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was proscribed or prescribed, and her eclectic reading Lappi was his world. Her most dominant influence on her
habits continue to this day. Though it was difficult to tear during her childhood was her grandfather’s brother – Capt.
her away from her world of books, she was no book worm. K. N. Pillai. She remembers the women of her household
She was equally proficient in arts and sports, and was a as strong, articulate, and opinionated. This is a facet we
gifted basketball player and runner, an interest which she see in the courage of her convictions and the passionate
abandoned when she grew older and turned her attention intensity of her viewpoints. I was struck by the revelation
to academics. Her early schooling was in Alleppey – in Asan that hers was a family of lawyers that established one
Pallikudam, then at St. Antony’s school, Central School, of the oldest legal firms in this country, since she was
St. Joseph’s school until she finally headed to St. Teresa’s instrumental in conceiving and implementing the legal
College for her pre-university and undergraduate studies. awareness program for young women and marginalized
She did her post-graduation from the University of Kerala. groups in the campus and city. A legal literacy course
Her doctoral research was on ‘The New Self-concept of for young women was designed and initiated in 2020,
Indian Women’ emerging from the novels of Anita Desai, jointly by Dr. Latha and ‘Disha’ for empowering young
an early interest in gender worthy of a woman who, many women to fight against all forms of abuse. Her maternal
years later, would be conferred the Saahas Prerana Award grandfather’s brother established the T. D. Medical College
by WISCOMP, an international organization that focuses and started the only clinic for the poor in Alleppey. Latha
on women’s agency in public and policy spaces. ma’am’s munificence in helping the poor and sick stems
from the inclusive family she grew up in – a family that
From her mother she inherited her love for and proficiency treated everyone regardless of status with kindness,
in the arts. She was instructed in dance from the age of benevolence, and courtesy.
three and continually represented her institution for the
Youth Festival. She was awarded the Kalaprathibha title In teaching, her role models were Prof. Madukar Rao and
in 1975 from Calicut University. Kalaprathibha was the Ms. Annie Chacko. From Ms. Annie learned how to care
common title for both male and female artists during the and love for her students, a practice which Latha Ma’am
time. As a result of her title, Allepey district was placed adopted and excelled in. Her ‘Sahas Prerana’ award was
3rd for the first time, and many were the interviews and also for consistently providing psycho-social support for
press reports on young Latha. Inevitably, she performed the well-being of students and countering gender-based
across the length and breadth of the State, was awarded a violence and substance abuse. Another major influence
scholarship for Bhaatanatyam and was invited by Padma from the CSST congregation was Rev. Sr. Tessa to whom
Subramanyan to be a part of her entourage. However, like she says she ‘owes everything’. It was Sr. Tessa who
her sports, she gave up her dance as well since she wished helped her immensely during the different phases of her
to dedicate herself completely to academics, where she life and enabled her as she puts it to discover herself. From
won equal recognition. the department she fondly remembers as her mentors
many of her seniors – Sr. Vinitha, Dr. Ayesha who gave her
Latha ma’am describes her childhood as ‘happy’, a beloved the love of theory from the many discussions she had, Dr.
child in a large joint family of over 23 children, where she Renu and Dr. Anita.
learnt the virtue of sharing and empathy. Many people
speak of her geniality, her bounteousness, and all-inclusive But most of all, her greatest influence and source of
affection and these were lessons learnt from living the support has been her husband, C. Vinod Nedungadi.
ideals in a large family of uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, An egalitarian who gave up his caste name, he believes
cousins, and grandparents, where the selfish boundaries equally in the status, dignity and freedom of women
of nuclear families were unknown. This is perhaps the – having given her the freedom to shape her life as she
source of her warmth towards people, a tenderness she pleased. She speaks glowingly of having travelled the
exhibits that makes strangers feel at home. world, visiting 12 Universities from UK to Singapore to
Australia to USA and it is his encouragement that enabled
Her sister, Geeta married M.G. K. Menon when Latha her to become much of what she is today. To illustrate
ma’am was only ten years of age and her brother-in- - in 2004, Dr. Latha winged her way to London for two
law who was more of a surrogate father instilled in her years where she acquired an additional PG degree in
a sense of discipline and order. Her brother, Harikrishnan, International Language Teaching and Applied Language
who accompanied her for her dance practices was another Studies from the London Metropolitan University. She
indulgent figure – a brother for whom, as she says, little 77