The suicide of a 28-year-old man over not being able to find a job, despite securing a rank in the Kerala Public Service Commission list, sparked protests in several parts of the state on Sunday. The police used water cannons to disperse protesters in front of the Secretariat.
Youth outfits such as the Youth Congress, Muslim Youth League and Yuva Morcha staged protests citing the case of S. Anu, who was found hanging at his home in Thiruvananthapuram. His suicide note revealed that he had taken the extreme step as he was unable to find a job.
Anu had secured the 77th rank in the Kerala Public Service Commission list for civil excise officer. However, he did not get a job after the list was cancelled as all vacancies were reportedly filled.
A relative of the deceased was quoted by PTI as saying that Anu was depressed after not securing a job.
“He had the 77th rank in the civil excise officer rank list, but the PSC cancelled the list and he was depressed. He was not speaking to anyone, not eating properly, sitting alone in the dark and all,” the relative told PTI.
The PSC, meanwhile, said that there was no lapse on the part of the commission.
The Opposition has also rallied behind the agitation with KPCC president Mullapally Ramachandran and opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala staging protests and urging the LDF government to provide support to Anu’s family.
Chennithala visited the bereaved family and slammed the PSC for its apathy towards job seekers.
“Anu has become a martyr to the lack of kindness of the LDF government and the PSC. While 72 persons in the rank list were given jobs in the excise department, eight more vacancies were not reported, which resulted in Anu not getting the job,” Chennithala said, adding that the death could have been avoided had the PSC extended the validity of the list.
Ramachandran, meanwhile, demanded that a case be registered against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and PSC Chairman M.K. Sakeer for driving Anu to take the extreme step.
Former CM Oommen Chandy has also put his weight behind the opposition and called out the high-handedness of the state government.
The CPM MLA in Parassala, C.K. Hareendran, had earlier visited the family at their house, but local youth leaders protested his statement justifying the cancellation of the PSC list while alleging that the state government is responsible for Anu’s death.
