Dhanuja Kumari, a sanitation worker from Thiruvananthapuram, talks about her journey as an author

Dhanuja Kumari's inspiring journey from a slum to an acclaimed author advocating for marginalized communities in Kerala.

Dhanuja Kumari’s earliest memories of writing date back to her two-year stay at a convent school in Kollam. She was sent to the boarding school after a falling out between her alcoholic father and her mother. Under the nuns’ guidance, she was encouraged to journal daily — to reflect and introspect. However, after completing class five, she returned to Chengalchoola colony in Thiruvananthapuram, a densely populated slum, “without a diary, a table, a chair, or even a room for myself,” recalls the author of Chengalchoolayile Ente Jeevitham (My Life in Chengalchoola), who is also a sanitation worker with Haritha Karma Sena, a scheme providing door-to-door waste management services.

Recently, Dhanuja Kumari was honoured with the Sthree Shakthi Award by the Kerala Women’s Commission during the International Women’s Day celebrations. “Even though it’s my memoir, it is also the story of this place — a memoir for many,” she says. Last year, she was invited by the then Governor of Kerala, Arif Mohammed Khan, to his residence on Independence Day. Released in 2013, Chengalchoolayile Ente Jeevitham delves into the lives of Chengalchoola’s residents — people from marginalised communities who have long carried the burden of a notoriety imposed upon them for generations.

It was writer PP Sathyan, who suggested to Dhanuja to write a book about Chengalchoola’s demands that are often ignored. “He told us that anyone who comes here will just listen to our complaints and leave. He said, ‘Instead of just saying our needs, writing them down will be more effective,’ ,” she says.

Dhanuja adds, “Everyone in Thiruvananthapuram knows about Chengalchoola for the wrong reasons. Since childhood, I have seen people from the colony being treated like outcasts,” she says. The students from the colony still find it difficult to get into schools. Even if they get in, they face discrimination from the teachers. Her son was expelled from Kerala Kalamandalam several years ago. She adds, “We live in a time when people still say, ‘If they are from Chengalchoola, they must be criminals’.”

Five editions of Chengalchoolayile Ente Jeevitham have been published. However, while there are some changes like more people showing interest in the locality and knowing about the residents, Dhanuja believes there has been no significant change in the general attitude towards Chengalchoola. She says, “There’s no point in looking for any change in people’s outlook after all these years. However, we have changed a lot. We have vowed not to remain outcasts. Once we were denied education; but today our children are academically qualified and coming forward.”

Dhanuja was 16 when she married Satheesh, a 19-year-old dancer with a drinking problem. She became the mother of two boys at the age of 18. Triggered by family problems, she tried running away and even attempted suicide with her children. “Until I was 23, I was thinking like a child, even though I had two of my own. But by my mid-twenties, I started introspecting and realised that we decide what our life looks like,” she recalls.

“If I had ended my life then, I wouldn’t have had all these joys. We will have obstacles in life, but if we can overcome those, we might have the chance to speak up for our society or at least for our community.”