Koothuparamba firing victim Comrade Pushpan dies

KANNUR: Koothuparamba firing victim Pushpan (54), bedridden for three decades after the infamous incident, breathed his last on Saturday. He has been undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Kozhikode for the past few days.

Leaders including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had visited Pushpan in the hospital some days ago.

At the age of 24, Pushpan suffered a spinal cord injury in the police firing against the DYFI strike on November 25, 1994, in Koothuparamba. The injury left Pushpan bedridden for a gruesome 30 years. He was a member of CPM North Menapram branch.

Kannur native Pushpan fell in awe with Marxist ideology mostly through his earlier association with Balasangham. he had his schooling at North Menapram LP School and Chokli Ramavilasam School till 8th standard. He was an active SFI activist in school.

Due to penury at home, Pushpan was forced to quit his studies to become an employee at a grocery store in Andipeedika. He also worked in shops in Mysuru and Bengaluru. The Koothuparamba firing happened while Pushpan was on vacation from his work in Bengaluru. Police fired at Pushpan who waved a black flag at Minster M V Raghavan.

KK Rajeev. KV Roshan, Shibulal, Babu and Madhu died in the firing. DYFI later built a house for Pushpan where he lived for the past 30 years, cloistered in the bedroom.