A Dedicated activist and a Sensitive Human being

"Katthi Padma thy name is commitment" it is with such respect and honour Visakhapatnam adores and admires Padma, the lady who works for the women emancipation. Surprisingly her surname is not Katthi, but people gave her that title in respect for the sincere voice she raises for justice for women in the society.

Her surname is KantiMahanthiPadma,daughter of a worthy father Prasada Rao, who was a teacher by profession. They are seven sisters and four brothers and her mother Ramani is the noble soul behind bringing up all her children, inculcating a sense of social responsibility in them.

"I am very much influenced by my father's ideals" says Padma, and continues, "There was relatively a democratic atmosphere in the family, which helped all eleven of us to grow with an individuality of our own".

Born on Dec 25, 1960, now nearing her sixth decade in life, she has given much of her life to social service. From 1978 to 1990, she worked as a teacher in the Municipal Corporation School.

In 1980, she joined the communist movement. In the initial days, she worked for APTF (AP Teachers Federation) and then APCLC(the then Human Rights Forum) now CLC, and from 1985 onwards she worked for the Progressive Women's Organization.

Though she worked for the Marixist and Leninist Parties up to 2006; after establishing "Mahilaa Chethana", in 2006, she started working for it and continues to do so.

Mahila Chetana is run by some voluntary activists and is not affiliated to any particular party. The funds are raised among the members and is not funded by either government or private sector.

Many women from all walks of life participate in this movement. There are umpteen women problems in the society and Mahila Chethana extends a helping hand any time during any situation when a woman is in need.

Daily, about five to ten womenapproach the forum with their problems.Marital problems, cheating in the name of love, dowry deaths, physical violence, domestic violence, gender and caste politics, crime against women, all kinds of problems are addressed in this forum.

The forum helps them in a legal way to solve the issues. Padma plays the lead role in it. Wherever there is a threat to woman, Padma is present, and she strives until justice is done to the victim.

In 1990 she resigned her job and took to social activism full time. The forum also actively works for the Dalits, under privileged and people prone to humiliation in the society.

In all cases, say for example, from the Vaakapalli rape case to the recent Unnava case, Padma has been present with allcommitmentand effort,demanding and working for justice.

"I am of communist philosophical outlook,but that doesn't insist that all the members in our forum should be the same. We are from different backgrounds, the only goal that keeps us together is to help out women in problems," she clarifies about the spirit of her forum.

In her four decades as an activist she says many women and communist movements have turned her humanistic. The way common uneducated women deal with problems is a source of motivation and inspiration to her, she admits.

This lady who seems to be tough and aggressive in her activism is a lover of literature and music and she writes stories and essays on women oriented and social problems to magazines like Bhumika.

She loves Russian literature. Tolstoy, Dostovsky, Gorky, ChingizAitmatov are her favourite writers. About the Telugu writer Chalam, she says "he is more than life to me."

Recently on May 20, on the occasion of Chalam's 125th birth anniversary celebrations, she enacted the role of Laalasa (an ideal woman, from his novel Jeevithadarsam) and won a lot of applause from vizag audience.

Raavi Sastry, Kaaraa, Allam Rajayya are the writers she loves in Telugu. Ranganayakammahas been her inspiration all through.

"I am a single woman, working for the community, and I am now penning down the stories of lives I have come across, I always adore a man-woman relationship based on mutual respect; I did not find such one in my life but still I don't give up dreaming.

I always work with sincerity and strive to inculcate the spirit of confidence in women," with a vibrant positive attitude she presents her life's mission.

Nature's beauty overwhelms her. Early morning, she has visitors not only of human kind, but birds and animals as well. She fondly cooks and serves some food daily to the birds, squirrels, cats and so on. "I love spending time with these innocent beings."

Working on the tribal issues, she mostly visits all the places in and around North Coastal Andhra.

Padma conducts and participates in awareness programs to women, and in seminars and programs pertaining to women issues "I was so gentle and soft, always willing to be so, but life I chose makes me speak strongly in demand for justice, I sometimes wonder, am I the same Padma, of course I am sensitive still in my core" with a sweet laugh she divulges.

After a hectic day, she says, only reading and music relaxes and rejuvenates her and preparesher for the next day's battle.