Chithralekha, a Dalit woman auto driver who made it to the national headlines through her lonely crusade against the upper class left political domination in Kannur District of Kerala, is once again on the path of struggle, against the continuing attack by the CPM trade union leadership in the locality.
An alleged CPM worker did serious damage to her auto rickshaw, which she got from the state Government after an year long struggle in front of the Secretariat complex in Thiruvananthapuram. All this is happening while the CPM is leading an agitation against the alleged suppression by the BJP led NDA government at the centre. The Police confirmed that they received a complaint from Chitralekha in this regard. A case has been registerd against a CPM
worker Abhilash.
In 2005, she bought an Auto rikshaw for a living. The CITU, which is the trade union wing of CPM started creating problems for her by calling her names on her Dalit identity and began to harass her.
The scenario turned ugly when the alleged CITU members set her Auto rickshaw on fire and put posters in the locality terming her as prostitute. Above all, the CPM put social ban on her family and they were forced to flee from their home to other place and live almost in hide. There were attempts of murder of her brother-in-law. The killers aimed for her husband but they misjudged the target.
With the support of some local Dalit organisations, she began her struggle in front of the District Collectorate against the mighty CPM and sought relief and protection from the Government. Later after few years of struggle, the Government allotted her land to build a house and also gave financial assistance to buy an Auto Rickshaw.
‘The Pulaya women shouldn’t run an Auto Rickshaw’ was the decision by the CPM leadership on my misery,’ says the 39 year old lady. Pulaya caste is one of the most downtrodden classes in Kerala’s Scheduled caste. However, Chithralekha is pinning hope on the district administration
as she has given a detailed
complaint to the District Collector P Balakiran seeking steps to end the assault on her.
Anu Narayanan
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