Challenging the prevailing left-wing dominance while holding steadfast to left-wing ideologies is arguably the most arduous task for a political individual in the fiery landscape of Kerala. K K Rema has valiantly borne this burden for the past 11 relentless years.
Challenging the prevailing left-wing dominance while holding steadfast to left-wing ideologies is arguably the most arduous task for a political individual in the fiery landscape of Kerala. This struggle is further intensified when one is a woman and the spouse of a martyr. K K Rema has valiantly borne this burden for the past 11 relentless years. As an MLA backed by the Congress, she fearlessly opposes the ruling CPM, the party held responsible for her husband’s brutal assassination.
Rema’s roots in activism trace back to her active leadership within the Student Federation of India in Kozhikode. It was during these days that she crossed paths with T P Chandrasekharan, a young leader of the SFI and DYFI, affiliated with the CPI (M). However, ideological and political differences led Chandrasekharan to part ways with the party around 2008, ultimately culminating in his expulsion. He later founded the Revolutionary Marxist party, only to meet a tragic end at the hands of alleged CPI (M)-linked henchmen in 2012.
The heart-wrenching loss of her husband thrust K K Rema, who had retreated from active politics, back into the limelight. Fuelled by a relentless pursuit of justice for her partner, she resolutely took a stand directly against the party that she and her husband had once believed in. In the face of adversity, she embodies an unyielding fighting spirit, unapologetically challenging the very forces that silenced her husband and altering the political landscape with her unwavering determination.
In 2021, she contested from Vadakara, backed by the Congress, and was the only woman in the opposition benches, until Uma Thomas was elected after the demise of the latter’s husband P T Thomas, who was the MLA from Thrikkakkara.