KOZHIKODE: Ammalu Amma’s fight is far from over. Hailing from the Kurichiya tribe of Panavally near Thirunelli in Wayanad, the 65-year-old widow had fought single-handedly to bring the man who raped her mentally-unstable daughter to book. Years later, she is fighting yet another battle -- one to ensure that at the end of the day, there is food on the plate for her daughter and five-year-old grandson.
Five years ago, when Ammalu had gone out for work, her 28-year-old mentally-challenged daughter was brutally raped in their hut by a lorry driver. Ammalu remained unaware of the incident until weeks later, when her daughter was admitted to the hospital due to persistent fatigue. She was already two months pregnant by then.
Unfazed by the brutal twist of fate, Ammalu took up the fight for justice and filed a complaint at the Thirunelli police station. Her lone fight for three long years bore fruit, after the court sentenced the culprit to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5 lakh. The case was proved after conducting a DNA test on the child born of the rape.
staring at an Uncertain future
Bringing the culprit to book did not put an end to Ammalu’s sufferings. After the rape incident, she was ostracised by her community. Left to fend for her ill daughter and 5-year-old grandson by herself, the elderly woman who has already lost half her vision is staring at a progressively uncertain future. Out of the Rs 5 lakh compensation, Rs 3 lakh was deposited in the bank for the education and welfare of the child. This can only be used when the kid turns 18. “We got nothing so far.
When I went to the tribal officer for help, he gave me Rs 3,500 as interest. He said there was no provision to hand over the money to us any time soon,” said Ammalu. Currently, she ekes out a living by finding work under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. With the traumatic experiences of her past still haunting her, she locks her daughter inside their house before going for work. On Saturday, she was honoured here at the 87th Regional Parents’ Meet of Children with Disabilities, organised by the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (NIEPID) in association with Parivaar.