THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Bhageerathi Amma was 105 years old and Karthyayani Amma was 96 when they became poster women of the state’s literacy movement by passing its examinations with top marks. Their stories have inspired many elderly persons in the state to return to the world of letters after decades. Chandramani C is one such senior citizen.
At the age of 70, she has passed the Class X and also the Class XII equivalency exams with flying colours and going a step further, has also found wings to her literary ambitions.
A native of Mampazhakkara in Neyyatinkara taluk of Thiruvananthapuram, Chandramani came to know of the State Literacy Mission’s Class X equivalency programme five years ago through her former ward councilor Jaya Dali. Though hesitant at first, it was the firm backing of her husband Sudarshanan K, a daily wage labourer, that prompted the reticent homemaker to give it another try at academics.
“I failed in my SSLC exam when I was 15. This was soon after my mother’s death. In those days, failure in Class X exam means a full stop to your academic dreams,” Chandramani said.
Her love for Malayalam literature and stories of veterans like Bhageerathi Amma and Karthyayani Amma ignited the fire within her to study again. Though taunted occasionally by members of her age group, Chandramani did not step back.
The Covid pandemic, that raged at that time couldn’t deter Chandramani’s academic pursuits either. After completing her daily household chores, she used to rush for classes armed with a mask and sanitiser. Her three sons also encouraged Chandramani to accomplish what she left behind 50 years ago.
While Chandramani’s literary instructor Saleela R helped her achieve academic success, it was Jaya with whom she shared her poetic creations. “I was surprised at her choice of words and vivid imagery that her poems convey. Shyly, she revealed that she has penned more than a dozen poems and showed them to me,” the former ward councilor said.
A few years ago, the Neyyattinkara municipality brought out Chandramani’s collection of poems titled ‘Ente Swarna Mandara Poovu. “For the past many months, she has been telling me about her wish to meet General Education Minister V Sivankutty. It became a reality when we met him at his chamber today,” Jaya said.
The Minister, who went through Chandramani’s collection of poems, encouraged her to study more. The 70-year-old now aspires to earn a bachelor’s degree in Malayalam literature. “With the support of my family, I believe I can achieve that aim as well,” she says.