Daily Current Affairs Article 26th December 2020: Malayalam poet, conservationist and women’s rights activist Sugathakumari, who was on life support for the past two days after testing positive for Covid-19 at the age of 86 years.
Sugathakumari (1934 – 2020) was an Indian poet and activist, who was at the forefront of environmental and feminist movements in Kerala.
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She began her literary life writing for a weekly in 1957 under the pen name Sreekumar. Fondly called ‘Sugatha teacher’, she was known for her poems filled with empathy, sensitivity and philosophical quest.
In the late 1970s she led a successful nationwide movement, known as Save Silent Valley, to save some of the oldest natural forests in the country, the Silent Valley in Kerala, from submersion as a result of a planned hydroelectric project.
Her poem “Marathinu Stuthi” (Ode to a Tree) became a symbol for the protest and reverberated in all the Save the Silent Valley campaigns.
She was the founder secretary of the Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi, an organisation for the protection of nature.
She also founded Abhaya, a home for destitute women and a day-care centre for the mentally ill.
Sugathakumari was also the first chairperson of the Kerala State Women Commission. Her tenure was marked by the launch of Kudumbashree Missions, one the successful projects for women empowerment in Kerala.
