Dalit activist Chitralekha dies of cancer after long battle against CPM

Chitralekha’s struggle against the CPM garnered support from various quarters. Her experience also spread light to the Left party’s perceived anti-Dalit stance.

KANNUR: Chitralekha (48), a prominent Dalit rights activist known for her fight against the CPM for her right to livelihood, passed away after battling cancer. She was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kozhikode and was declared dead on Saturday by 3 AM.

Chitralekha’s conflict with the CPM began in 2004 when she started working as an auto-rickshaw driver at the Edatt stand. A dispute with the CITU (the CPM’s trade union) escalated after her auto was set on fire by unidentified individuals.

Her life was marked by struggles and controversies, from marrying a man outside her caste to taking on the CPM. Chitralekha accused the CPM of retaliating against her for marrying Sreeshkanth, a Vadakara native from a different community. The couple moved to Edatt, where both worked as auto-rickshaw drivers. However, Chitralekha faced fierce opposition from the CITU, which barred her from operating at the local stand.

The situation escalated when the CITU banned her from the Payyanur Edatt rickshaw stand. Chitralekha lodged a police complaint, alleging caste-based insults from the CITU local leaders, which led to further attacks. In December 2005, the burning of her auto became a significant incident, sparking widespread attention in Kannur.

Chitralekha’s struggle against the CPM garnered support from various quarters. Her experience also spread light to the Left party’s perceived anti-Dalit stance. She named her second auto, brought through donations, “Mayilamma,” but the CITU continued to block her access to the stand. She was even ostracized from her village, prompting her to stage a 122-day protest in front of the Kannur Collectorate, demanding the right to earn a living. The strike ended without resolution, leading to a further 47-day protest at the state secretariat.

In 2015, after years of struggle, the Oommen Chandy-led government granted Chitralekha land and financial assistance to build a house. However, the following Left government under Pinarayi Vijayan reversed the decision. Chitralekha successfully challenged the move in court and ultimately built her house.

In 2016, she contested the Aruvikkara assembly seat as a BSP candidate. Her story was mentioned in films as well. Her struggle with CITU was loosely mentioned in the Malayalam film Higuita released in 2023. In 2018 British Screenwriter Fraser Scott also began to develop an adaptation of her life.

Chitralekha also faced controversy over her reported religious conversion. In her final days, she suffered from pancreatic cancer. Her family had raised allegations that Malabar Cancer Centre at Kodiyeri refused to give her proper treatment after knowing her identity. Her body will be brought to her home at 9 am on Sunday and cremated at the Payyambalam beach public crematorium by 10:30 am She is survived by her husband Sreeshkanth, son Manu, and daughter Megha.

Courtesy: New Indian Express

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