Glass Ceilings, Lost Leaders

The political odyssey of Dakshayani Velayudhan, KR Gouri and K K Shailaja: Confronting the grip of patriarchy

- Shahina K K

IN Kerala’s rich political history, three extraordinary women—Dakshayani Velayudhan, K R Gouriyamma, and KK Shailaja—stand united by a century of shared destinies, unwavering doggedness and lasting influence. Dakshayani was the sole female Dalit member in the Constituent Assembly, Gouriyamma served as the inaugural Revenue Minister in the world’s first democratically elected communist government in Kerala, while more recently, Shailaja garnered international recognition for her exemplary leadership in public health administration during the COVID crisis as the southern state’s Health minister.

The three women embody awe-inspiring narratives of unwavering resilience against the intersecting forces of caste and gender-based oppression. Each of them left an indelible mark as exceptional political leaders. Their narratives also serve as a testament to the enduring power of patriarchy, which often seeks to suppress and marginalise outspoken women.

Born in 1912 on Bolghatty, a tiny island off Kochi’s coast, Dakshayani hailed from a ‘Pulaya’ family, among Kerala’s most marginalised agrarian slave castes. Her birth coincided with a transformative era in Kerala, characterised by pioneering equality and recognition efforts, cultivated by the struggles led by the legendary Dalit leader Mahatma Ayyankali (1863-1941).