Poet Satchidanandan to gradually end his public life, cites memory issue

Celebrated poet, critic, and translator K. Satchidanandan announced on Wednesday that he would gradually end his public life, stating that his memory, reading, and imagination could vanish at any time.

Announcing his decision in a Facebook post, Satchidanandan, a renowned orator who takes medication for transient global amnesia, requested that he no longer be invited to give lectures, noting that speeches by “figures like Christ and Buddha have not made the world better”.

“Neither Christ nor Buddha, nor anyone else’s speeches have ever made the world better. My 60 years of experience have made me realise that such activities are merely a waste of time,” Satchidanandan said.

The 78-year-old poet, serving as chairman of the Kerala Sahithya Akademi, shared that he would avoid travel and speeches, which he considers a “waste of time”.

The former secretary of the Sahitya Akademi and former editor of its bimonthly Indian Literature, Satchidanandan revealed that he was diagnosed with transient global amnesia seven years ago.

“Since then, I have been taking medication. After that, it didn’t recur. However, on November 1, it returned in a new form. Numbness in the legs, shaking hands, difficulty speaking, memory loss — these are symptoms that last only a short time.

“I have been in the hospital for five days. October was filled with travel and events. Doctors say that stress is the main cause of this second episode. Therefore, I am gradually stepping back from public life. I will avoid travel and speeches,” Satchidanandan wrote in the post.

He said he would only participate in select poetry-related events, which sustain his life, and a few akademi events until the end of his term.

“Please do not invite me to public gatherings. If I do not attend, kindly accept it without complaints. As long as I have memory, reading, and imagination, I will write. However, these may vanish at any time,” he concluded.

Attempts to reach Satchidanandan over the phone were unsuccessful.

A leading figure in modern Malayalam poetry, Satchidanandan has published over 20 collections of poetry, exploring themes of love, nature, and social justice.

His work has earned him major honours, including the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, inspiring many writers over the years.

Published - November 06, 2024 11:25 pm IST