Cambridge Mayor traces his eventful journey from Kottayam
Baiju Thittala, an Arpookara native and the first non-white person to be the Mayor of Cambridge, says he will continue with the fight against far right movements that run strong campaigns targeting immigrants
Published – September 16, 2024 08:36 pm IST – THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
The Indian-origin Mayor of Cambridge city, Baiju Thittala, after a press interaction in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. | Photo Credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN
Right from his younger days working in the paddy fields of Arpookara village in Kottayam district with his father, Baiju Thittala had a clear road map in his mind. He wanted to study law, and use it as a stepping stone to politics and become a part of the policy-making process. Though he had to give up that dream for a while, due to the social and economic reasons, he did finally follow that road map to become the Mayor of Cambridge, the first non-white person to occupy that position
Addressing a ‘meet the press’ event at the Press Club here on Monday, he spoke about his life experiences on the way to become the Mayor. “Initially, I shifted base to Delhi, where I did all kinds of jobs, including the menial ones. When my wife, Ancy, a nurse, migrated to Britain, I went with her. In Britain, I worked as a part-time care assistant and studied politics, history and sociology at the Cambridge Regional College. I then studied law at the Anglia Ruskin University, qualified as a solicitor in 2019 and is now practising as a criminal defence solicitor. All through, I was active in student politics, participating in several protests. In 2007, I became a member of the Labour Party,” said Mr. Thittala.
