KOCHI: One memory about Gowri Amma that is vividly clear in writer
M K Sanoo
’s mind is Gowri Amma riding a bicycle through the streets of Thiruvananthapuram.
“She used to cycle to the college from her hostel. At that time, it was a rare sight to see women riding cycles. Her elder sister Narayani used to ride a motorcycle,” Sanu said.
It was in the 1940s and Sanoo was studying as an intermediate student at the
University College
, Thiruvananthapuram while Gouri Amma was pursuing her law degree at
Government Law College
, Thiruvananthapuram.
“She was a distant relative of mine. I used to call her Gouri Akkan,” he said.
When Sanoo got elected to the legislative assembly from
Ernakulam
constituency as an LDF independent in 1987, Gouri Amma won from
Aroor
.
“It was widely expected that she would become the CM. But the party chose E K Nayanar. She was disappointed,” Sanoo said.
“Once Gouri Akkan told me how she met Changampuzha Krishna Pillai. One day, her professor asked the students whether they had met poet Changampuzha Krishna Pillai. Everybody said no. Then the professor asked
Krishna Pillai
, a student in the same class to stand up. Until then, nobody knew it was their classmate who had been writing poems under the name of Changampuzha,” Sanoo recalled.
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