Noted writer Kamala Das dies at 75

Iconoclastic writer Kamala Das, who penned works in English and her mother tongue Malayalam, died in the early hours on Sunday. She was 75.

Das was brought to Pune from Kerala six weeks ago by her son Jayasuriya and admitted to the Jehangir Hospital. Doctors said she had diabetes and was suffering from pulmonary infection and a respiratory disorder.

Das, who was born in a conservative Hindu Nair family with royal roots, controversially embraced Islam in 1999, when she was 65, assuming the name Kamala Surayya. She was known for openly writing about issues concerning sexuality.

Das’s body has been taken to Mumbai and will be flown to Kerala on Monday morning. Her body will be taken through five districts for people to pay homage: the Kerala government has declared Monday a state holiday. Jayasuriya said her last rites would be performed with full state honours later in the day.

“I heard the news in the morning and was devastated. I agree that it was expected, but then nobody wants to lose someone so dear,” Manacad Matthew, editor in-charge of the Manorama group, told DNA. “I have been with her for a long time. My profession got me to share a very friendly and open relationship with her.”

Recalling how he called her chechi, which means elder sister, Matthew said, “I spent several hours chatting with her before she left for Pune. She shared all her grievances with me that day. People wonder and ridicule her for converting. But she had an
interesting story to that.

“A widow in Hindu culture had to go through a lot, right from tonsuring her head to being considered inauspicious. She converted for her well-being; she was not wrong.”
Matthew said that with her death, the country had lost a great personality and a good person.

“We were there at the hospital immediately after hearing the news of her demise,” said Haji Gafoor, president, Pune Kerala Muslim Jamaat.

Madhu Nair, president, Poona Keraleeya Samaj, said, “As soon as the news reached us, we rushed to Jehangir Hospital to oversee preparations for taking her body to Kerala. Her death is a great loss to Malayalees and, indeed, the entire country.”

Born to VM Nair and Balamani Amma on March 31, 1934, Kamala Das spent most of her childhood in Kolkata where her father worked. Influenced by her poetess mother and uncle Nalappatt Narayana Menon, a prominent writer, Kamala started writing at the age of 17 under the pen name Madhavikutty. She was married to Madhava Das, 15 years elder to her, and the couple had three sons. Her eldest son, MD Nalapat, is a journalist.

Among Das’s works in English are Summer In Calcutta (1965), My Story (1976), The Old Playhouse and Other Poems (1973) and Alphabet Of Lust (1977).