Days after Chithralekha, a Dalit woman from Kerala's Kannur told the state's Chief Minister that he can feed on her corpse if his party cadres continue to trouble her, a dog carcass was left at her doorstep.
Chithralekha, an autorickshaw driver, has been resisting attempts made by Left party cadre to dissuade her from using an auto rickshaw-stand of CITU, a trade union affiliated with the CPI(M). From using casteist slurs to damaging her auto rickshaw, to assaulting her, Chithralekha has had to fight continuously to make a living.
On Thursday evening, what she saw at her under-construction house in Edatt came as a rude reminder of the battle she has been waging for years together. A dog carcass was left in front of her house on Thursday. Speaking to TNM, Chithralekha said that she found the carcass at around 6 30 pm.
"I was at the house supervising the construction till 3 pm. Then I left and returned by 6 30. That's when I saw this carcass there," Chithralekha said.
She said that this was a new means of threatening her and her family.
"We are being forced to flee time and again. This is nothing but a threat, warning us that we could be next. I fear for my life and the well-being of my family. This incident is the latest in the series of attacks against us by the party. This is an indication that we aren't safe," she said.
Last week, the Kerala government had initiated steps to take back 5 cents of land awarded to her by the previous UDF government.
Following the incident on Friday, Chithralekha filed a complaint with the Valapattanam police. At the time of publishing, the police had not filed an FIR based on her complaint.
"We have received her complaint and visited the spot this evening. The complaint has been forwarded to DySP and we are waiting for his instruction to register an FIR," the police said.
A few days ago, Chithralekha had approached Kerala High Court seeking protection for her family.