Kunnikkal Ajitha (born 1950) is a former Indian naxalite who took active part in the naxalite movements in Kerala in the 1960s when the group conducted armed raids on Thalassery and Pulpally police stations and killed two policemen. Ajitha was subsequently arrested, tried and sentenced to nine years in prison.
After her jail sentence, Ajitha parted ways with the armed struggle movement and is currently a human rights activist and social reformer with an active presence in Kerala's social milieu. Anweshi, the non-governmental organisation she founded in 1993 which now is a constituent of Kerala Sthree Vedhi (Kerala Women's Forum), works for the cause of women's rights in co-ordination with the National Mission for Empowerment of Women.
Ajitha is married to Yakoob, a former colleague and the couple has a son named Clint and a daughter named Gargi. She is an atheist.
Early years
K. Ajitha was born in April 1950 in Kozhikode, Kerala, India to Kunnikkal Narayanan and Mandakini, both active supporters of naxalite movement. She had her early education in Kozhikode. By the time Ajitha reached college, she became disillusioned with the society and started associating with the naxal movement. She dropped out of college while doing Pre-degree course and became an active naxalite.
On 22 November 1968, a group of about 300 armed guerrillas, under Ajitha's father Kunnikkal Narayanan, made an unsuccessful attempt to attack the Thalassery police station and was reportedly submitted to the Third degree treatment. After the trial that ensued, Ajitha was sentenced to 9 years of solitary confinement in prison.
She spent the first half of the term at the Central Jail at Trivandrum and the latter half at the Cannanore jail where her parents were also imprisoned. Ajitha used the time in prison to learn about the problems faced by women of Kerala, especially sex workers. in Kerala.
Ice cream parlour case
Ice cream parlour case (1997) involved the sexual exploitation of minor girls at a local ice cream parlour in Kozhikode which offered ice cream laced with sedatives to sexually exploit them later. The scandal surfaced when five minor girls approached Ajitha who, under the aegis of Anweshi, conducted a private investigation and reported the matter to the police. They alleged that the dead bodies of two teenage girls found on the railway tracks in the city had strong connection with the case. Many known names such as that of P. K. Kunhalikutty, Kerala's Industries Minister at that time and leader of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), CPM leader T.P Dasan and some custom officials featured on the list of accused.
During the trial, two of the five victims retracted their statements. Kerala High Court, in 2005, dismissed the petition and the Supreme Court dismissed the case citing lack of evidence in 2006.
Awards and recognitions
Anweshi, the NGO founded by Ajitha, has received many awards for its contribution to the social cause.
- Jana Samskruti Award, Abu Dhabi, 1997
- Lakshmi Award by Sahrudaya Vedi, Trichur, 1997
- Yugadeepam Sam Award-Trivandrum, 1998
- Kamala Bhaskar Award, by Bhaskar Foundation, 2003
- Sadguru Jnanananda Award by Manava Seva Dharma Samvardhini Trust, Chennai, 2004
- V.K. Rajan Puraskaram, Bhoomika Trust, Kodungalloor, 2004
- Award by B.P. Moideen Seva Mandir, Mukkam, Kozhikode, 2004.
- Award by K.Balakrishnan Smaraka Samithi for human rights activist, 2007
- R. Shankaranarayanan Thampi Smaraka Award on 2 November 2009
References
External links
- K. Ajitha: Asian speaks
- Naxalism enriched my life and provided the ammunition to fight for women’s rights, Deccan Herald, April 2, 2006
- Article on her, 2004
- Rediff interview, Jan 12, 1999