KOCHI: A fighter to the core, Koothattukulam Mary’s political life started when she led a march of school students to the Koothattukulam police station, boycotting classes, in response to an exhortation by Gandhiji against the British rule.
While the police arrested the boy students and put them in lock-up, the girl students and Mary were let go. Later, the boys were released after Mary staged a sit-in in front of the police station.
Then, she was a ninth standard student at St John’s English Medium High School, Vadakara. The incident marked the beginning of her fight against injustice.
A fighter throughout her life, Mary was not ready to retire even at the fag end of her life.
This became evident when 70 of her paintings were displayed at an exhibition at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery, here, a few years ago. It is interesting, as she learned painting only at the age of 87.
She was born on September 24, 1921, as the daughter of Pathrose and Elisba. She started her career as a physical training instructor at Karaikkudy. She was drawn toward communism when she was serving as a welfare officer in Thirunelveli.
Later, she left the job and became a full-time party worker, and chose Koothattukulam as her base. She worked as a messenger to the comrades, in the underground.
In 1949, she married C S George, while both of them were actively involved in clandestine campaigns for the Communist party.
She was arrested by the police in 1951, and was subjected to severe torture in police custody. She served imprisonment for six months. She has described those events in detail in her autobiography, Kanaleriyum Vazhi (A Trail of Fire), which was released last month.
Later, she joined the Perinthalmanna Government High School as a teacher and was active in organizational activities.
Mary’s husband died earlier. She is survived by daughters Sulekha, Girija, Aisha and Shyla C George, who is wife of former minister and CPI leader Benoy Viswam.
Mary spent the last days of her life with Sulekha and her husband Babu Paul at Velloor, on the banks of the Muvattupuzha river. The funeral will be held at the Kottayam Public Crematorium on Monday.
Mary remained with the CPI after the Communist party split, and served as patron of the Kottayam district committee and president of the Mahila Sangham.
She was honoured by the President in 2008 for her contributions to the freedom movement.