Lalithamma – Life and Legacy of a Warrior Woman 

As a development practioner I travel the length and the breadth of the country from remote villages to urban slums. During one such visit I met Lalithamma, the founder of PORD (People’s Organization For Rural Development), a woman in her mid-fifties. During my conversations with her, I got a peek into her life. The kind that tugged in my heart and I felt an irrepressible itching to share it with the world. And so here I am with the story of a warrior woman who has fought innumerable battles with patriarchy, and lived to tell the tale.

Lalithamma was born in a small hamlet in Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh to a lower middle class family. Her father, the sole earner of the family was a farmer and they barely scraped by in life. But more than poverty, patriarchy threatened to turn into her nemesis, her everyday life smacked of casual bias. Being born a woman, it was like an unsaid rule that Lalithamma had to do all the household chores along with her mother from day to night and even helped her father in the farm work while her two brothers played and made merry. Food was scarce and gender decided who got the better portion. Lalithamma was given cereals whereas more nutritious food was only consumed by the men in the family. Likewise, new clothes were only brought for the boys, Lalithamma always got the hand me downs. 

A woman’s life is often a tale of bargain even for the most basic of human rights. Lalithamma’s story is a testimony to that. From topping in all her classes to going on hunger strike Lalithamma had to fight her parent’s diktat to continue education. It was only her grandfather who was Lalithamma’s trusted aide in this battle for living a life of choice.  

The much sought permission for education though came with a catch, her parents clearly stated that as soon as Lalithamma attained puberty her education would stop. But as luck would have it, she got her periods in the last day of her final board examination.

Lalithamma used to travel everyday barefoot 12km to her school, she was never spared from cooking all three meals for the family, she studied in the kitchen when everyone slept with a kerosene lamp and despite all her hardships, she secured first position in her block in 10^th standard exams. But it did nothing to change the stance of her parents and they decided to marry her off. Lalithamma however successfully bargained with them and got enrolled in a tailoring course which the family felt would benefit her married life. 

Seems fate always finds a way for the brave, the institute where Lalithamma was supposed to learn tailoring offered her work at their Balwadi centre. Once again it was a hard fought and hard won battle for Lalithamma and she became the first woman in her family and also her village to start a job. Many years later she repeated this feat, when she became the first one in her family to complete graduation through distance education.

While doing her job, Lalithamma met Govindappa, a passionate young man who wanted to work for Dalits and their land rights. The shared vison for creating an equal world connected them. Eventually, Lalithamma and Govindappa fell in love and got married but they were never accepted by the family in the pretext of caste based discrimination.

After several years of working for different organisations, the two of them decided to live their dream giving birth to their organization PORD. The initial years were of battling poverty and exclusion but the burning vision and unbreakable spirit of Govindappa and Lalithamma gave shape to a resilient organization. With support pouring in from everywhere and CRY too becoming a long time partner, the organization gradually became stable. While Lalithamma took charge of PORD and made significant strides in addressing issues of women and children’s rights, Govindappa became the voice of justice for the Dalits. 

Though Govindappa passed away a few years back, Lalithamma is continuing her crusade against patriarchy, her pursuit for an equal world for both the genders ensures that the glimmer in her eyes never fades. Her son too is an ally in her journey. Lalithamma shared with immense pride about a recent incident when her son stood up against the entire village and ensured that his mother performed all rituals in his marriage challenging the existing patriarchal norms. Lalithamma’s life is a legacy to be shared with the world. One that is an inspiration for the women of tomorrow, echoing the words of Emmeline Pankhurst, one of the founders of Suffragette Movement, ‘Never Surrender, Never Give up the Fight’

Written By:
Soha Moitra
Regional Director
Child Rights and You (CRY)