KOCHI: Author M. Leelavathi’s decision to forgo celebrating her 98th birthday on Tuesday, in solidarity with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, has sparked a vile cyberattack. Her statement — “When I see the children in Gaza holding out their bowls for food, how can food go down my throat?” — was met with online abuse and mockery. One taunt read: “Maybe you’re just tired of plain rice. Teacher, why not try mandi rice? Maybe then you’ll find some happiness in your old age.”

Speaking to the media, the author, affectionately known as Leelavathi Teacher, reiterated that she views aging as a time for reflection, not celebration, and has never observed her birthdays. “I consider everyone equal, irrespective of religion, country, or caste. In 2019, I had only rice gruel on Onam after hearing about the plight of children affected by the landslides in Wayanad,” she said. Devastating landslides in Puthumala and Kavalappara in Wayanad district had claimed 76 lives in August 2019. “To me, children everywhere are the same. Those who oppose me are free to do so. I hold no enmity,” she added.

Defending her, writer C. Radhakrishnan said: “This is in very bad taste. On her 98th birthday, a revered teacher expressed her sorrow: ‘I feel heartbroken about the children dying in Gaza. I cannot enjoy any food.’ While most of the media understood her sentiment, a few twisted it into a communal issue and resorted to abuse. Some media outlets have become so poisoned that they cannot recognize a mother’s pain for children — regardless of caste, religion, or nationality. It is tragic that even in Kerala, the media is falling prey to such divisive narratives.”