Age no barrier to courage and guts

by Ashok K. Damodaram

(July 25, Kerala, Sri Lanka Guardian) She saw her grandchildren using computers and developed a Craving to beat them at it. When she first walked in to enroll herself, the teachers fell off their chairs at the sate –sponsored e-literacy camp in her village. But within days, she took to the mouse and Keyboard like to fish to water. Rosakutty in India’s only and perhaps the world’s oldest –computer student. And her indomitable spirit is the key to her long life, say gerontologists.

For, unlike most centenarians Rosakutty doesn’t have enormously healthy habits. She doesn’t thrive on greens and fruits. For , her no meal is complete unless there’s some spicy fish, chicken, lamb or beef curry with it. What’s more , she’s hooked on snuff and smoke the occasional beedi. Yet she has no illness, bathes herself, walks few miles a day with out effort and does small chores in the kitchen efficiently.

She was born in 1892 in Kerala, the year top –grade cricket kicked off in India and Adventures of Sherlock Holmes hit the stand in Britain. All the rest are little more than foot –notes in history, but Rosakutty is very much a part of the present. In white Chatta –Mundu and huge gold earrings, she may look like a typical granny. But one knows better.
- Sri Lanka Guardian