Thiruvananthapuram: Number 13 has always been considered jinxed or unlucky. However, many eye brows were raised when Kerala assembly member Simon Britto fiercely argued that he be allotted Room No. 13 in the old block of the MLA Hostel. Now that he is staying in Room No 13, hopefully others would gather enough guts to follow the suit.
It is interesting to note that Britto who is a nominated member from the Anglo-Indian community, had been hotly pursuing this demand for the last many months as the hostel had only Room Nos. 12, 12 A, 12 B, and then 14, which saw the omission of 13. Probably the number would have purposefully left out when the building was opened in 1959, because of the superstitions that go with this number.
Britto decided to take up this cause of number 13 when he was allotted Room Nos. 12 A and 12B in 2006. When he found that room no. 13 does not exist in the hostel, he immediately wrote letters to the government and to the speaker pointing out this fact. Britto who is a staunch CPI (M) member believes that governments should not be superstitious. It is curious to note that Britto was allotted Room No.13 on his 54th birthday. Since 1988, Britto is confined to a wheel chair when as a Students Federation of India activist; he was stabbed in a political clash.
