The sound of stifled voices lingered around Punnayurkulam on Saturday where women writers gathered ‘In the Shade of Neermathalam’ at the Kamala Suraiyya Memorial.
Jnanpith award winner Pratibha Rai highlighted the same in her speech as she inaugurated the gathering organised by the Kerala Sahithya Akademi. “Voices never die and those who try to silence writers do not understand that millions of voices will rise to challenge them,” she said.
Women writers were particularly being treated to silence, according to the veterans. Sara Joseph, activist and writer, who presided, said women writers were still sidelined in mainstream literature and silence was the best way to kill or ignore them.
“There is no serious attempt to look into what women writers think, how their writings change the course of lives,” she noted.
Ms. Rai felt women writers were victims of cultural hurdles. “Writers have no gender. Balancing personal and creative lives is a tightrope walk for women,” she said. A way to counter such attitudes would be to compete with oneself rather than with each other.
Delivering the keynote address, Hindi writer Mridula Garg said Kamala Suraiyya was a seeker of truth. And she was crucified for that. This could be because women and minorities have been subjects for Kamala Suraiyya’s works, according to Ms. Joseph. “She had proclaimed through her writings that ‘My body is my freedom and my right’,” Ms. Joseph recalled.
Akademi president Vaisakhan said the Akademi was trying to reach out to all sections of society. About 100 women writers are participating in the two-day programme. The programme will discuss and review the works and life of Madhavikutty.