The story of Kathiroor Manoj, a dedicated swayamsevak and an virulent perpetration of ‘political murders’ in the district. Apitome of such politics is P Jayarajan, scornfully known as Yamarajan.
Now Manoj’s family lives in a newly built house,away from where they lived when Manoj, Kannur Zilla Sharirik Pramukh, was murdered on September 1, 2014. Still under the grip of trauma, his brother Sudhi aggrievedly narrated the story. An active CPM worker in the early years, Manoj was later attracted to RSS due to the influence of his friends. The Party warned Manoj several times against his proximity to Swayamsevaks as it is forbidden in CPM strongholds but he did not succumb to the diktat of the party.
The village, East Kathiroor is home turf of P Jayarajan. As many youth joined RSS with Manoj, the party began to see him as a major threat to his and party's existence. Sudhi remembers that he was once warned by Jayarajan. “You should control your brother, otherwise his legs will be chopped off,” he threatened Sudhi. His younger sister Dhanya says, “Jayarajan himself came to the house and warned us several times. In 1997, when I was in standard VI our house was attacked by the party goons.” This is the way the Party torments the family of ‘traitors’.
The cruel and shocking death of Manoj came just a year his mother's death. His brother explained, “The peace seemingly prevailed in the previous years made us believe that Manoj was no more a target of the party.” The road approaching to their house was not broad enough so Manoj used to park his vehicle at a distant place, in a RSS stronghold. Some local communist leaders offered to broaden the path. “It was a sinister plot of the Party”, tells his brother and sister in same voice.
Pramod, a friend of Manoj who is a eyewitness, recounted the incident in a trembling voice, “At around at 10.30 am, we were on the way back to home. Suddenly somebody threw a bomb at our car. When the bomb busted, the glass pieces pierced the eyes of Manoj who was on driving seat.” The vehicle lost its control and stuck between an electric post. It was Prabhakaran, who stabbed Manoj on his chest. He revealed to the Organiser that he was threatened by the communist party goons.
On being asked if they ever advised Manoj to quit RSS, his sister Dhanya shot a counter question, “What did my brother do wrong?” Yes, he did nothing wrong. But in Kannur, being a Swayamsevak in a party village is a cardinal sin, unpardonable for CPM in Kannur”. As far as the case is concerned, there are total 25 accused including P Jayarajan. Now the case is with CBI. The sadistic and fanatic mind-set of barbarians is such that on first death anniversary they symbolically hanged dogs on the spot where he was murdered. n
