Two days after assailants silenced him, memories of Abhimanyu — his grit and social commitment in the face of abject poverty — continue to leave those who knew the young student of Maharaja’s College teary-eyed.
“A few months ago, he came up with a proposal to construct a house for a homeless or poor student of the college. While accepting his proposal, I suggested that he identify the deserving student. Even then, he never spoke about his life or living conditions,” said C.S. Julie Chandra, National Service Scheme (NSS) programme coordinator of the college and Abhimanyu’s teacher at the Chemistry Department.
His home was little more than a shack, a one-room facility, that measures one-fourth of an average bedroom. Six people including his grandmother were living in that dingy room, said Ms. Chandra, who returned to Kochi in the early hours of Tuesday after attending her student’s funeral.
He was one of the students of the college who hailed from economically weaker families. But no one had any inkling of his privation until they reached his house for his funeral. The depths of his poverty left everyone stumped, she recounted.
Penury, which failed to pin him down, ignited his thoughts and shaped the socially-committed human being in him. Paying no attention to his personal worries, he worked for the welfare of others, she said.
“It was his inexorable passion for serving others that prompted me to suggest his name as the NSS volunteer secretary,” she added.
Unlike many of his fellow students, Abhimanyu was a dreamer, beaming with energy and filled with the drive to help others. He would come up with programmes and ideas for social service. A home constructed by his friends and classmates will be an ideal memorial for him. The idea would be mooted at the next NSS meeting, she said.
Prajini Prakash, another NSS programme officer at the college, was replaying the voice messages that he sent her when The Hindu caught up with her. “He was telling us about the preparations on the campus regarding the national environment summit held last month in which activist Medha Patkar took part,” said Ms. Prakash.
Abhimanyu used to work part-time to raise funds for his sister’s wedding. The possibility of supporting his family would be explored, said Ms. Prakash, an assistant professor of Sanskrit at the college.
