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sugathakumari's poem (1934) titled Snehathinenthe niram (Colour of love) is enough to make one realise that this is no ordinary person. If love has no colour, it must have every hue which the universe has created ? a colour that heals, a colour that loves, colour that is justice. Beneath Sugathakumari's composed demeanour is a woman who reaches out to truth, who believes that destiny is not to be shunned as one's Karma but which can be nurtured into beauty and life.

For years her poems hinted this, traversing subjects that revealed her heart. But when the hour of need arrived, she stepped out for social causes ? first as an environmentalist, and then other projects. Today, she is hailed for her work that includes Abhayagramam, a village on the outskirts of Thiruvanthapuram, which houses a de-addiction centre, a home for the mentally ill, girl child, and women in distress, a training centre for the controlled mentally ill, rehabilitation centre for street children and an adalat for distressed women.

WHEN DID POETRY COME INTO YOUR LIFE?

It was always there. My father was a poet during the freedom movement. He used his poems as a tool for this movement. My mother was an educated woman, who had obtained an MA in the nineteen twenties; she was the first female in her villages to attain a degree. She was a Sanskrit teacher who also loved poetry, and she greatly influenced my thinking. She used to bring every possible book from libraries; she opened world literature to us ? Keats, Browning, Ramayana and Mahabharata. My parents read together and that was followed by heated discussions. My grandmother who lived with us was also literate. She read aloud the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, so that by the age of three, before I could write my alphabets, I was reciting them. I consider myself lucky, to have listened to so much writing, especially Malayalam poetry. I drew upon it; it became the rhythm on which I wrote.

IS YOUR WORK AND POETRY CONNECTED?

Yes, it always has been. It is the same thing. The last 32 years I witnessed the conservation of nature, the last twenty five years was about Abhaya. Poetry is my emotion ? my pain and turmoil, it is an expression of what I feel. I write to speak, I also write to express. Silent Valley, for example is peaceful, its beauty and serenity is beyond words. How selfish it is when we want to destroy things for pleasure. It is the same with women; they are used and exploited for pleasure. They do not have a voice, because women are physically weak and tend to feel inferior. Women are not used to raising their voices ? the change today, even if little, has only been recent.

THIS WAS NOT THE CASE IN KERALA. WOMEN HAD A CERTAIN POSITION IN KERALA SOCIETY.

We have copied a lot from north India; it began about forty years back. Remember, we did not have child marriage or a dowry system in Kerala. We followed a matriarchal system, where women had power. Hindu families concentrated around the women of the house; even amongst Muslims meher was given to the woman. Only Christians had a different custom. Besides, when joint families exist, men could not ill-treat their wives; there just was no room for it.

Today, the poor have learnt to earn and live. But it is the middle class which suffers, which is afraid to stand up for itself ? to whom it is a question of shame to admit to violence or injustice of any sort. There is a sense of false prestige prevalent in Kerala. And the greatest of all evil in this society is alcoholism. The repercussions of it are beyond explanation, it is the core of destruction of Kerala families.

YOU ARE OFTEN REFERRED TO AS A SOCIAL FEMINIST. IS IT TRUE?

This is what I have to say about feminism. It is not about being superior. It is about being proud of one's womanhood, where women can live a full life, without insults, violence or ill treatment. One must understand that the family is important, it is a precious institution and a beautiful creation of man, woman and child. But it loses its value and essence when it loses its beauty: not by breaking up the family, but by suffering and staying in the family in silence. The reason why women don't speak up is fear of social stigma.

YOU SAY THAT POETS, WRITERS MUST HAVE A SOCIAL OBLIGATION?

Justice is often delayed for many victims. Cases regarding domestic violence, for example, can take years. Can you imagine what will be the condition of the women and children who are victims of, say, alcoholic violence in that time? Writers must use their ability to propagate and bring into focus the needs of society. It can be any issue, not necessarily concerning women or the environment. A writer has complete freedom to decide whether he or she wants to get involved in an issue. If one feels about a social problem, it must be written about. Publications too must offer space for it ? where debates regarding the issue can take place. When people have a platform to speak, the results will be mind-boggling. Through the pen, great change is possible in our society; it can change lives and the very fabric upon which society rests. Silent Valley is a perfect example.

HOW DID THE SILENT VALLEY PROTEST HAPPEN?

At that time I was immersed in my poetry and my family. I remember, in his introduction to one of my books, N V Krishna Warrier had said that it was impossible for a person of my mind-set to not be involved in social work. This was 15 years before Silent Valley.It started with an article I had read in Mathrubhumi written by environmentalist and scientist M K Prasad (It was also the time I was working as Principal of Jawahar Balabhavan and editor of Thaliru). It disturbed me so much that I spent the whole night awake. Remember, it is easy to rebuild a dam, but not a forest. I could not remain silent regarding this atrocity, of setting up a hydroelectric project at the cost of the forest. I immediately met the group involved in protecting Silent Valley and learnt about bio-diversity, ecology and the project. I wrote an article in Kerala Kaumadi, asking writers to join the cause, saying that the responsibility of writers is huge for the cause is huge. There simply was no time to waste.

CAN YOU ELABORATE?

The cause involved all writers from Trivandrum. N V Krishna Warrier stated that the cause is not about Silent Valley per se, it was about nature ? the protection of hills, valleys and rivers. We merged the two together, writing that even a losing battle needs soldiers. At that time, it really seemed to be a losing battle, there was little hope that we would win. I recall when Vaikom Muhammad Basheer replied to one of my letters saying, ?Allow me to join the losing battle.' He even sent a hundred rupee note with the letter. It was a project that involved many crores of rupees, with powerful individuals spearheading it. The Assembly and the Central Government had passed the project, plans were drawn, and the Kerala State Electricity Board had cut roads and burnt down forests for it.

It was a struggle, I was in and out of courts ? eventually a number of movements came out of this, which then became a mass movement. It was a non-political movement, no politician wanted to support it. We worked with signature campaigns and umpteen numbers of campaigns.

Finally, in 1980 the Kerala High Court lifted the ban on clear cutting, but because of the intervention of Indira Gandhi, work was stopped till proper discussions. Finally in 1983, the Prime Minister decided to abandon the project and the next year it was declared a National Park. It was a great victory.

WHAT ABOUT THE KERALA WOMEN'S WELFARE COMMISSION, WHERE YOU MADE THE CHAIRPERSON IN 2001?

It is a political organisation, but we were able to do a lot of good. The commission had no model, no money, and no rules either. And it was no easy task, yet we brought about change such as the Women's Christian Bill. We also brought to Kerala the facilities for DNA testing. This was a big revolution as far as women are concerned. The fatherhood of children is easily obtainable now, and this changed the lives of many women, especially women accused of infidelity.

AND ABHAYA?

Abhaya was the turning point in my life. If I am to talk about it, there is so much to say. It was an accidental visit to a government run mental hospital in Thiruvanthapuram which changed my life. There were mentally ill women stark naked, with matted hair and sunken eyes, living in unimaginable conditions. The floors were damp and a hole in each cell was the toilet. The place was filled with the stench of urine, faeces and dirt. The cry of starving women for food that I heard was the chorus of hell. No one was able to enter these hospitals, only the caretakers and doctors. One cell had women all dolled up, who were being sold to the police camp nearby. It changed my life, the sight I saw. The journey to rescue the mentally ill was tough but after 150 years these hospitals were opened to the public. It was what resulted in Abhaya. The story of Abhaya is another one altogether; I would like to talk about it separately.

ALL THIS SOCIAL WORK, DO YOU CONSIDER IT YOUR DESTINY?

Destiny, yes. But it was also my choice.

HOW DO YOU SEE THINGS AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, WHAT WAS THE JOURNEY LIKE?

When I look back, as I had mentioned in the beginning, it seems a losing battle. There have been some achievements and a few faces who gave me relief through a pained journey. But as I look, I see many women and children with hands held out in supplication and the mentally ill. Like the poet Frost said, there are miles to go before I sleep. I feel there is so much more for me to do before I go.

Sugathakumari has been recognised for her poetry and honoured with Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award [1978], Odakkuzhal Award [1982], Vayalar Award [1984] , Lalithambika Antharjanam Award [2001], Vallathol Award [2003], Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship [2004] and Balamaniamma Award [2004]. She was awarded the Padmashri in 2006.