KOZHIKODE: Almost 50 years ago she quit her profession, but is still remembered by several generations in her and nearby villages. Parakkunnth Manickam, midwife from Moolad, reached a milestone – 100 – and was honoured recently by the villagers for the services she rendered much before hospitals were common.
She had attended thousands of deliveries despite her advancing years. “Manickam is not certain about her age. But she must have crossed 98 or more by now. Her services were confined to her village and nearby areas. She had attended my mother’s delivery, walking more than 12 kilometers barefoot,” says C.P. Sasidharan, an Ayurveda pharma distributor and Manickam’s relative.
Recently, Kathakali maestro Guru Chemanchery Kunhiraman Nair had honoured Manickam on behalf of the villages. Here the centenarian regaled the audience with her folk songs. Her memory has not dimmed despite the passage of time and she still identifies the ‘children’ she once introduced to the world. Even at 100, she is busy making traditional toys and kitchen utensils with leaves. She also teaches the children folk songs which are not written or recorded.
