K. V. Rabiya
Encyclopedia
Kariveppil Rabiya is a physically challenged social worker from Vellilakkadu, Malappuram
, Kerala
in India
who rose to prominence through her role in the Kerala State Literacy Campaign in Malappuram
district in 1990. Her efforts were recognized at a national level by the Government of India on multiple occasions. In 1994, the Ministry of Human Resource Development
of the Government of India
had awarded her the National Youth Award for her contributions to society. In January 2001, she was awarded the first Kannagi Sthree Sakthi Puraskar award for the year 1999 for her contribution to upliftment and empowerment of women.
family in a remote village, Vellilakkadu, in the district of Malappuram
in Kerala
as the daughter of a smalltime ration shopowner, Rabiya did her initial studies at Tirurangadi
High School before pursuing her graduation at the PSMO College
, Tirurangadi
. At the young age of 17, while in her first year at college, her legs were crippled by polio. She was forced her to stop her studies since she could only move with the help of a wheel chair.
was in her class. Though her work deteriorated her physical condition, she moved forward, garnering support from both the public at large and the authorities. In June 1992, state authorities and officials visited her classroom and were surprised to see a child of 8 studying alongside an 80-year-old woman. Upon receiving her complaints about the lack of basic infrastructure at her village, the District Collector
sanctioned roads, electricity, telephone and water connection for her village. The one-and-a-half km road was aptly named Akshara (word) Road.
She later started a volunteer organization, Chalanam (motion), and continues to serve as its President. It runs six schools for the physically disabled and for mentally retarded children. The organization also promotes health awareness, and runs schools, health clubs, continuing education programmes, training for women, and rehabilitation of the physically disabled. Its activities also include inspiring public awareness against alcoholism, dowry, family feuds, superstition and communalism. It also established small-scale manufacturing unit for women, a women's library and a youth club in the educationally backward village of Vellilakkadu. Her efforts played an important part in eliminating illiteracy in Kerala.
She also involved herself in the “Akshaya
: Bridging the Digital Divide” project that made 'Malappuram
the first E-Literate
district in India.
at Amala Hospital
, Thrissur
. While at the hospital, she counselled other patients and instilled hope in them for their future.
In 2002, she went for the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca
and performed the Hajj
, fulfilling her longtime dream.
By 2004, she had returned to her work, but another tragedy struck her. She slipped on the floor of her bathroom breaking her spinal vertebral column, bringing her movements to a virtual halt. She was partially paralysed below the neck. Later, due to the non-functioning of muscles, she had to resign to a life with urine bag. As she lay on the waterbed, trying to cope up with the pain and inability, she started writing her memories on pages of notebooks using colour pencil. Despite the odds, she still continues her work alongside 100 other volunteers at Chalanam with continued determination.
The different challenges to her health played havoc with not only the family's psyche but also their finances. To secure finances for her treatment, she wrote her memories painstakingly lying on the bed, word by word, and completed the book - Mouna Nombarangal.
hailed it as comparable to some of the greatest biographies in history. An earlier collection of her memoirs Mouna Nombarangal (Silent Tears) had been released by the Chief Minister of Kerala
V. S. Achuthanandan
on October 26, 2006. She has also authored 3 other books. She uses the royalty from the book for her medical expenses.
Her achievements despite her physical disabilities made her an icon of the literacy campaign of the 1990s in Kerala. A biographic film entitled "Rabiya Moves", was made by director Ali Akbar and was noted for its motivational content and translated into 14 languages. Various publications across the world have written more than a 100 articles on her work.
Her first national recognition came in 1993 when she won the National Youth Award from the Ministry of Human Resource Development
of the Government of India
. She was the first recipient of Kannaki Sthree Sakthi Award in 2000 instituted by the Child Welfare Department of the Government of India. She also won the Youth Volunteer against Poverty, jointly instituted by the Government of India
Central Youth Affairs Ministry and UNDP
in 2000. The Junior Chamber International
selected her for the Ten Outstanding Young Indians award in 1999. Other awards include Nehru Yuva Kendra Award, Bajaj
Trust Award, Ramasramam Award, the State Literacy Samiti Award, the Seethi Sahib
Smaraka award (2010) and the Joseph Mundassery
Award for Outstanding social work (2010).
Among her students were her mother and grandmother. The situation thrilled her:
On another occasion she was quoted:
Governor of Kerala R.L. Bhatia wrote to her after reading excerpts in English from her forthcoming autobiography:
Malappuram
Malappuram is a municipality in the South Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 33.61 km2. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Malappuram district. As per the 2011 census Malappuram urban agglomeration is the fourth largest UA in kerala with a total population of...
, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
who rose to prominence through her role in the Kerala State Literacy Campaign in Malappuram
Malappuram
Malappuram is a municipality in the South Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 33.61 km2. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Malappuram district. As per the 2011 census Malappuram urban agglomeration is the fourth largest UA in kerala with a total population of...
district in 1990. Her efforts were recognized at a national level by the Government of India on multiple occasions. In 1994, the Ministry of Human Resource Development
Ministry of Human Resource Development (India)
The Ministry of Human Resource Development is an Indian government ministry, responsible for the development of human resources...
of the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
had awarded her the National Youth Award for her contributions to society. In January 2001, she was awarded the first Kannagi Sthree Sakthi Puraskar award for the year 1999 for her contribution to upliftment and empowerment of women.
Beginnings
Born on the 25th of February, 1966 to a poor MappilaMappila
Mappila or Moplah refers to a Muslim community of Kerala, primarily in the northern region called Malabar, which arose in Malabar as a result of the pre and post Islamic Arab contacts. Significant numbers of the community are also present in the southern districts of Karnataka and western parts of...
family in a remote village, Vellilakkadu, in the district of Malappuram
Malappuram
Malappuram is a municipality in the South Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 33.61 km2. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Malappuram district. As per the 2011 census Malappuram urban agglomeration is the fourth largest UA in kerala with a total population of...
in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
as the daughter of a smalltime ration shopowner, Rabiya did her initial studies at Tirurangadi
Tirurangadi
Tirurangadi is a small town in Malapuram district of Kerala, South India. It is a historical old town which is much famed for its active participance in the freedom struggle, especially those dating back to 1920s. It is a panchayat as well as a taluk...
High School before pursuing her graduation at the PSMO College
PSMO College
Pocker Sahib Memorial Orphanage College was established in 1968 as an aided junior college, affiliated to the University of Kerala under the management of the Tirurangadi Muslim orphanage committee ....
, Tirurangadi
Tirurangadi
Tirurangadi is a small town in Malapuram district of Kerala, South India. It is a historical old town which is much famed for its active participance in the freedom struggle, especially those dating back to 1920s. It is a panchayat as well as a taluk...
. At the young age of 17, while in her first year at college, her legs were crippled by polio. She was forced her to stop her studies since she could only move with the help of a wheel chair.
Literacy campaign
In June 1990, she began a campaign for adult literacy for illiterate people of all ages near her locality. Within six months, virtually the entire illiterate population of TirurangadiTirurangadi
Tirurangadi is a small town in Malapuram district of Kerala, South India. It is a historical old town which is much famed for its active participance in the freedom struggle, especially those dating back to 1920s. It is a panchayat as well as a taluk...
was in her class. Though her work deteriorated her physical condition, she moved forward, garnering support from both the public at large and the authorities. In June 1992, state authorities and officials visited her classroom and were surprised to see a child of 8 studying alongside an 80-year-old woman. Upon receiving her complaints about the lack of basic infrastructure at her village, the District Collector
District collector
The District Collector is the district head of administration of the bureaucracy in a state of India. Though he/she is appointed and is under general supervision of the state government, he/she has to be a member of the elite IAS recruited by the Central Government...
sanctioned roads, electricity, telephone and water connection for her village. The one-and-a-half km road was aptly named Akshara (word) Road.
She later started a volunteer organization, Chalanam (motion), and continues to serve as its President. It runs six schools for the physically disabled and for mentally retarded children. The organization also promotes health awareness, and runs schools, health clubs, continuing education programmes, training for women, and rehabilitation of the physically disabled. Its activities also include inspiring public awareness against alcoholism, dowry, family feuds, superstition and communalism. It also established small-scale manufacturing unit for women, a women's library and a youth club in the educationally backward village of Vellilakkadu. Her efforts played an important part in eliminating illiteracy in Kerala.
She also involved herself in the “Akshaya
Akshaya project
The Akshaya project, first started in the rural Kasaragod district of Kerala, India, and now spread all around the state, was the first district-wide e-literacy project in India and one of the largest known Internet Protocol based wireless networks in the world...
: Bridging the Digital Divide” project that made 'Malappuram
Malappuram
Malappuram is a municipality in the South Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 33.61 km2. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Malappuram district. As per the 2011 census Malappuram urban agglomeration is the fourth largest UA in kerala with a total population of...
the first E-Literate
Computer literacy
Computer literacy is defined as the knowledge and ability to use computers and related technology efficiently, with a range of skills covering levels from elementary use to programming and advanced problem solving. Computer literacy can also refer to the comfort level someone has with using...
district in India.
Personal struggles
After the polio bout paralysed her below the waist, she continued to move around in a wheelchair. But a few years later in 2000, she was diagnosed with cancer making things much more difficult for her. She successfully underwent chemotherapyChemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
at Amala Hospital
Amala Institute of Medical Sciences
Amala Institute of Medical Sciences is a private medical college near Amalanagar, in Thrissur city, of Kerala state. It is a Christian minority institution established and administered by the Devamatha Province of CMI Congregation founded by Blessed Cyriac Elias Chavara...
, Thrissur
Thrissur
This article is about the city in India. For the district, see Thrissur district. For the urban agglomeration area of Thrissur see Thrissur Metropolitan Area...
. While at the hospital, she counselled other patients and instilled hope in them for their future.
In 2002, she went for the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
and performed the Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
, fulfilling her longtime dream.
By 2004, she had returned to her work, but another tragedy struck her. She slipped on the floor of her bathroom breaking her spinal vertebral column, bringing her movements to a virtual halt. She was partially paralysed below the neck. Later, due to the non-functioning of muscles, she had to resign to a life with urine bag. As she lay on the waterbed, trying to cope up with the pain and inability, she started writing her memories on pages of notebooks using colour pencil. Despite the odds, she still continues her work alongside 100 other volunteers at Chalanam with continued determination.
The different challenges to her health played havoc with not only the family's psyche but also their finances. To secure finances for her treatment, she wrote her memories painstakingly lying on the bed, word by word, and completed the book - Mouna Nombarangal.
Recognition
Her autobiography, Swapnangalkku Chirakukalundu (Dreams have wings) was released in April 2009. Sukumar AzhikodeSukumar Azhikode
Sukumar Azhikode is a writer, critic and orator, acknowledged for his contributions to Malayalam and insights on Indian philosophy. He is a bachelor and lives in Eravimangalam near Thrissur....
hailed it as comparable to some of the greatest biographies in history. An earlier collection of her memoirs Mouna Nombarangal (Silent Tears) had been released by the Chief Minister of Kerala
Chief Minister of Kerala
The Chief Minister of Kerala is the elected head of government of the state of Kerala, India. By the Constitution of India, the Chief minister is appointed by the Governor of the state....
V. S. Achuthanandan
V. S. Achuthanandan
Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan is an Indian politician and a former Chief Minister of the state of Kerala. He had been a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of India since 1985, and until July 2009, when he was reverted to the Central Committee of the party owing to his...
on October 26, 2006. She has also authored 3 other books. She uses the royalty from the book for her medical expenses.
Her achievements despite her physical disabilities made her an icon of the literacy campaign of the 1990s in Kerala. A biographic film entitled "Rabiya Moves", was made by director Ali Akbar and was noted for its motivational content and translated into 14 languages. Various publications across the world have written more than a 100 articles on her work.
Her first national recognition came in 1993 when she won the National Youth Award from the Ministry of Human Resource Development
Ministry of Human Resource Development (India)
The Ministry of Human Resource Development is an Indian government ministry, responsible for the development of human resources...
of the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
. She was the first recipient of Kannaki Sthree Sakthi Award in 2000 instituted by the Child Welfare Department of the Government of India. She also won the Youth Volunteer against Poverty, jointly instituted by the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
Central Youth Affairs Ministry and UNDP
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
in 2000. The Junior Chamber International
Junior Chamber International
Junior Chamber International is the only worldwide non-political and non-sectarian youth service organization. It is an international community of citizens between the ages of to with the aim and purpose of creating positive changes in the world...
selected her for the Ten Outstanding Young Indians award in 1999. Other awards include Nehru Yuva Kendra Award, Bajaj
Bajaj
Bajaj may refer to:People* Jamnalal Bajaj , prominent Indian businessman, founder of the Bajaj group of companies* Rahul Bajaj, Indian businessman, grandson of Jamnalal Bajaj, chairman of Bajaj Auto, and MP of Rajya SabhaCompanies...
Trust Award, Ramasramam Award, the State Literacy Samiti Award, the Seethi Sahib
Seethi Sahib
K. M. Seethi Sahib was a Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly and a social reform leader of the Mappilas of Kerala, India. His role in the upliftment of the Mappila community in post-Independent India was so significant that he's sometimes referred to as the "Chief Architect of the Mappila...
Smaraka award (2010) and the Joseph Mundassery
Joseph Mundassery
Joseph Mundassery was a renowned literary critic and Indian politician from Kerala state. He was one among the towering literary critics in the Malayalam language and literature...
Award for Outstanding social work (2010).
Quotes
A devout Muslim, Rabiya devotes a lot of her time reading the Quran and ascribes the credit for her success to God.“He is the sole source of my energy, and I am bound to work for the awards in the life hereafter.”
Among her students were her mother and grandmother. The situation thrilled her:
"It was a great pleasure to see many people in their 60s and 70s coming to the class with slates and pencils,.....I was really thrilled when my grandma called me a teacher."
On another occasion she was quoted:
“My advice is when you lose a leg, you’ll stand on the other, And when you lose both legs, you have your hands. When fate chops them off too, you will live on the strength of your brains.”
Governor of Kerala R.L. Bhatia wrote to her after reading excerpts in English from her forthcoming autobiography:
“Your dedicated service reminds me of the words of former US President Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin D. RooseveltFranklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
that‚ ‘the only thing we have to fear is fear itself‚”’
Books
- Mouna Nombarangal (Silent Tears) - Memoirs - 2006
- Swapnangalkku Chirakukalundu (Dreams have wings) - Autobiography 2009