Kerala’s long history of political violence is often reduced to slogans, party statements, and disputed numbers. What tends to disappear in that process are the individual lives, the families, and the moments of extreme brutality that defined entire phases of the state’s political history.
A brutal episode of campus-linked political violence unfolded on the banks of the Pampa River at Parumala on 17 September 1996, when three student activists, Anu, Sujith and Kim, lost their lives in what came to be known as the Parumala murder case.
All three were students of Devaswom Board College, Parumala, and were associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) unit in the institution. They were targeted because of their active organisational involvement, amid heightened political tensions on campus between rival student groups.
According to accounts of the incident, the three students were cornered near the riverbank by a violent mob allegedly comprising workers linked to the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI). They were threatened with death, prompting them to flee the spot in fear.
In an attempt to escape, the students ran towards the Pampa River and jumped into the water, hoping to swim across to safety. As they struggled in the river, assailants stationed on the bank began pelting stones at them. The sustained stone-throwing is said to have prevented the students from swimming effectively, leaving them exhausted and unable to reach the shore.
Local women present on the riverbank at the time, who had been washing clothes, witnessed the incident and attempted to rescue the students. They threw the loose ends of their sarees into the water, urging the boys to hold on so they could be pulled out. However, the attackers chased the women away, hurling abuses and pelting stones at them as well, thwarting the rescue attempt.
All three students eventually drowned in the river in full view of onlookers.
The incident triggered political controversy in Kerala. Allegations were raised against the then Communist government over the handling of the case. Authorities reportedly destroyed/ manipulated crucial evidence, including post-mortem records, and constructed a counter-narrative that the students had been intoxicated and had drowned accidentally.
Using these records, it was alleged, the political leadership was able to evade legal consequences in the case.
The issue later surfaced in the Kerala Legislative Assembly, when MLA T.M. Jacob raised questions regarding the incident. Then Chief Minister EK Nayanar reportedly responded in a dismissive tone, asking why the matter was being pressed so strongly “since they belonged to the RSS,” a remark that drew further criticism and fuelled allegations of political bias.
The personal tragedies surrounding the victims deepened the emotional weight of the case. All three students were only sons in their families.
Anu, who served as the college Arts Club secretary, was known as a multi-talented student active in arts and sports. He was trained in mridangam and tabla and had been part of the Pathanamthitta district junior football team. His father, PC Sasidharan Nair, a retired postal employee, and his mother, a retired school teacher, are described as living amidst his trophies and certificates that remain as reminders of his life.
Kim was also the sole child of his parents. Following news of his death, both parents reportedly went into deep shock and never fully recovered. They later passed away, and in his memory had established a Sree Narayana Guru Smriti Mandiram.
Sujith’s father, Sivadasan Nair, resigned from his overseas employment and returned home after the incident. He is described as continuing to live in grief, maintaining that justice was never fully delivered in his son’s case.
The Parumala killings remain one of the most cited instances of student political violence in Kerala’s campus history, continuing to be referenced in discussions on ideological clashes and their human cost.
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