Winnie had won hearts in Kerala too

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When

Winnie Mandela

visited Thiruvananthapuram in 1999, she and

Nelson Mandela

were divorced. Yet, she was a powerful voice in

South Africa

and wielded considerable clout in the ruling African National Congress. While addressing a host of programmes during the three-day visit, Winnie Mandela repeated the importance of freedom and education and recalled dark tales of apartheid.

It was her first visit to India and many eyebrows were raised in New Delhi as she had skipped invitations to visit Delhi in the past. “There is an interesting story. It was the Keralite community in South Africa which first invited Winnie Mandela. Jacob Isaac Kalimadam was the leader of Keralites there and they had cajoled her to accept our invitation”, said actress Mallika Sukumaran. Kalimadam, who owns educational institutions in South Africa, was a close friend of Mallika’s husband Sukumaran.

Winnie Mandela was invited to inaugurate the Millennium Festival, an educational and cultural festival organized by the Kerala Children's Film Society. Mallika Sukumaran was the secretary of the society.

“We had organized an interaction with children as part of the inauguration. She enjoyed it most and told me later that speaking to kids was hundred times better than delivering a lecture in a meeting”, recalled Mallika Sukumaran, who accompanied Winnie Mandela during the visit.

Retired chief secretary K Jayakumar recalled Winnie Mandela as an embodiment of determination and commitment. Jayakumar was the education secretary when Winnie Mandela visited Kerala. “We invited her for the screening of the children’s movie Varnachirakukal directed by me. She watched the entire movie though there were no subtitles,” said Jayakumar.

After her return to South Africa, Winnie Mandela had invited Mallika Sukumaran and Jayakumar there. “We were given royal treatment there. We had even discussed an animation movie on resistance against colonialism in South Africa. I was supposed to write the script for it. But, the project failed to take off,” Jayakumar said.

The ruling LDF government had treated Winnie Mandela as a state guest. “There was a public reception to Winnie Mandela in durbar hall. I met her there. The photograph showing Winnie embracing chief minister Nayanar appeared in all newspapers the next day”, said S Georgekutty, who was part of the media delegation that visited South Africa in 1994 to witness Nelson Mandela’s swearing in as President.

Winnie Mandela had stayed in Ashoka hotel, Kovalam (now Leela Raviz) and had enjoyed the variety of seafood served there. “Meen pollichathu was her favourite dish. She loved prawns too”, remembered Mallika Sukumaran.