I returned, I saw AISF state joint secretary K Rishiraj being brutally beaten up. Any AISF member found alone was being attacked. When I ran towards Rishi, they abused me, used casteist slur and physically assaulted me.
I can’t even write all those abuses they hurled at me. I heard them saying that “Thanthayillatha kunjine ninakku undakki tharum” (Will make you give birth to a bastard) and they called me ‘pula**i’, which stunned me. The moment I heard that, my entire body turned numb. Only bad words came from their mouths. I’m shocked by this anti-women attitude harboured by the SFI men.
Then they grabbed me by my shirt, including my left breast. I forced myself out of their hands and guided Rishi towards where the police were standing. On returning I saw Ashokan being beaten up by Amal.
I have all this while been working amid SFI, DYFI and CPM members, and with their help too. I believed that if I were in any sort of trouble, the comrades would be there to protect me. But I was being attacked and insulted.
I am not sad about being attacked, but about being insulted. It was really painful. Now, how can I confidently tell anyone that LDF workers will protect them when my own experience is different? Anyone who follows Left liberal politics will not do this to a colleague or women. The presence of the RSS is evident in SFI. Some people in that organization are carrying the politics of Sangh Parivar, which SFI should realize and correct. That is my demand.
I had mailed a complaint to the Kottayam SP on Thursday night itself and the SP had called me. I informed police that I was at my native Paravur and I was not keeping well due to severe back pain. The party workers took me to a hospital on Saturday. I told the police that it would be difficult for me to travel till Kottayam. They said they will record my statement according to my convenience.
The leadership of the CPI, AIYF and AISF are with me. The Communist party is with me. Now, I stay at the CPI office in Paravur. The party workers told me not to remain at home and have asked me to stay in the party office, which for me is like my home.
