Athram Suguna, a rights activist known for amplifying the voices of the aboriginal tribes to which she belongs, is all set to hit the campaign trail as the Congress candidate for Adilabad Lok Sabha seat.
The 48-year-old Adivasi woman of Raj Gond tribe, district secretary of the Human Rights Forum (HRF), was hand-picked by the ruling Congress party to contest the election from the ST-reserved seat.
Perhaps Ms. Suguna is the first Adivasi woman to be fielded by the party. She had resigned as a teacher, after more than a one and a half decade of service in the tribal heartland, recently.
After her marriage with Athram Bhujanga Rao in 1992, she had resumed her studies and bagged BA (HPP), M.A. (Telugu) and B.Ed. qualifications. Her perseverance coupled with her husband’s encouragement helped her pursue higher education and secure a government teacher job in 2008.
Unfazed in the face of hardships, Ms. Suguna, who hails from the remote Pullara village in Sirpur (U) mandal of (now part of Kumram-Bheem Asifabad district) the erstwhile Adilabad district, demonstrated her leadership qualities with steely resolve. She got elected as the MPTC member of Murimadugu village in Jannaram mandal in 1995.
She along with her husband, also a government teacher and a rights activist, played a proactive role in various mass movements, including the separate Telangana movement.
She was one among several other rights activists booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act by Mulugu police in 2020 for alleged links with a banned outfit, a charge she had stoutly denied.
“I strongly believe in the potential of education for women to empower them and change the patriarchal mindset in society,” said Ms. Suguna.
“Right from the tribal warriors, Sammakka Saralamma, to the valiant freedom fighter Jhansi Lakshmibai, and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to Telangana Minister for Panchayat Raj Seetakka, are sources of inspiration for me,” she told The Hindu.
“I have always associated myself with mass movements to safeguard the rights of tribals and will continue to do so,” she added.
The welfare of tribal communities, including Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), and improvement in education and health besides road infrastructure in Adilabad Lok Sabha constituency will form the crux of my election campaign, she said.
