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| Kaumudi, Udayapuram House, near Kadachira High School, Kannur |
90-year-old Kaumudi treasures a faded piece of paper autographed once by Gandhiji with the words, ‘tumhara tyag tumhara bhooshan hai’. The sacrifice that he speaks of – and about which he later wrote in the Harijan – was the public offering by 18-year-old Kaumudi, all her gold ornaments for the cause of Harijan fund started by the Mahatma.
Did she desire to wear those ornaments again, Gandhiji asked her a few days later, before writing her story. Will not this sacrifice create problems at the time of marriage? She replied that she would only wed someone who doesn’t fancy gold.
She forgot all about marriage but took up Gandhiji’s advice to devote her time to master and propagate Hindi. She was the first Hindi teacher in government sector in Madras State of yore. Kaumudi teacher retired from service at Kalyasseri Model Goverment High School, Kannur. Later, she continued providing free coaching to students till ill-health prevented it.
Although she was eligible for freedom fighter pension, she never applied for it. She considered the pension from her teaching job as sufficient.
Once, hearing about the plight of people affected by earthquake in Bihar, she wrote to Mahatma what she could do about it. Gandhiji’s replied: you have already given everything. What else is there to give?
Courtesy:
M.P.Sukumaran (text), Abu Hashim (photo), Sree, Malayala Manorama,
November 11, 2007
Contributed by: Administrator
