Kamala Das Surayya nee Madhavikutty no more

Born into a family with one of the richest literary lineages,Madhavikutty (her mother Balamaniyamma was one of the leading poetesses of Kerala and great uncle Nalapat Narayana Menon a literary giant) was always ready to court controversies – with the content of her writing,which was considered too liberally laced with sex by the puritans,when she converted to Islam late in her life or when she tried to donate a portion of her ancestral property in Punnayoorkulam n Malabar,north Kerala,replete with a small temple to the Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP).

But even she had enough a few years ago when she decided to shift out of Kerala and settle down with her youngest son Jayasuray Das (her other two sons are Monu Nalapat and Chinnan Das) in Pune,finally away from all controversies. And during the last year the land transaction favouring KSSP was completed when a team from Kerala descended in Pune and wrapped up the deal.

The last couple of months saw the Kerala minister for culture M A Baby visit the ailing poetess twice – at which time he is understood to have offered to make arrangements for a state funeral with all honours befitting her persona back home in Kerala,where she privately may have longed to return,despite all public protests to the contrary. “Yes,it will be in Thiruvananthapuram,” confirmed Monu who was one his way to Pune. And Madhavikutty could not have wished it any differently as her children take her home for the last time.

“She would have probably wanted it this way. I’m personally happy that she was brought here in February 2007 and kept with my family (in an apartment next to his) during the final stages of her life. Amma hated being in hospital but we made sure that she was as comfortable as possible. The Pune phase was a different one for her,being with her family,unlike in the past when she was on her own in Kerala. She even brought out a collection of poems which HarperCollins is in the process of publishing”,said Jayasurya.

She deserves all the respect that the Kerala government is offering,he said,adding that the logistics are being worked out about taking her to Kerala as there is no direct flight from Pune.