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A youth from Thampalakad in Kerala's Kottayam district committed suicide after scheduling an Instagram post claiming repeated sexual harassment by workers of the Hindutva paramilitary outfit Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, causing considerable outrage.
In the post, he alleged that he was raped at the age of four and had been sexually abused by other RSS members.
Ananthu Aji, 23, who worked as a software engineer, said,” I’m committing suicide not because of any girl, love affair, debt, or anything like that. I’m doing this because of my anxiety and depressive episodes. Also, because of my medicines, I can’t concentrate on my work.”
He further said, “I feel like I’m forgetting things and can’t focus. I’m not angry with anyone, except one person and an organization. The organization is RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), which my father (a very good person) made me join. That’s where I’ve suffered lifelong trauma, from the organization and that person,” he said.
He said he was a survivor of rape and long-term sexual abuse, explaining that he had endured severe mistreatment throughout his life.
He shared that he had been undergoing therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) for about a year and a half and had been on medication for the past six months, Maktoob Media reported.
According to him, the abuse began in childhood, when a neighbour named N.M. — whom he had trusted as a brother and family friend and who, he alleged, was an active RSS-BJP worker — repeatedly assaulted him sexually. He said the trauma from those experiences had lasting effects and was linked to his later diagnosis of OCD. At the time, he added, he did not realise how deeply the abuse had affected him.
He further alleged that during his participation in RSS training camps, including the ITC and OTC programs, he was subjected to both sexual and physical violence, such as being beaten with sticks.
He cautioned others against developing close personal ties with members of the RSS, which he described as an environment where serious abuse had taken place.
He described members of the RSS as deeply toxic, alleging that they were responsible for severe sexual and physical abuse. He said that while he no longer remembers the abuser’s name, he suffered assaults at both ITC and OTC camps, where he was also beaten with sticks without provocation.
According to him, such abuse is not limited to the past but continues in current RSS camps, with members allegedly exploiting and harming others. He urged people never to associate with members of the organisation, claiming that it fosters an abusive environment.
He explained that he decided to speak out because he had managed to survive and escape the abuse, saying that although he lacked physical evidence, his own life stood as testimony to what he endured.
He said he was coming forward as part of his healing process after years of deep trauma and expressed hope that no child should ever have to go through similar experiences.
Appealing to parents, he urged them to provide their children with proper sex education and to teach them about “good touch” and “bad touch.” He also encouraged parents to spend time with their children and show understanding rather than anger, stressing that a child’s mind is extremely vulnerable and that a harmful environment can inflict lasting psychological damage.
He reflected that childhood trauma never truly disappears and remains a lifelong burden, emphasising that no child should experience what he went through. He urged parents to be alert, pointing out that abusers can exist in any environment, and said that children often remain silent out of fear — making a trusting relationship with parents crucial for their safety and emotional health.
He said he did not hold resentment toward his wider community, except for the individual who had abused him.
At the same time, he expressed pain and confusion over the hostility he had sensed from some people who were once close to him, questioning whether their anger stemmed from his criticism of the BJP and RSS or from his support of his sister’s choices, including her intercaste relationship.
He added that while some might try to hold his sister, Ammu, responsible for his decision to take his own life, she bore no blame for his struggles.
A relative of Ananthu said that police investigating his death have taken note of the grave allegations he made in his Instagram post.
V.K. Sanoj, Vice Chairman of the DYFI Kerala State Committee, urged authorities to conduct a thorough inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his death.
He also demanded that those from the RSS whom he described as “criminals responsible for Ananthu’s death” be held accountable under the law.