Kollam: When three candidates walked into the Kollam Collectorate for the scrutiny of their nomination papers, a wave of nostalgia washed over them. R Lathadevi, the LDF candidate in Chadayamangalam division, Geetha Sivan, the UDF district panchayat candidate in Mukhathala and B Jayanthi, the LDF candidate in Perinadu, had been students at SN Women’s College, Kollam, during the same period.

While pursuing different courses, they were active student activists affiliated with AISF, KSU, and PSU. For Geetha, the reunion amidst local body polls was unexpectedly emotional. “When we met at the Collectorate, the feeling of friendship overwhelmed us. It felt so sweet,” she said.

“The SFI dominated our campus back then. During my time, the KSU won only once, and it was a historic moment. Lathadevi was a firebrand AISF leader then, weaving poetry effortlessly into her speeches. She inspired the whole campus,” Geetha recalled.

A former KSU unit secretary, Geetha later rose through the ranks of the Mahila Congress and now serves on the State Advisory Committee. A native of Prakkulam, she retired after teaching at Jyothi Nikethan Women’s College. She is married to artist Kollam Sivan.

Her bond with Lathadevi grew through the routines of student life. “Hanging out after hours was rare back then. We had no pocket money, just a concession card to commute to college. Latha used to stay in Perumon, and I was at Prakkulam. We would walk to college from the Chinnakkada bus stop every morning. That’s when we bonded. Jayanthi and I were batchmates, so we spent more time on the campus together,” she said. Lathadevi is moved by Geetha's words. A year older than the others, she was a History student, while Geetha and Jayanthi belonged to the 1980–83 Malayalam and Chemistry batches, respectively.

“Geetha is too generous with her praise,” she said. “After the Emergency, the Congress was split into factions. We were all part of the same front then. When I lost a councillor election by a narrow margin after a recount, they stood by me. We even organised a protest, suspecting foul play.” She added that her two friends helped her call strikes and cancel classes when needed.

Lathadevi went on to become the MLA for Chadayamangalam in 1996. Now a CPI State Executive Committee member, she retired as Head of the History Department at SN College, Varkala. She is married to Minister for Food and Civil Supplies G R Anil.

“Campus politics was a different game then. It revolved around real issues. The ‘meet the candidate’ sessions had depth and sincerity. As a teacher, when I watch students today, I don’t see the same passion we felt,” she said. For Jayanthi, daughter of former minister and RSP leader V P Ramakrishna Pillai, politics was both part of her upbringing and something she was encouraged to avoid.

“From the age of three, I watched my father’s political life. I was always interested, but he preferred that I stay away from politics. Because of that, my involvement in college was limited. Latha was the most active among us. It was only in 1998 that I entered politics full-time, after the party recognised my capability,” she said. Jayanthi is now a CPM leader and District Panchayat member. She served as the District Panchayat vice president between 2010 and 2015. She is married to retired SP Vijayakumar.