From one-room house to Minister's bungalow: K A Thulasi to fight caste bias, delays in student aid

​For K A Thulasi, first-time MLA from Kongad and Kerala’s new Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes, the responsibility ahead is deeply personal. The former history professor and Principal of NSS College says her immediate priority is to ensure that financial assistance reaches students from marginalised communities on time and that strict action is taken in cases of caste discrimination. 

“Financial assistance should reach students at the right time. There is no use in giving benefits after their course is over. Students need support while the course is ongoing, whether for books, hostel expenses or travel costs,” Thulasi told Onmanorama shortly after her portfolio was finalised. 

The daughter of K A Ayyappan and M K Ammini, Thulasi was raised in a modest one-room house in Kondazhy in Thrissur district. Her mother and grandmother worked in a rubber estate, while her brother worked in a hotel to support the family and help educate Thulasi and her sister. 

Despite severe financial struggles, education remained central to the family’s aspirations. 

“When I look back at my own life, joining pre-degree was one of the toughest phases. My father’s sister’s son, E V Ayyappan Master, was a school teacher in Irinjalakuda. He helped me apply for various courses. I joined for pre-degree at St Joseph’s College, Irinjalakuda near his house and stayed at the hostel. That became a turning point in my life,” recalled Thulasi, who  later pursued her degree at Little Flower College and completed postgraduation at Victoria College.

“Whether at St Joseph’s, Little Flower or Victoria College, I got opportunities to read more books, interact with students from different districts and grow in a healthy academic environment. It played a major role in shaping my personality positively,” she said. 

“It is important that students from backward classes are given the necessary push at the right time.” 

Thulasi eventually joined NSS College, Nenmara as a history lecturer in 2004. She later became the Principal of the same institution. During her tenure, the college secured an A grade in the NAAC accreditation process. 

Now entrusted with the SC/ST Development portfolio in the V D Satheesan cabinet, Thulasi also represents multiple layers of political symbolism for the Congress-led UDF government — a woman minister, representation from Palakkad district and a Scheduled Caste face in the Cabinet. 

Asked about the death of Dalit student Nithin Raj at the Anjarakandy Dental College and allegations of caste-based discrimination, the minister said the government would take strict action against offenders. 

“Not everyone behaves that way, but some people, regardless of education, continue to carry problematic attitudes and mindsets. Such attitudes reveal themselves eventually through behaviour or speech,” she said. 

“If children face injustice, they should have the courage to fight against it rather than giving up. Awareness programmes through various agencies, teachers and institutions are essential to motivate children, build confidence and teach them how to respond to injustice,” she said, adding that a government alone could not monitor what happens inside every household every day. 

"Society as a whole, families, teachers, institutions and the government, must work together to build confidence in the younger generation.”  

Early political entry
Thulasi entered public life soon after completing her college education. In 2000, she was elected to the Thrissur District Panchayat from the Chelakkara division. Her early political journey, however, was marked by setbacks. She contested the Chelakkara Assembly seat in 2001 against veteran CPM leader K Radhakrishnan and later the Ottapalam Lok Sabha constituency in 2004, but lost both elections. 

Despite the defeats, she remained active within the Congress organisation. During the 2004 election campaign, Thulasi met V K Sreekandan, who would later become the MP from Palakkad. They married the same year. After joining NSS College in 2004, she stepped away from electoral politics, though she continued organisational work within the KPCC. 

“It was not because handling politics and work together was difficult. The party decides when we should contest. I have never gone and demanded that I should be fielded in elections,” she said. 

The political prominence of her husband later brought scrutiny and allegations of nepotism, particularly after she was fielded from the Kongad Assembly constituency this year. Responding to criticism during the campaign, Thulasi defended her political credentials. 

“I was not given this candidature because I am someone’s wife. Even before my marriage, I had contested Assembly and Parliament elections. My selection is based on my work and winnability,” she had told Onmanorama during the campaign. 

During the tenure of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Thulasi served for five years as a member of the Kerala Women’s Commission. During this period, she became known for her interventions in women’s welfare issues, including efforts to address the plight of elderly mothers abandoned by relatives in Guruvayoor.

Recalling her interactions with complainants, Thulasi said empathy remained central to public service. 

“People would call me or come to meet me in person. Sometimes they would repeat the same thing again and again. They just want someone to listen to their worries,” she said.  

Within the Congress organisation, Thulasi steadily rose through the ranks. By 2021, she had become the KPCC General Secretary. Her biggest political breakthrough came in the recent assembly election when she contested from Kongad, a SC-reserved constituency in Palakkad long considered a CPM stronghold. She defeated sitting MLA K Shanthakumari by 3,706 votes. The constituency, formed in 2011, had consistently favoured the CPM, with Shanthakumari winning by more than 27,000 votes in 2021. 

Against this backdrop, Thulasi’s victory was seen as one of the UDF’s major electoral gains. As minister for SC/ST Development, she now faces expectations on several fronts, including tribal welfare, educational opportunities and women’s empowerment.