CPI(M) activist Pushpan, a survivor of the 1994 Koothuparamba firing incident, passes away.
Thiruvanthapuram: CPM activist Pushpan, who had been completely bedridden since sustaining injuries in the 1994 Koothuparamba firing, passed away at a hospital in Kozhikode on Saturday.
He had been receiving treatment in the hospital for over two months for various health issues. In November 1994, he suffered severe spinal cord injuries when the police fired during a protest against the then Cooperation Minister M V Raghavan in Koothuparamba, resulting in the death of five activists.
Pushpan's body will be taken to Kannur at 8 am on Sunday. Following the public homage at Thalassery Town Hall at 10:30 am, it will be placed at Menapram Ramavilasam School at noon.
Later, at 5 pm, the mortal remains will be taken to his residence in Chokli.
Pushpan, a symbol of resistance for nearly three decades, is an inspiring memory for the party men. For the DYFI, it is an irreplaceable symbol of the Koothuparamba struggle.
Born to agricultural labourers, Pushpan received formal education up to the eighth grade.
An active party worker in his hometown, he travelled to Bengaluru by train to support his family, finding work in a grocery store.
During his return home for a holiday, Kerala was in the throes of the anti-self-financing college agitation, which Pushpan joined. This involvement led him to participate in the protest held on November 25, 1994, to prevent minister Raghavan from entering Koothuparamba.
The protest escalated to police firing, resulting in the deaths of DYFI district president K K Rajeevan, district secretariat member K V Roshan, and activists Shibulal, Madhu, and Babu.
Raghavan, then the minister for co-operation, was scheduled to inaugurate the evening branch of the Urban Bank at Koothuparamba. Approximately 2,000 DYFI activists were stationed in Koothuparamba and nearby areas to obstruct Raghavan.
When Minister Raghavan arrived, a clash took place between the police and the agitators. After a lathicharge, the crowd turned violent and started pelting stones. At this stage the police opened fire hitting Pushpan on the back of his neck/. The injury to his spinal cord paralyzed the body from the neck down.