KOCHI: Rahnas PP is a survivor. Moreover, she is a woman of grit who dodged every lemon that life threw at her, to reach heights that normal people couldn’t dream of. A victim of severe sexual abuse who was strong enough to reveal her name and face, she is now the winner of Vanitha Ratna Award conferred by the Women and Child Development department, to outstanding women from various segments of society.
“The award was a surprise. Kerala Mahila Samakhya Society members handled everything. I came to know when a friend from Thrissur congratulated me over the phone. We had a small discussion about the meeting at work and we celebrated it. My colleagues were extremely encouraging,” said Rahnas, who is now legal advisor at the Different Art Centre at Magic Planet in Kazhakoottam. Rahnas’ story came to light in 2008. She was sexually abused by 12 people, who perpetrated the crime.
A Kannur native, she was then moved to Thiruvananthapuram under the care of the samakhya society. There, she completed school education, later enrolling as a law student at Sree Narayana Law College in Poothotta. By then, she was moved to the Nirbhaya home. Rahnas graduated from college and worked as a research assistant at an NGO called Gender At Work. She revealed her face and name on a documentary directed by Leena Manimekalai named ‘My Story, Your Story which is based on her life.
The revelation has not changed much about her life, except that she feels stronger now than ever. While Rehnas is confidently building a life for herself, her mother and siblings live in Wayanad. With both her younger siblings studying, Rahnas and her mother are the breadwinners of the family.
“I am enjoying my work here too. The children here with special needs are joyous and working with the parents is equally comfortable. I like that fact the no one offers sympathy, only support, which is important. I don’t keep remembering the bad things in life. I like to focus on the good things. Many times, I have felt that life may not work out positively—like when I joined the college in Ernakulam. It was difficult to cope with life there, but soon it all worked out,” she says. Rahnas repeats why survivors shouldn’t remain nameless and faceless. “They have nothing to be ashamed of,” she concludes.
