Poetess-Activist Sugathakumari Dies Of COVID-19 In Kerala

Days after testing positive for COVID-19, celebrated poetess-activist Sugathakumari breathed her last today (December 23, 2020). The eminent personality was undergoing treatment at Thiruvananthapuram's government medical hospital. She was 86.

Paying tribute to the renowned poetess, politician and author Shashi Tharoor tweeted, "The tragic end has come. As I bow my head in tribute to the departed soul, I recall many moments at her side, from felicitating her Saraswati Samman, to addressing environmentalists alongside her."

Reportedly, Sugathakumari was admitted to the hospital's ICU (Intensive Care Unit) after being diagnosed with the virus on December 21, 2020. The octogenarian was on ventilator support since then. The senior poetess has been fighting against the discrimination and oppression of women in society through her poems.

The Padma Shri awardee's best work includes Mutthuchippi (1961), Pavam Pavam Manava Hrudayam (1968), Pranamam (1969), Irul Chirakukal (1969), Pathirappookkal (1967) and Devadasi (1998) among many others. Notable awards from her innumerable ones include Kerala Sahithya Akademi Award for Poetry (1968), Sahithya Akademi Award (1978), Vayalar Award (1984), Asan Prize (1991), Vallathol Award (2003), and ONV Literary Award (2017)

Sugathakumari, born in Pathanamthitta's Aranmula on January 22, 1934, was married to educationalist and writer Dr. K Velayudhan Nair. The renowned poetess is survived by her daughter Lakshmi.