see program about chithralekha in indiavision, which was aired today morning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2nBbBGp_3s On Sat, Jan 23, 2010 at 11:25 PM, gk31.vinod gk31.vinod < [email protected]> wrote: > Hi Chandrakumar, > > I used the word, Unbelievable in a negative sense, i.e. it should not occur > in kannur. Please *share the other similar incidents at Kannur.* I very > well know that Pinrayi vijayan & Co., has led the party for elite class not > who struggles. > > Regards, > GK V > > On Sat, Jan 23, 2010 at 10:48 AM, chandra kumar <[email protected]>wrote: > >> ''I would have shared many things about Kannur activism; but not now.'' >> -----why? >> >> On Sat, Jan 23, 2010 at 1:52 AM, gk31.vinod gk31.vinod < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Unbelievable ! >>> Does this happen in kerala, that too in KANNUR, the marxist's own land ! >>> >>> >>> >>> On Fri, Jan 22, 2010 at 7:47 PM, jenny rowena >>> <[email protected]>wrote: >>> >>>> Dear Friends, Most of you must be aware of Chithra Lekha *(please see >>>> details of her case below)* and her brave struggle to make a living as >>>> an auto rickshaw driver in Kannur, Kerala. Many of us had contributed to >>>> help her procure an auto rickshaw after it was burned, allegedly by CITU >>>> activists. >>>> >>>> >>>> Recently, Chithra Lekha was trapped in what she says is a false case and >>>> taken to the police station and beaten up. Though she has been let off now, >>>> she has many injuries and has no way to question the violence that has >>>> happened to her. *(A detailed report of the incident by Venugopal who >>>> visited Chithra Lekha and talked to her, is given below).* >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Though a few people have been trying for a whole day, we are finding >>>> it difficult to get many people at the local level to intervene actively in >>>> this case. There are not many who are ready to stand against the CPM or >>>> CITU. And some of those who raised their voices are penalised for the same. >>>> Chithra finds herself alone in many ways and is so distressed that she is >>>> even thinking of surrendering the auto rickshaw that she has procured with >>>> all our help and going back to the life of exile as before If this happens >>>> then it would be like the local goons have succeeded in driving out a Dalit >>>> woman from her village and stopped her from doing the work that she had >>>> wanted and chosen to do. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Friends if we do not do anything now soon it might be too late. It would >>>> be like we are standing and watching while a woman who has put up such a >>>> brave struggle is ostracized and thrown out of her own native place. Let us >>>> please all stand in solidarity with Chithra Lekha at this juncture. >>>> Please respond to this issue as soon as possible. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> We are thinking of a fact finding commission and also making the issue >>>> publicly known. Whoever is interested in joining the commission please >>>> write >>>> to us. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Please make this issue known widely and let as many people as possible >>>> decide to intervene. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Also please call up Chithra Lekha and extend your moral support to her >>>> at this point. >>>> >>>> Here are her numbers: *9526128764* and *9744361941* >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Any other help and suggestion is also welcome >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Anil Tharayath Varghese – 009971170738 >>>> >>>> K M Venugopal - 9447488215 >>>> >>>> Jenny Rowena P - 09868216719 >>>> >>>> Carmel Christy – 09958500931 >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> *Given below is a Report of what happened recently by K M Venugopal, >>>> who was a member of the 2008, Chithra Lekha rehabilitation committee:* >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> The Payyanur Auto Workers, CITU is again continuing its policy of hatred >>>> toward the couple, one of whom is a dalit woman whose auto rickshaw had >>>> been set fire and destroyed in 2005 December, following a series of >>>> incidents >>>> of harassment at work place. The incident narrated by Chithralekha and her >>>> husband Sreeshkanth, is >>>> as follows: >>>> >>>> This morning, Chithralekha was about to park her auto rikshaw in front >>>> of a medical shop to buy medicine for their son who had received a >>>> sting by honey bee. She was also accompanied by Sreeshkanth, her husband. >>>> One Mr Ramachandran who is an office bearer of the Autorikhaw Union of >>>> Payyanur menacingly asked her to move her auto away from the parking >>>> spot. She replied that she had the lawful permit to park and had every >>>> right >>>> to do so. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> An altercation followed between the couple and a few auto workers. >>>> After a few moments, a police jeep arrived and bundled the couple to the >>>> vehicle. They got severely beatings by the autoworkers even as they got >>>> into >>>> the jeep and in presence of the police. When Chithralekha told the >>>> Inspector >>>> that her valuables and cash were inside the auto rickshaw, the officer >>>> assured them that that would be taken care of. >>>> >>>> >>>> After reaching the Police Station, the couple were severely beaten. A >>>> woman police Officer beat Chithralekha black and blue and her sari was >>>> almost pulled off. Later, Sreeshkanth was taken to the hospital for a check >>>> for intoxication; though Chithralekha also was compelled to get examined, >>>> she protested and resisted the move, sensing that the police were >>>> acting in a biased manner and they would get her booked for driving >>>> inebriated under a false testimony by some doctor. >>>> >>>> Chithralekha was later released but had to go to the hospital due to her >>>> injuries. She has injuries all over the body and also in the lower stomach. >>>> She is not only in great pain, but is also left almost alone without no >>>> help >>>> from any one in questioning the actions of the union workers and the >>>> police. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> *The Chithra Lekha Case* >>>> >>>> * * >>>> >>>> Chithra Lekha was born into a Pulaya family, which is an ex-untouchable >>>> caste in Keralam. After her marriage to Shreeshanth a Thiyya (an OBC caste) >>>> auto driver, she went on to buy an auto rickshaw - KL 13L 8527 in Chitra >>>> Lekha’s name under the PMRY loan scheme. >>>> >>>> The auto stand in Payyannur in which Chithra Lekha wanted to drive her >>>> auto was controlled by the CITU, the trade union that belongs to the >>>> Communist Party of India, Marxist (CPI (M)). In order to drive her auto, >>>> Chithra Lekha had to be granted a membership card from the CITU. This card >>>> was delayed for more than 2 months as the party was already angry with >>>> Chithra Lekha for having married above her caste. >>>> >>>> In spite of such harassment Chithra Lekha turned out to be a competent >>>> driver and became very popular with her customers, especially women. When >>>> she started her career there had been a coin operated phone at the auto >>>> stand where the customers would call for drivers. Soon, Chithra Lekha >>>> started getting the most number of calls from this phone. This she feels >>>> disturbed her fellow male drivers. After a few months she bought a mobile >>>> phone and now people started calling for her even more than before. This >>>> made the drivers feel even more threatened. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> All these problems took a violent turn during the Navami or Saraswathy >>>> Pooja days when Chithra Lekha placed her auto in the common Pandal for >>>> *pooja*. When she came to take back the auto on the next day, that is >>>> on October 11, 2005, she found that the hood of her auto was torn. Ajith, >>>> one of the CITU members who had threatened her earlier was standing there >>>> and she asked him why did he tore the hood. He retaliated saying that if >>>> you >>>> don’t keep your limits you will also be torn like this. She complained >>>> about >>>> the incident to Rameshan, fellow auto driver and the Secretary of the local >>>> branch of CITU, but to no avail. Since there was no response from Rameshan >>>> or CITU, she lodged a complaint with the police after two days. When she >>>> came back to the stand on October 14th Rameshan gave her a two hour >>>> punishment of abstention, for having taken the case out of the stand to the >>>> police station. Chithra Lekha declined to obey it, at which point an angry >>>> Rameshan tried to run over Chithra Lekha with his auto. She moved to the >>>> other side of the road and escaped the attack. However she sustained minor >>>> injuries and had to be hospitalized. Yet another compliant was lodged >>>> against Rameshan and he was arrested. Immediately CITU members unleashed a >>>> poster campaign in support of Rameshan. They stuck posters and wrote on the >>>> walls of the panchayath that Chithra Lekha and her mother were loose women >>>> who were bringing up the issue of caste only to hide their immoral natures. >>>> Soon, violence took its worst form when her auto was burned to ashes on the >>>> small hours of December 30th 2005. With the help of Ayyappan Master, a >>>> Dalit activist and member of the police committee to prevent atrocities >>>> against SC/STs, Chithra Lekha lodged a complaint against six CITU members >>>> including Ajith and Rameshan. The case was registered under IPC 143, 147, >>>> 148, 341, 352, 324, 294 (B), 506 (1), SC/ST S3 (1) XI R/W and 149. An >>>> action >>>> committee was also formed to protest against what happened and also to >>>> rehabilitate Chithra Lekha ** >>>> >>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>> Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. >>>> To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>> [email protected]<greenyouth%[email protected]> >>>> . >>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>> http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB. >>>> >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "Green Youth Movement" group. >>> To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> [email protected]<greenyouth%[email protected]> >>> . >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB. >>> >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Green Youth Movement" group. >> To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> [email protected]<greenyouth%[email protected]> >> . >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB. >> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Green Youth Movement" group. > To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<greenyouth%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. 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