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{{short description|Indian naxalite (born 1950)}}
{{multiple issues|
{{BLP sources|date=January 2009}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{POV|date=February 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name = K. Ajitha
| image = K AJITHA DSC 0210.JPG
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1950}}
| birth_place = [[Kerala State]], India
| death_date =
| death_place =
| restingplace =
| restingplacecoordinates =
| othername =
| occupation = Social activist
| yearsactive =
| spouse = Yakoob
| domesticpartner =
| children = Clint, Gargi
| parents = [[Kunnikkal Narayanan]]<br>[[Mandakini Narayanan|Mandakini]]
| website = [http://www.anweshi.org Anweshi]
| awards =
}}
}}


'''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.<ref>[http://www.flonnet.com/fl2221/stories/20051021004902600.htm Article FrontLine] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061017003620/http://www.flonnet.com/fl2221/stories/20051021004902600.htm |date=17 October 2006 }}</ref>
[[File:K AJITHA DSC 0210.JPG|thumb|right|200px|K. Ajitha]]
'''K. Ajitha''' (born 1950) is a social activist of [[Kozhikode]], Kerala. Ajitha was indoctrinated to [[Marxism]] at a very young age through her parents to Kunnikal Narayanan and [[Mandakini Narayanan|Mandakini]], who were both its prominent supporters .


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 Women's Counselling Centre|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<ref>{{cite web|url=http://anweshi.org/?page_id=13|title=Anweshi|website=anweshi.org}}</ref> in co-ordination with the National Mission for Empowerment of Women.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://anweshi.org/?page_id=1015|title=Anweshi|website=anweshi.org}}</ref>
She played an active role in the [[Naxalite]] movement of Kerala. In 1968, her group began their armed struggle. They conducted some armed raids in [[Pulpally]] which resulted in the death of two police officials.She was soon arrested along with most of her accomplices.She was tried for her crimes and was given Nine years Imprisonment.<ref>[http://www.flonnet.com/fl2221/stories/20051021004902600.htm Article FrontLine]</ref>


Ajitha is married to Yakoob, a former colleague and the couple has a son named Clint and a daughter named Gargi.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/jan/12keral1.htm|title=Rediff On The NeT : The Rediff Interview: Ajitha|website=www.rediff.com}}</ref> She is an [[Atheism|atheist]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2020|reason=This fact needs to be backed up with a citation}}
After her jail sentence, she parted her ways with armed struggle movement and began working for the feminist movement in [[Kerala]]. She is now working for the rights of women through an organization [[Anweshi]].


==References==
== Early years ==
K. Ajitha was born in April 1950 in Kozhikode, Kerala, India to [[Kunnikkal Narayanan]] and [[Mandakini Narayanan|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.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

== Militant years ==

=== Thalassery and Pulpally police station attacks ===
[[File:Ajitha in calicut.jpg|200px|right]]
In the late 1960s, Ajitha got associated with [[Arikkad Varghese]], a militant activist working against the atrocities meted out by the feudal lords and police to the tribal and villagers of [[Wyanad]]. They formed a group in 1968 and decided to take up arms. Ajitha was the only female member of the group.<ref name=autogenerated3>{{cite web|url=http://naxalrevolution.blogspot.ae/2006/08/legacy-of-ajitha-unearthing-subaltern.html|title=The Legacy of Ajitha: Unearthing a Subaltern Indian Revolutionary and Political Prisoner|website=naxalrevolution.blogspot.ae|date=4 August 2006 }}</ref>

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<ref name=autogenerated3 /> with the aim to steal arms.

48 hours later, on 24 November 1968, the group, under the leadership of Varghese and consisting of Thettamala Krishnankutty, Kurichiyan Kunjiraman, Kisan Thomman, Philip M. Prasad and Ajitha, targeted the Malabar Special Police camp in Pulpally set up to deal with the 7000 farmers who were agitating against the eviction by Pulpally Dewaswom authorities. The armed attack left 2 policemen, a wireless operator and a sub inspector dead. Later, the group attacked the farms of two local landlords and distributed the food grains stocked there to the tribals.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

After the raids, the militants entered the dense forests of Wyanad and went into hiding. But, they were captured by the police after a few days of intensive search.<ref name=autogenerated3 /> Varghese was murdered in a faked encounter.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> One of the leaders of the group, Kisan Thomman, was also killed in a bomb blast.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

=== Prison life ===
After her capture, Ajitha was reported to have endured torture at the police station; she was paraded before the public<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/books-and-more-a-naxal-remembers-1172667|title=A Naxal remembers - Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis|date=22 June 2008|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.keralawindow.net/news_Nov.html|title=Welcome to Kerala window|website=www.keralawindow.net}}</ref> and was reportedly submitted to the [[Third degree (interrogation)|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.<ref name=autogenerated3/>

She was released in 1977 after 8 years at the age of 27.{{citation needed|date= September 2022}}

== Social career ==
[[File:K AJITHA DSC 0231.JPG|200px|right]]
After her release from prison, Ajitha attempted to start a normal life, married Yakoob and gave birth to a baby girl. However, it was a short-lived attempt when, in 1988, a conference of women's organisations in Mumbai influenced her to return to social activism and she founded an organisation called 'Bodhana' (Awareness), based in Kozhikode (Calicut).<ref name=autogenerated1 />

The organisation could not carry on for long but Ajitha set up another organisation called [[Anweshi Women's Counselling Centre|Anweshi]] (the Searcher) in 1993. She was an active participant in many sensational human rights cases<ref>{{cite web|url=http://feministsindia.com/tag/anweshi|title=Anweshi Archives - FeministsIndia|website=FeministsIndia|access-date=9 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170425161658/http://feministsindia.com/tag/anweshi/|archive-date=25 April 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.samachar.com/suryanelli-case-anweshi-hails-ruling-oeglL7chjjg.html|title=India Samachar - News from India - NRI News - Hindi, English Samachar|website=www.samachar.com|access-date=9 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714153543/http://www.samachar.com/suryanelli-case-anweshi-hails-ruling-oeglL7chjjg.html|archive-date=14 July 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> in Kerala.

=== Ice cream parlour case ===
[[Ice cream parlour sex scandal|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.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{cite web|url=http://feministsindia.com/tag/anweshi/|title=Anweshi Archives - FeministsIndia|website=FeministsIndia}}</ref>

During the trial, two of the five victims retracted their statements. [[Kerala High Court]], in 2005, dismissed the petition and the [[Supreme Court of India|Supreme Court]] dismissed the case citing lack of evidence in 2006.<ref name=autogenerated2 />

==Amnesty International==
In 2016, she supported [[Amnesty international]] in the controversy against [[Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad|ABVP]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bangalorewishesh.com/378-news-headlines/41220-anti-national-slogans-at-amnesty-international-meet.html|title=Anti National slogans at Amnesty international meet|last=Aravind|publisher=}}</ref>

== Awards and recognitions ==
Anweshi, the NGO founded by Ajitha, has received many awards for its contribution to the social cause.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://anweshi.org/?page_id=105|title=Anweshi|website=anweshi.org}}</ref>
* Jana Samskruti Award, Abu Dhabi, 1997{{citation needed|date= September 2022}}
* Lakshmi Award by Sahrudaya Vedi, Trichur, 1997{{citation needed|date= September 2022}}
* Yugadeepam Sam Award-Trivandrum, 1998{{citation needed|date= September 2022}}
* Kamala Bhaskar Award, by Bhaskar Foundation, 2003{{citation needed|date= September 2022}}
* Sadguru Jnanananda Award by Manava Seva Dharma Samvardhini Trust, Chennai, 2004{{citation needed|date= September 2022}}
* V.K. Rajan Puraskaram, Bhoomika Trust, Kodungalloor, 2004{{citation needed|date= September 2022}}
* Award by [[B.P. Moideen]] Seva Mandir, Mukkam, Kozhikode, 2004.{{citation needed|date= September 2022}}
* Award by K.Balakrishnan Smaraka Samithi for human rights activist, 2007{{citation needed|date= September 2022}}
* R. Shankaranarayanan Thampi Smaraka Award on 2 November 2009{{citation needed|date= September 2022}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


==External links==
== External links ==
{{commons category}}
{{commons category}}
* [https://asianspeaks.com/boycotting-mathrubhumi-newspaper-letter-by-k-ajitha/ K. Ajitha: Asian speaks]
* [http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/apr22006/sundayherald15822006331.asp ''Naxalism enriched my life and provided the ammunition to fight for women’s rights'', Deccan Herald, April 2, 2006]
* [http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/apr22006/sundayherald15822006331.asp ''Naxalism enriched my life and provided the ammunition to fight for women’s rights'', Deccan Herald, April 2, 2006]
* [http://bad.eserver.org/issues/2004/71/rajgopal.html Article on her, 2004]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071114125956/http://bad.eserver.org/issues/2004/71/rajgopal.html Article on her, 2004]
* [http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/jan/12keral1.htm Rediff interview, Jan 12, 1999]
* [http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/jan/12keral1.htm Rediff interview, Jan 12, 1999]
* {{YouTube|LKG84a3O9Rs}}
* [http://www.anweshi.org Anweshi's official website, 2005]
* {{YouTube|VAIE-PikS7Y}}


== Further reading ==
{{Authority control|VIAF=35827435}}
* {{cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=sNFTPgAACAAJ | title = Kerala's Naxalbari – Ajitha: Memoirs of a Young Revolutionary | author = K. Ajitha (Translated by Sanju Ramachandran) | year = 2008 | publisher = Srishti Publishers | isbn = 9788188575633

{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Ajitha, K
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Indian criminal
| DATE OF BIRTH = 1950
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kunnikal, K. Ajitha}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ajitha, K.}}
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian criminals]]
[[Category:Indian feminists]]
[[Category:Indian feminists]]
[[Category:Indian prisoners and detainees]]
[[Category:Indian prisoners and detainees]]
[[Category:Prisoners and detainees of India]]
[[Category:Prisoners and detainees of India]]
[[Category:People from Kozhikode]]
[[Category:Politicians from Kozhikode]]
[[Category:Indian human rights activists]]

[[Category:Women in Kerala politics]]

[[Category:Indian women activists]]
{{India-bio-stub}}
[[Category:Social workers from Kerala]]
{{crime-bio-stub}}
[[Category:20th-century Indian women politicians]]
[[Category:Indian atheists]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian politicians]]
[[Category:Women educators from Kerala]]
[[Category:Educators from Kerala]]

Latest revision as of 09:02, 31 July 2023

K. Ajitha
Born1950 (age 73–74)
Kerala State, India
OccupationSocial activist
SpouseYakoob
ChildrenClint, Gargi
Parent(s)Kunnikkal Narayanan
Mandakini
WebsiteAnweshi

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.[1]

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[2] in co-ordination with the National Mission for Empowerment of Women.[3]

Ajitha is married to Yakoob, a former colleague and the couple has a son named Clint and a daughter named Gargi.[4] She is an atheist.[citation needed]

Early years

[edit]

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.[4]

Militant years

[edit]

Thalassery and Pulpally police station attacks

[edit]

In the late 1960s, Ajitha got associated with Arikkad Varghese, a militant activist working against the atrocities meted out by the feudal lords and police to the tribal and villagers of Wyanad. They formed a group in 1968 and decided to take up arms. Ajitha was the only female member of the group.[5]

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[5] with the aim to steal arms.

48 hours later, on 24 November 1968, the group, under the leadership of Varghese and consisting of Thettamala Krishnankutty, Kurichiyan Kunjiraman, Kisan Thomman, Philip M. Prasad and Ajitha, targeted the Malabar Special Police camp in Pulpally set up to deal with the 7000 farmers who were agitating against the eviction by Pulpally Dewaswom authorities. The armed attack left 2 policemen, a wireless operator and a sub inspector dead. Later, the group attacked the farms of two local landlords and distributed the food grains stocked there to the tribals.[4]

After the raids, the militants entered the dense forests of Wyanad and went into hiding. But, they were captured by the police after a few days of intensive search.[5] Varghese was murdered in a faked encounter.[4] One of the leaders of the group, Kisan Thomman, was also killed in a bomb blast.[4]

Prison life

[edit]

After her capture, Ajitha was reported to have endured torture at the police station; she was paraded before the public[6][7] 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.[5]

She was released in 1977 after 8 years at the age of 27.[citation needed]

Social career

[edit]

After her release from prison, Ajitha attempted to start a normal life, married Yakoob and gave birth to a baby girl. However, it was a short-lived attempt when, in 1988, a conference of women's organisations in Mumbai influenced her to return to social activism and she founded an organisation called 'Bodhana' (Awareness), based in Kozhikode (Calicut).[4]

The organisation could not carry on for long but Ajitha set up another organisation called Anweshi (the Searcher) in 1993. She was an active participant in many sensational human rights cases[8][9] in Kerala.

Ice cream parlour case

[edit]

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.[10]

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.[10]

Amnesty International

[edit]

In 2016, she supported Amnesty international in the controversy against ABVP.[11]

Awards and recognitions

[edit]

Anweshi, the NGO founded by Ajitha, has received many awards for its contribution to the social cause.[12]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Article FrontLine Archived 17 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "Anweshi". anweshi.org.
  3. ^ "Anweshi". anweshi.org.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Rediff On The NeT : The Rediff Interview: Ajitha". www.rediff.com.
  5. ^ a b c d "The Legacy of Ajitha: Unearthing a Subaltern Indian Revolutionary and Political Prisoner". naxalrevolution.blogspot.ae. 4 August 2006.
  6. ^ "A Naxal remembers - Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis". 22 June 2008.
  7. ^ "Welcome to Kerala window". www.keralawindow.net.
  8. ^ "Anweshi Archives - FeministsIndia". FeministsIndia. Archived from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  9. ^ "India Samachar - News from India - NRI News - Hindi, English Samachar". www.samachar.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  10. ^ a b "Anweshi Archives - FeministsIndia". FeministsIndia.
  11. ^ Aravind. "Anti National slogans at Amnesty international meet".
  12. ^ "Anweshi". anweshi.org.
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[edit]
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