The civilian honour has literally altered Lakshmikutty Amma’s routines. Her mornings are now abuzz with the flash sounds of cameras and the media entourage eagerly waiting to get an interview of her. The surprise and happiness are still visible in her eyes, as she greets each one with a contented smile and narrates the eventful journey of her life. Though Padma Shri has elevated her to a celebrity status, this 75- year old Vanamutthashy (forest grandmother) still prefers to languish in the veracities of Mother Nature and carry on with the simple and rustic life which centers on her small hut deep inside the tribal settlement at Kallar in Thiruvananthapuram district. Laksmikutty, who has a multitude of talents to her credit, is a poet, poison healer and a teacher at Folklore Academy. Her abode, perched amidst the abundance of rare medical herbs and plants, is a place of solace for hundreds who trek the forest to avail the naturopathic treatment she offers for various ailments. Lakshmikutty Amma shares her journey of life with Brand Kerala.
Can you recollect the backgrounds that led to your foray into the naturopathic treatment stream? My mother was a traditional midwife. She was invited to many houses and places to attend the cases of delivery. For attending deliveries outside forest, she used to get money and dress in return. Since the people in our settlement never had anything to give as fee for attending deliveries, my mother used to do it as a service. My father died when I was six months old. My grandmother was Nachi Muthi. I don’t remember her face. The only thing I remember about her is her death rituals. My grandfather and my mother took care of me. My grandfather was the king of our forest and he ruled here for years. He died when I was five years old. His death was literally a shock for all of us and eventually pushed us to poverty. We then eked out a living by cultivating crops like paddy, chaama, tapioca etc. When my mother became ill and stopped going to other places, the natives here started relying on nearby hospitals. But she treated people who came to see her and our hut was then looked like a hospital. Most women would leave this place only after completing the rituals related to childbirth. We have a temple inside the forest which was not built by any person. The rituals and traditions followed are different from the Brahminical style. Once at the time of a festival, one of my relatives came here with a fractured leg and my mother treated her with utmost care and ease. These experiences during the childhood were an inspiration for me and naturally I developed an interest in the treatment methods followed by my mother. My mother was a very hard working woman who had to undergo a lot of sufferings. She used to give me instructions in collecting medicines from forests. I noted down all those details so that I could use them later. Now people, irrespective of culture and religion, come here from far off places for treatment. The biggest blessing for me is the trust they show in my treatment modules . Hence it is important for me to make myself available always to attend to the needy. Our life revolves around this forest and it is high time we did something to preserve this unique treasure for the benefit of the future generations. How do you procure the herbs and other plants required for preparing medicines? I collect medicines for my treatments from the forest itself. I personally go to forest and get them. As I told you before, my mother used to give me all the instructions and information regarding medicines. I had noted down the details. By continuously watching her treating people, I learned almost everything that she did. All these plants and trees surrounding my hut are medicinal ones. Some of them got destroyed in the forest fire. Some plants like Cheriyarnanka has become extinct. The government should immediately take actions to protect these plants from extinction. The forest department has the right to protect the forest and these medicines. The wild life also is in the verge of extinction. What do you feel about younger generation’s attitude towards naturopathy? Are they showing any sort of interest in it? Yes, they do have interest in naturopathy. I take classes in Kerala Folklore Academy. All those students who attend my classes are very much interested in this field. That makes me happy and gives me the pleasure in sharing my knowledge, what I have learned from my ancestors. How do you analyze your life after receiving the Padma Shri award? I received a call that night saying that I have been selected for the Padma Shri award. This was followed by a flood of phone calls and messages complementing me for this prestigious recognition. The Tribal Department officials were the first to arrive here. My dream is to convert this hut into a museum and I want to sleep here till my last breath. I need to finish the remaining works of my new house to preserve my awards, certificates and other belongings. Many people used to come here for treatment even before I received the award. The atmosphere here was calm then. But now it seems to be very busy. I had enough time to read and write, now it is pretty difficult to find time after all these. Most of the time is spent for interviews and articles. So I changed my routine. I look patients on Mondays and Tuesdays till noon. Fridays are for temple. The rest is for the preparation of medicines. It takes a lot of time to prepare oil medicines. Who will be the next from your family to tread your path? Have you identified anyone? Yes, I am giving advice and instructions to my granddaughter Poornima. She is now studying in plus two. She wants to become a teacher. But she helps me a lot in. Her horoscope says that she will become a doctor either in Ayurveda or Allopathy stream. I am ready to share my knowledge with anyone who is interested to follow this path. Please tell us about your travelling experiences, especially after receiving the Padma Shri award. I went to Tamil Nadu once after receiving the award. Also there was a journey to Jharkhand for another program, where I was felicitated. There are many programs happening inside and outside Kerala and I enjoy all these since I always love to interact with people. I met many famous personalities during these journeys. I am receiving a lot of letters complimenting me, asking for advices , treatments etc. People have bestowed the title ‘Vana Muthassi’ on me, and I love to hear that. We would like to know more on the poet in you, Do you rely on any particular theme for writing poetry? My mother used to sing songs for us, songs that are related to our tradition, culture, forest etc. Listening them, I also started writing from the young age itself. Mostly I try to express my thoughts through my poems. There won’t be any particular theme. I love poems. I also takes time to write articles that are related to tribal culture. How is the support from your family helping you in your activities? My husband passed away two years before. Out of the three sons, two of them passed away and the third son is working with Indian Railways. Now my family comprises daughters-in- law and grandchildren who accompany me during my programs. All of them are very supportive. Do you have any particular wish to accomplish? My only request to the authorities is to take steps for a travelable road to my home. Actually the approval for the same was given in 1952 but nothing materialized. This is very important since cases of snake poison need immediate attention and treatment. My son lost his life since we could not take him to hospital on time. Also I need a calm atmosphere to read and write. Nothing more…
