Over a century after the historic struggle at Oorutambalam sparked by denial of education to Panchami, a Dalit girl, her descendant Athira Sreejith reached Government Lower Primary School, Oorutambalam, on Thursday for admission to class 1.
Panchami, who reached the Oorutambalam school to study, had to face swords and blazing torches, but Athira was welcomed with percussion instruments and flowers.
Athira, accompanied by her mother Deepthi, was present when Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated a centenary memorial to the landmark protest called Kandala Lahala at Government Upper Primary School, Oorutambalam.
Athira reached the school after visiting Panchami’s grave and seeking her blessings. Deepthi, a homemaker, studied at the same school along with her sister Jaishree.
Today, Deepthi’s son Abhijith, a class 3 student, and Jayasree’s children, Sharika and Sharanya, also study in the same school.
Deepthi and Jayasree are the children of Johnson, whose grandmother Sita was Panchami’s sister. Panchami’s youngest brother Lakshmanan’s daughters Indira, Padmini, and Madhavi too studied in the same school.
Access denied
While the house where Panchami grew up no longer stands, the plot of land still remains with the family.
“We knew that years later, the importance of the place will increase manifold,” says Madhavi.
However, the family is pained by the denial of access to the plot. “I remember going there walking by the side of a pond. Today, we have to take a roundabout route,” says Deepthi.
