A village in Kollam has come together to take care of ailing parents of an 18-year-old youth, Harikrishnan, who was allegedly killed in a gang attack during a temple festival. The residents have formed an action committee to ensure legal justice and financial security for the family.

They remember Harikrishnan as a youth who worked very hard to take care of his two ailing parents, who had faced health setbacks that left them unable to work. According to  Bahuleyan, the President of the local SNDP branch, his father had a stroke, which affected his mobility, while his mother had a disability in her hand, which made it difficult for her to work. 

Coming from a modest family that struggled to make ends meet, both Harikrishnan and his elder brother Jayakrishnan used to take up daily wage work during holidays to pay for their parents' medication and their own education. "They always kept out of trouble. Because of their background, their priority was to work hard and earn money," says Bahuleyan.

However, around midnight on March 3, the two brothers found themselves in the middle of an unintended scuffle, which turned out to be fatal. The duo had arrived at the Maruthady Devi Temple in Sakthikulangara following an invitation from a relative who had made an offering for the festival. As a result, the brothers attended the procession, standing at the front of the gathering. 

During the event, a group that complained their view was blocked by the duo began swearing at them. Taking offence at the brothers' request for politeness, the group began questioning them. Upon learning that they were not from the region, they pulled the two aside and beat them up.

Bahulayan says that Harikrishnan suffered significant brain injuries during the attack and was brain-dead upon arriving at the hospital. According to police reports, one of the accused had hit him on his head using a wooden block. Three days later, on March 6, he died.

According to the villagers, Jayakrishnan was in severe shock after witnessing the murder of his younger brother. "He is very shaken by the incident. However, he is somehow pulling through to support his grieving parents," says Remani, the ward member of Iverkala, in the Kunnathoor Panchayat.

Jayakrishnan had put off his education to put his younger brother through school. "He did not join any college after plus two. He did daily wage jobs and paid for his brother's education," says Bahuleyan. It was after Harikrishnan graduated that they both enrolled in the Government Polytechnic College in Manakala together. "Although they were enrolled in different courses, they went to college together," says Bahuleyan.

Harikrishnan was academically gifted and ambitious, said residents. "He had dreams of joining the army. He even worked extra hours on holidays to pay for the coaching," says Bahuleyan. 

Since Harikrishan had contributed to the family's income, his death has raised a lot of questions regarding their sustenance. With no one else to support the family through their tremendous grief, the entire village now rallies behind them. On Monday evening, they constituted an action committee for two causes. The first is to ensure the family's financial security, and the second is to make sure that the accused do not get away and that justice is served. For this, the village had begun a crowdfunding initiative.

The committee plans to visit the Chief Minister and submit a request seeking efficient investigation and the appointment of a special public prosecutor for the case. "We also hope to secure a stable government job for Jayakrishnan, as he is the only hope for the family's financial sustainability now," says Bahulayan.

Following the incident, the Sakthikulangara Police have arrested six people in connection with the case. Those apprehended are Vimal (48), Sanal Kumar (52), Ratheesh Kumar (51), Shamil Raj (50), Sunil Kumar (58), and Shibin (24).