CPM receives complaint as Abhimanyu martyr fund reportedly goes missing

Thiruvananthapuram: Allegations of major fund misappropriation have surfaced against a pro-CPM group that reportedly attempted to raise scholarship money for underprivileged students in the name of Abhimanyu, a young SFI cadre and student at Maharajas College. Abhimanyu was allegedly stabbed to death in 2018 by activists of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI), its student wing Campus Front of India (CFI), and its political arm SDPI.

The funds raised in Abhimanyu's name are reportedly missing, and a complaint has been filed with the Thiruvananthapuram CPM district committee regarding the matter.

The collection drive was reportedly conducted by a group named ‘Manaveeyam Theruvidam Culture Collective’. Although the members are either CPM activists or members of the Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangham, they claim to be completely unaware of the collection drive.

Abhimanyu, who was also a member of the SFI Idukki district, was murdered on July 2, 2018. The murder of the young man, who hailed from a tribal agricultural family in Vattavada, sent shockwaves across Kerala.

People became emotional, and funds flowed continuously after the initiation of the collection drive. Left thinker K.E.N. Kunhahamed contributed his entire cash prize from an award towards the ‘cause’. People from various walks of life made significant contributions.

However, complainants allege that no bank account has been opened in the name of the Abhimanyu Endowment and claim that even the family members of the boy were unaware of such an effort.

In response to the allegations, the organisers of the collection drive stated that they have deposited Rs 3.5 lakhs in a Kerala Bank account for the ‘purpose’. The complainants, who are mostly CPM members, argue that a substantial amount of money has been collected in the name of the scholarship without any receipts or records.

Vinod Vaisakhi, a key member of both PuKaSa and the Manaveeyam Theruvidam Collective, has asserted that there are records of the money collected for the cause. He also mentioned that the money would be distributed among eligible students. 

“The pandemic delayed the proceedings. We have asked the authorities at the Vattavada school, where Abhimanyu studied, to identify eligible students. We plan to distribute the interest earned from the deposited money annually as scholarships,” Vaisakhi explained.