A Tribute to Leela Menon , the Trail Blazer

photo courtesy:the hindu.com

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

                                    Robert Frost                                                   

Leela Menon (86), the  Chief Editor of Janmabhoomi Daily  who died  at an old-age home  in Ernakulam on the 3^rd of June, 2018  is considered to be  a trail blazer in the field of journalism. Ms. Menon had always desired to tread  untrodden paths. Hence, in 1949, after joining as a clerk at a post office in Hyderabad she learnt telegraphy and became the only woman telegraphist at that time. She created history when she ventured into the male-dominated world of journalism with The Indian Express at Delhi in 1978, a time when very few women from Kerala dared to enter this unsafe field. Unlike women who preferred to work in their native place, Leela opted to work in Delhi for such was her desire to get to know noted journalists like Kuldip Nayyar and Arun Shourie.
 

Leela Menon was the first woman from Kerala to make a mark  as a sub editor  in the print media. But she had no penchant for the dull, routine desk job of editing and page-making; and she  was able to prove that reporting was her forte when she was posted as a reporter in Kottayam by The Indian Express. At a time when reporters were interested only in political reportage, Leela Menon became a trail blazer with her hard-hitting exclusive stories on social and women’s issues that caught the attention of the whole nation. She is the first woman from kerala to become the Chief Editor of a Daily. Undeterred by threats that came from many quarters over her daring and disturbing exposes, she fought for the cause of the voiceless sections of society with the zeal of a crusader. In her personal life too, she had been a fighter. Two decades ago, she had a long struggle with cancer but had defeated that disease and fully recovered from it.

George Abraham, former Deputy Resident Editor of The Indian Express aptly remarks, “The path trodden by Leela Menon was adventurous, risky and unique, yet she never faltered. Today, if women have come to dominate journalism, it is entirely due to Leela Menon. Her legacy is most enduring.” Leela Menon is a role model for many young women who, following her footsteps, have taken to the media profession. A big salute to this woman of mettle, this woman who chose the road less travelled by that made all the difference in her life.

Bhadra S.