KOZHIKODE: Nida Fathima has become the face of the protest against the system that led to the death of her schoolmate Shehla Sherin due to a snakebite in a classroom on Wednesday. As the media flocked to Government Sarvajana Vocational Higher Secondary Education School in Sultan Bathery on Thursday, where Shehla was bitten by the snake, Nida gave vocal feedback to the media about the stance of a science teacher that delayed Shehla’s hospitalisation.
Her courage of conviction and strong reaction in front of the camera attracted more media following. Soon, she was picked up by a news channel studio for their live telecast. Her vocal and straightforward opinion became the fodder for social media users. Meanwhile, a picture of her clicked by Johnson Pattavayal during a protest by local residents against the night-traffic ban on NH766 in October was construed as her participation in a protest against Shehla’s death.
A post by activist Dr Shimna Azeez, who wrote a poetic tribute to the student’s guts and will and called Nida as the “fiery voice of justice” also brought the girl to the limelight. Overnight, the seventh-standard student of Sarvajana VHSE School became the poster girl for the protest against the system whose failure led to the death of her schoolmate.
As the events panned out, Nida and her picture became a symbol of hope for many young activists. “It gives hope that there are many young Nida Fathimas out there to give voice to justice,” commented an internet user. Many users feared that the young voice may be muffled by powerful forces and that she might be afraid to continue her studies in the same school. “Fame will create more enemies, Take care Nida,” warned a user on a social media platform. TNIE tried to contact Nida and photographer Johnson who clicked the iconic snap. Both did not answer.