Words, courage and the Idea of India: LoP Gandhi honours Malayalam writer, critic Dr Leelavathy

Kochi, Jan 19
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Monday handed over the Priyadarshini Literary Award, instituted by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), to veteran Malayalam writer and critic Dr M. Leelavathy, turning a brief visit to Kochi into a moment rich with political symbolism and literary resonance.

Calling it a “tremendous honour” to participate in the ceremony, LoP Rahul Gandhi described the 98-year-old scholar as “an icon not just for Kerala, but for the country.”

He spoke with admiration of Leelavathy’s discipline and intellectual vitality, noting that she begins her day at 3 a.m., reads extensively and continues to write.

“She is currently reading and writing about caste in the world. Many across the country think about and believe in, but do not have the courage to say,” he said.

LoP Gandhi underlined that great nations are not built in silence. “Great nations and great people are created when they express their views. Leelavathy is one such person,” he said, drawing a contrast between those who remain indifferent as long as they are personally comfortable and thinkers who develop strong opinions rooted in social responsibility.

Describing her as simple, humble and deeply rooted, LoP Gandhi said he saw in her “the true spirit of Kerala.”

Congratulating her for the wisdom she has shared over decades, he added with warmth, “We are waiting to see you reach a century.”

Responding after receiving the award, Dr Leelavathy said she was deeply grateful to the Indian National Congress for honouring her with an award named after late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

She recalled that Indira Gandhi had personally presented her with the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1981.

“Now I am receiving an award from her grandson, after nearly half a century. It is a strange and moving coincidence,” she said.

Reflecting on the Gandhi legacy, Dr Leelavathy said two members of the family had become martyrs in the service of the nation.

She spoke of Indira Gandhi’s lifelong commitment to secularism, recalling how, as a young girl, Indira discarded a precious foreign doll as part of the freedom movement and, later in life, “threw herself into the fire of secularism, valuing it more than her own life.”

She said she had deeply admired Indira Gandhi, adding that these traits were evident in Rajiv Gandhi as well, particularly in his role in elevating women to leadership positions.

Dr Leelavathy said she saw the same values in Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. “I wish both of them to rise to the heights of power. I may not live to see it, but I can visualise it,” she said.

A distinguished writer, literary critic and educationist, Dr M. Leelavathy has taught at several colleges in Kerala and retired as Principal of Government Brennen College, Thalassery.

Her long and influential career has been recognised with numerous honours, including the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award.