Kerala’s Minister for Welfare of Backward Communities, P K Jayalakshmi issued a circular today asking her to be called ‘Srimati’ and not ‘Kumari’.
Having been married for over 3 months now, the minister is infuriated that all official communications continue to refer to her as ‘kumari’ a term reserved for unmarried women.
She has instructed all correspondence to henceforth use ‘shrimati’, the appropriate title for married women.
She is the only tribal, or female minister in the assembly.
Jayalakshmi married her childhood friend and father’s grand nephew Anil Kumar on May 10 this year, in a ceremony attended by several top politicians. Her husband Anil Kumar is a farmer by profession.