VS Who Reminded Us of T S Thirumump

Thiruvananthapuram: T S Thirumump, or Thazhekkatt Thimiri Mana Subrahmanian Thirumump, was a poet from Malabar during India’s freedom struggle. Though relatively unknown to many Malayalis, it was V S Achuthanandan who brought Thirumump’s legacy into contemporary times.

"My greying hair does not define my old age

My ungreying hair does not define my youth

In front of cruel tyranny

My unbowed head defines my youth.'

These lines were penned by Thirumump after being denied membership in the Abhinav Bharat Yuva Sangh on the grounds of age. The verses embody a spirit that defies time, a timeless courage and defiance in the face of injustice. Neither age nor the silver strands on one’s head are proof of a person’s fighting spirit. Instead, the poet suggests that what truly matters is the unyielding commitment to resist injustice and to walk the path of protest.

When critics mocked how an over- eighty- year -old like VS could still fight, he powerfully recited these lines in a public meeting, asserting that his youthful resolve in battle had not dimmed with age. He underscored his enduring spirit by repeating the line “My unbowed head defines my youth” three times.

VS was eighty when he trekked through treacherous mountain paths to visit the troubled Choolavanna tribal village. He was in his seventies when he climbed and descended the hills of Mullaperiyar, Idamalayar, and Peermade. As Chief Minister, he ran all the way to Sabarimala to assess pilgrim facilities, at the age of 83. Many also remember VS practising yoga even at that age.