In May, Nikhila Sajeev, a first-year student of University College in Thiruvananthapuram, attempted to take her own life following harassment from members of the Student Federation on India (SFI), the student wing of the CPI(M). Although it had made news then, she did not garner enough support from other students. It did not raise an agitation amongst the students then, as it has been since Friday, when a student of the same college, Akhil, was stabbed by the same SFI members.
Nikhila, however, believes that the recent incident could have been averted if she had the support of other students then. The 18-year-old was found lying injured in the toilet of the campus, with a note accusing SFI workers of harassment. She left the college after the incident and even withdrew the suicide note. 
Recalling the incident, Nikhila tells TNM, “I couldn’t get much support from the students after I attempted to take my life. It may be because I was a first-year student of the college, or maybe the timing of when it happened, as it was around the vacation time, or simply because the students were afraid. But had I received this kind of support from students then, the current incident could have been prevented,” says Nikhila.