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Suraiya Das, a noted writer and poet, passed away on 31
May 2009 in Pune. She was 75. She is survived by her two
sons.
Kamala Das, as she was known earlier, was always a very
controversial figure in Kerala. The latest controversy
erupted when she, at the age of 67, decided to convert
to Islam. While many Muslims welcomed her mov e, there
were Hindus who felt that she was an embarrassment to
Hinduism. Thus, her conversion was widely discussed in
socio political circles and in the media.
However, Kamala Das, who was a fiercely independent
person, stood by her decision. Thereby, she asserted the
right of every Indian to choose his or her own religion.
As a woman and as a writer, she decided to exercise her
personal freedoms in a land where personal freedoms are
mostly subsumed under the "greater cause" of common
sensibilities.
A J Philip of Indian Express commented a few days before
her conversion that "The only incident in Kerala
comparable to noted writer Madhavikutty nee Kamala Das's
conversion to Islam is that of Rama Varma, heir to the
Kochi throne, who embraced Christianity in 1835 and
became the first indigenous missionary." (IE, 17 Dec
1999)
India has a long way to go before everyone starts
respecting an individuals right to choose his own
religion, clothes, language, homeland and social
identity.
Kamala changed her name to Suraiya Das. She changed her
attire to match Islamic codes of conduct. When she was
asked whether she would miss the "freedoms" that Hindus
enjoyed in terms of social status and choice of clothes,
she once retorted that she was tired of such freedoms.
Suraiya is better known for another controversy. Her
writings, under her pen name "Madhavikutty," especially
her autobiography titled "My Story" (1976) in Malayalam
shocked the entire literary world. She was very candid
in her book about her life. This was in line with her
general tendency to be extremely honest about a woman's
emotional and physical longings. It is an interesting
coincidence that Rev. Yakob Rama Varma too is remembered
for his autobiography the first ever autobiography
written in Malayalam.
In a society where any woman was regarded as a mere
object of a man's lust, Suraiaya's assertion that women
too have a legitimate sexuality was a bolt from the
blue. Several critics branded her writings as obscene.
Her response to such allegations was along expected
lines: "They say that my writings are obscene. Is the
Song of Solomon obscene? When other authors write about
sex between people who do not have any love, they win
awards. I write about the intimacy that happens between
two individuals in the context of committed love. What
happens in love happens in the presence of God."
Madhavikutty remains an enigmatic figure in death, as
was during her life. She claimed to have met a merciful
God in Islam. During her 27 years of spiritual search to
find the truth, probably no Christian ever attempted to
introduce her to the Heavenly Father, the God of the
Bible.
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