KOCHI: She loved life, loved humanity, loved many things. She lived for love.
Kamala Surayya was the epitome of love. Deep as the ocean she offered it lavishly to one and all even as she yearned for it, mostly in vain. For, very few could reciprocate it, for few possessed as much passion and love.
“Writing sustained her, she knew she could not live without it,” says Prasanna Kumari now Prasanna Gresillon a close associate of the late writer who is now occupied with her art gallery and studio in Pondicherry. Prasanna became close to Madhavikutty through her writings.
“I saw her through the images of ‘Balyakala Smaranakal’, her childhood at Punnayurkulam and looked in awe when I met Kamala Das in real life and understood her when she changed to Kamala Surayya.” Prasanna met her when she came for a function at CMS College in Kottayam and their bond grew. She took up journalism and worked in Deshabhimani before opting for freelancing and frequented Kamala’s Ambadi Apartment during her visits to Kochi. “In the 1990s I spent many precious moments with her.
We used to talk about many things under the sun and share ‘payar’ and ‘kanji’ which she loved to have with butter. Her soft poetic words pierced the silence of the night with its boldness. But there was always an aura of loneliness around her which she buried in her books.
Kamala spoke of how she used to cool the hot days in Calcutta by lying on the terrace looking at the twinkling stars. Her zest for life was unending. Kamala was a mother and friend to Prasanna, guiding her whenever she was at crossroads.
Especially at a time when she fell in love and realised that it would break. “Her warmth and care were genuine which she extended to one and all.” Years later Kamala was full of support when she expressed her desire to marry Alain Gresillon, a French professor, but not without saying, “In my opinion it’s better not to get married but if you don’t get married, that’s a problem.” She took to Alain and said that he had a spiritual temperament.
Prasanna married Alain at the Advaita Ashram in Aluva and went with him to Paris. Kamala gave her two addresses when she left and sent her letters and gifts often. Prasanna named her daughter Anne Aami, after Kamala’s pet name.
“Once Kamala wrote about how she met a Muslim professor, a scholar and spiritual leader in Canada for whom she converted into Islam in the hope of marrying him, but that was not to be.” Kamala was a genius who is unparalleled.
Her depth of thought, simplicity, intelligence, strength, courage and other virtues made her stand out. She was a people poet treating all as human beings irrespective of their gender, class, status or designation. She vibed well with the simple and innocent and helped them with liberal gifts. “Once she asked me to bring an artistic hand fan for her but unfortunately she could not spend a few days with me in Paris and I decided to settle in Pondicherry when I returned to India more than a year ago. Her thoughts and opinions are revered highly in France.” A year has gone by since she left us, yet her love through her words moves on.
surekha@expressbuzz.com
