Simon Britto Rodrigues
Simon Britto Rodrigues (27 March 1954 – 31 December 2018) was an Indian politician and writer. He was an Anglo-Indian member in the Kerala Legislative Assembly during the term of Left Democratic Front government from 2006 to 2011. He was a wheelchair user for the most part of his life, a result of being stabbed at a college in Ernakulam, which caused serious injury to his vertebrae.
Simon Britto Rodrigues | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Former nominated Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 1 June 2006 – 30 May 2011 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 March 1954 Ponjikkara, Ernakulam District, Kerala |
| Died | 31 December 2018 (aged 64) Thrissur, Kerala |
| Political party | CPI(M) |
| Spouse(s) | Seena Bhaskar ( m. 1998) |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | His Highness the Maharajas Government Law College, Ernakulam |
Early life
Simon Britto Rodrigues was born to Nichlos Rodrigues and Irin Rodrigues on 27 March 1954, in Pongikkara, Ernakulam District, Kerala.[1] Britto was an active member of Students' Federation of India (SFI), he is a former student of St. Albert's College, Ernakulam, Government Law College, Ernakulam, Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Law Academy Law College, Thiruvananthapuram, Lalit Narayan Mithila University. in his college days during 80's. In 1983, he became the Kerala state vice president of SFI and in a violent clash between student unions, he got his lower body paralyzed. Even after the attack, Britto was active in mainstream politics and continued to be in office till 1988. Ten years later he married Seena Bhaskar.[2] From 2006 to 2011, he was a nominated MLA representing the Anglo-Indian community.[3] A living martyr of SFI, he was a great optimist and a perennial source of optimism to people around him. With his wheel-chair, urine bottle, and walker, he had travelled across the country.[4]
Britto was last seen in public as a part of mourning Abhimanyu, an SFI activist from Maharaja's College, who was murdered by his political opponents on 2 July 2018, with whom he had a very special relationship. He then remembered that Abhimanyu, whom he met during a TV interview, was a regular visitor to his home, and was like a son to him. He also remembered the help given by Abhimanyu, and strongly condemned his murder. He also switched on the biopic about Abhimanyu, titled 'Padmavyoohathile Abhimanyu', in which he starred as himself, at Sree Kerala Varma College in Thrissur, on 9 October 2018.
Britto died suddenly of a heart attack at a hotel room in Thrissur on 31 December 2018, aged 64. He is survived by his wife Seena, a journalist, and daughter Nilavu.[3]
Literary contributions
Britto authored a couple of novels: Agragami and Maharandram. Agragami won a Sakthi award and a Patyam Gopalan award. He was a state representative of Kerala Grandhasala Sangam.[1]
He wrote "Maharaja’s Abhimanyu", a book in the memory of Abhimanyu who was killed in Maharajas College by Campus Front of India activists.[5]
References
- "Simon Britto Rodrigues" (PDF). Kerala Legislative Assembly. 16 September 2006 – via www.niyamasabha.org.
- Basheer, K.P.M. (23 July 2006). "Courage under fire". The Hindu.
- Thiruvananthapuram (31 December 2018). "Simon Britto passes away". The Hindu.
- "Simon Britto, Wheelchair-bound former MLA's India Tour |Kannadi 25 Oct 2015". YouTube. Asianet News. 26 October 2015.
- "Britto's book on Maharaja's and Abhimanyu released". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
