Penkal Otrumai, the collective of women plantation workers whose agitation in Munnar shunning all political parties had caught the State’s imagination, tasted success at its maiden electoral outing.
Gomathy Augustine, one of the collective’s leaders, was elected from the Nallathanni division to the Devikulam block panchayat. They also bagged two seats in the Munnar grama panchayat.
The collective had contested from 13 wards of the Munnar grama panchayat, 16 of the Devikulam grama panchayat, six divisions of the block panchayat and one division of the district panchayat.
Unable to match the financial muscle of political parties in the fray, the collective had done a very low profile campaign, mostly confined to distributing pamphlets highlighting their agonies and exploitation, and the media reports on their agitation.
The women workers who led the agitation were upbeat that they could have at least three of them in the civic bodies. “It is a reflection of people’s support for our cause. We had no money to do the campaigning, but we are happy,” said Mahalakshmi of old Munnar.
Gomathy Augustine of Penkal Otrumai has been elected to the Devikulam block panchayat.
