THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The social media has taken a sudden interest in activist Ashwathy Nair, who has landed in soup over the Liga affair. It may be recalled that the police have started a probe against her after she complained about the indifference shown by the chief minister’s office when the family of the slain Latvian woman approached it to for help. However, Ashwathy Nair is one of the most notable philanthropists here.
She set up the NGO Jwala Foundation that feeds hundreds of street dwellers. Apart from providing food, they take sick street dwellers for treatment and attend to mentally and physically challenged people’s need. Nearly a thousand street dwellers were rehabilitated by the NGO in coordination with the social justice department.
Knowing the pain of hunger and value of food led them to feed street dwellers, she says. Born to a poor family at Muttathara, her mother Vijayakumari toiled to provide her food. She says once she gave a food packet to an alms-seeker at Pazhavangadi, triggering a fight for food among homeless people.
With this, the medical representative-turned -lawyer started cooking food at her home with the help of her mother. Her mother runs a thattukada close to Ponnara school and fends for her.
With contributions pouring in, she started the NGO. Over the period they bought an autorickshaw and a mini-van. Operating externally, they cater to the welfare of patients in the ninth ward of Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital.
However, she faced trouble when she supported the protests in front of the secretariat. She involved herself in the case of Sreejith’s custodial death at Parasala and toddler Rudra’s death at SAT hospital. As per Ashwathy, the shadow police have started visiting her neighbourhood at Muttathara often.
The mother of two says that she was badly hurt by the complaint filed against her alleging she had swindled Rs 3.5 lakh under the pretext of helping Liga’s family. “I was not used to such criticism and it has brought me great mental agony,” she said underplaying her hospitalisation to fatigue.
