Lalitambika Antarjanam
Encyclopedia
Lalithambika Antharjanam (1909 – 1987), was an author
in Malayalam. She was born in Kottavattom Kottarakara, Kerala
to a literary family - both her parents were poets - but she herself had little formal education. In 1927, she was married to Narayanan Nambudiri. She became a political activist and a social reformer, participating in the Indian National Congress
and later with the Kerala Communist Party of India (Marxist)
(CPI-M). Her published oeuvre consists of nine volumes of short stories, six collections of poems, two books for children, and a novel, Agnisakshi (1980) which won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award
for the best literary work of that year. It was later made into a movie.
Her writing reflects a sensitivity to the women's role in society, and the tension between the woman as a centre for bonding and the woman as an individual. She was concerned particularly the nature of the sexual contract. In her story Revenge Herself (English translation anthologized in The Inner Courtyard), she highlights the moral and sexual choices faced by uppercaste Nambudiri women, who were secluded in the inner house, through the story of the "fallen woman" Tatri. This is especially sensitive in Kerala, where Nayar
women are relatively free sexual lives in their matriarchal culture. In her story Mulappalinte Manam she highlights the woman's role as the central cohesive force in society, and she supports artificial birth control
, so long as it does not contradict this basic womanly qualities of healing the schisms opened up by individualism.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
in Malayalam. She was born in Kottavattom Kottarakara, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
to a literary family - both her parents were poets - but she herself had little formal education. In 1927, she was married to Narayanan Nambudiri. She became a political activist and a social reformer, participating in the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
and later with the Kerala Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of...
(CPI-M). Her published oeuvre consists of nine volumes of short stories, six collections of poems, two books for children, and a novel, Agnisakshi (1980) which won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...
for the best literary work of that year. It was later made into a movie.
Her writing reflects a sensitivity to the women's role in society, and the tension between the woman as a centre for bonding and the woman as an individual. She was concerned particularly the nature of the sexual contract. In her story Revenge Herself (English translation anthologized in The Inner Courtyard), she highlights the moral and sexual choices faced by uppercaste Nambudiri women, who were secluded in the inner house, through the story of the "fallen woman" Tatri. This is especially sensitive in Kerala, where Nayar
Nayar
Nayar, Nayyar or Nair can refer to:Groups of people:* Naga People from North Eastern India* The successors of Nāga tradition* Nayar – a caste from the South Indian state of Kerala...
women are relatively free sexual lives in their matriarchal culture. In her story Mulappalinte Manam she highlights the woman's role as the central cohesive force in society, and she supports artificial birth control
Birth control
Birth control is an umbrella term for several techniques and methods used to prevent fertilization or to interrupt pregnancy at various stages. Birth control techniques and methods include contraception , contragestion and abortion...
, so long as it does not contradict this basic womanly qualities of healing the schisms opened up by individualism.