58 SOCIAL SCIENTIST conclude that while men's politicisation remained mainly confined to individuals, the politicisation of women and their participation in activities outside the home tended to affect the whole family.21 Radical traditions were preserved within the family during times of repression in particular and perpetuated across generations. This could be found in the cases of Kalikutty Assatty and K Meenakshi. There are innumerable examples in history of the family becoming an arena of community and class solidarity in periods of generalised attack by capital on the living conditions of workers. Another myth perpetuated by certain tendencies within the women's movement in India is that women workers in the 'unorganised sector' see their role primarily as housewives. Coir women in Kerala draw their sense of identity from their occupation, as peasant women sec their roots in agriculture or tobacco workers with tobacco processing. To a certain extent, this sense of identification and pride in their skills, a hallmark of rural women, prevents them from thinking of a possible change as necessary and perhaps inevitable. Education in structural problems of the industry and of possible alternatives, needs to be incorporated into the organisational activities. This requires much greater sophistication, preparation and training on the part of the trade union and political activists guiding these struggles. 1 M S A Rao Social Movements and Social Transformation, New Dellii, Macmillian, 1979; E M S Namboodiripad, Keralam Malayalikalude Mathrubhoomi (Malayalam), Trivandrum, 1981 2 Female deities and different forms of Mother Godcss, the Protector. 3 M S A Rao, op cit. 4 Kalikutty Assatty, Manila Sangham, Imn, Innile, ^alc (Malay al am), TCFWU Golden Jubilee Souvenir, 1972. Kalikutty was the first president of the Ambala-puzha Taluk Manila Sangham. 5 T V Krishnan, Herald's First Communist. Life oj Sahavu Krishna Plllai, Dellii, Communist Party Publication, 1971. 6 Kalikutty Assatty, taped interview, January 1983. 7 K Meenakshi, taped interview, February 1983. 8 Ibid. 9 K Devyani, "The path of blood and tears", De^iabhlmani Weekly, (Malayalam), March 13, 1983. 10 K Meenakshi, taped interview, February 1983. 11 Ibid. 12 Ibid. 13 Ibid. 14 K K Kunjan, Secretary TCFWU, in a personal conversation, August 1932. 15 Kalikutty Assatty, taped interview; January 1983. 16 Ibid 17 Kalikutty Assatty, "Women and the Punnapra Freedom Sti iggle" (Malayalam); National Federation of Indian Women, Tenth Congress Mahila Souvenir, 1980. 18 Kalikutty Assatty, taped interview, January 1983. 19 Statements made by women activists who had participated in the national movement, during a seminar held in Calcutta by the Centre for Women's Development Studies, New Delhi, January 1983. 20 Interview with Susheela Gopalan conducted by the Centre for Women's Development team on May 2, 1983. 21 This point was emphasised by Susheela Gopalan during a seminar "Cine Woman' held in Delhi in February 1982.