A Dalit woman auto driver named Chithra Lekha from Kannur, Kerala has announced that she would be converting to Islam after allegedly facing caste discrimination at the hands of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) in the state. Chitra Lekha made the announcement through a Facebook post on November 16.
Chithra Lekha reportedly wrote in her Facebook post that she was constantly targeted because of her caste by the ruling CPM party. She said that she had lost all the hopes of getting justice from the government or the courts. Therefore, she was planning to get rid of her Dalit identity by converting to Islam. She wrote that she struggled alone against the CPM’s caste discrimination for 20 years and she could not continue any longer. She added that she did not want to live under the fear of the CPM whom she called a hypocrite secular party.
CPM government cancelled land allotted to her by previous government
Reportedly, Chithra Lekha had earlier alleged that CPM workers did not allow her to work due to caste discrimination. He autorickshaw was allegedly burnt down. Chithra Lekha was reportedly allotted some land and money for a house by the previous UDF government in the state in Kattampally, Kannur two years ago. However, the CPM government cancelled the land allotted to her and refused to provide her with the allotted money. She had protested in front of the Collectorate office but the government did not change its decision.