The judgment delivered by the Thalassery Additional Sessions Court on Monday in the Rijith murder case, following the verdict in the Periya double murder case that shook the state, once again points to the brutality of political murders and the lifelong destruction of families. There are many who do not hesitate to give their lives for political movements. "People's leaders" in high positions pointing a finger would be enough, there are people here who still come down to kill and die for these leaders, without thinking about the future or the fate of their own family. No matter what movement they belong to, those who are killed and accused are generally individuals from the lower ranks.

Rijith, a twenty-five-year-old man from Thalassery Kannapuram, was hacked to death by RSS and BJP workers on the night of October 3, 2005. As if the legal system was being mocked, it took 20 long years to deliver a verdict in the case. Two of Rijith's friends, who were with him when the incident took place, were also injured in the attack. There were ten accused in the case, but one of them died in a car accident. The court sentenced the remaining nine accused to life imprisonment. Each accused has to pay a fine of Rs 110000. According to the court order, nine lakh rupees from the fine amount should be paid to the mother of the murdered Rijith.

When trivial reasons grow into big political enmity, those standing in the opposite quarters have no thought beyond ending the story of the 'enemy'. There will be people at the head of the parties to encourage and provide assistance to this. There is a speciality that two of the accused convicted in Rijith's murder case are Rijith's childhood friends. It is the Political oracles who walk around with murder and attack in mind who should answer Rijith's old mother's question as to what kind of grudge happened between them to kill Rijith in such a way. We should also not forget the fact that only politicians can save the people from the tyrannical politics that are turning the soil of Kerala red with blood every now and then. Only if the party leaderships make up their minds, will a better tomorrow emerge. However, they don't seem to budge.

There will be leaderships to hold a peace conference and organize an all-party meeting but no party leadership will come forward to order its own ranks not to grab the murder knife. That is the curse of the state of Kerala. The grief and tears of the families of those who are killed and those who go to kill with knives are the same. The future life of both parties will be shrouded in darkness. While one family mourns a lost son, husband or brother, the other family mourns those who have gone to jail. All these people should live in the same land. There is no situation here where political animosity should be rooted enough to increase the lamentation of mothers and sisters. Everyone wants nothing but freedom from the political killings that pour fire on ordinary families who are torn between various life crises.